Best known for its signature training programs on diversity, equity, and inclusion, the Diversity Awareness Partnership (DAP) needed to remain nimble enough to respond quickly to community events.

For example, the organization began offering its “Listen. Talk. Learn.” program in response to the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014. When The Rome Group worked with the DAP on strategic planning, we wanted to help them develop tools for making decisions on an ongoing basis, not simply during the initial planning process.

DAP leadership recognized that to move from incremental growth to greater impact, the organization needed to set a longer-term vision and develop strategies to reach it. At the same time, DAP needed some way to vet opportunities for growth as they presented themselves.

Our team led DAP’s Board and staff through a planning process that resulted in revised vision, mission, and values statements. We also set goals for growing DAP’s programs and infrastructure. In addition, our consulting team helped DAP develop a “strategy screen” to use in real time, a list of essential factors to consider when weighing a particular strategic direction or future decision.

Together, we used strategic planning to set the course for the present as well as to ensure that future decisions will be strategic and rooted in the organization’s mission.