Ganz et al. Tool to Plan a Kickoff Activity

Based on your theory of change, brainstorm some tactics.  To do so, consider the following questions:

• How might you organize your constituency's resources to create the changed called for by the evidence? 
• Strategize backwards.  How will your organize your resources over time to achieve the change called for by the evidence (aka your goal)? What incremental milestones do you have along the way?
• Then think forward.  Starting with a potential kickoff activity, what does each activity need to institutionalize in order to set your team to achieve the next milestone?

Remeber: Ganz et al. emphasize that "good tactics" are based in the culture and experience of your people and reflect your values.

Once you have brainstormed several potential kickoff activities, select what you think is the best one.  Answer the following questions:

• What is the activity? What will the activity look like? When will it take place? Where?
• Who will be involved? How many?  What will people be doing?  What will you be doing?
• What measurable outcome will you try to achieve with this kickoff activity?
• How will the activity be motivational for the constituency?
• Why did you choose this activity from among the other available tactics?  (SPEND ENOUGH TIME ON THIS QUESTION SO YOU ARE CONFIDENT YOU SELECTED THE BEST AVAILABLE KICKOFF ACTIVITY!!!)
• For this specific activity, who are the leaders? Who are supporters?  Who are competition? Who are opposition? Do any of the latter have the resources/power to prevent the activity?  If so, what do they want?  And what do we have that they want?
• List the things that need to get done between now and the scheduled date of your activity in order to organize it effectively.