Community Accountability Programs Information ... - Ministry of Justice

GOAL SETTINGAlong with these organizational, research, and public awareness efforts,you will need to focus time and energy on defining and developing yourCommunity Accountability Program.The first step in defining your program is to establish its purpose andobjectives. The purpose (often referred to as a “mission statement”) is theprogram’s overall aim and its reason for being. It describes in general termswhat you intend to accomplish. Keep your mission statement as simpleand concise as possible.Objectives, on the other hand, are specific targets you want to achieve.They should be stated in clear and measurable ways as they will be yourbasis for evaluating the program later on.To set your program purpose and objectives, draw on the results of yourresearch and community consultations. Review the community profile youdeveloped. Consider the following questions:• What issues generated the ideas for your program?• What community crime concerns will your program address?• What gaps in service will it meet?• What clientele will it work with – adults, youth, or both?• What are its limits?• What restorative justice model will it implement?If you need help in articulating your program’s mission and objectives,consider approaching other community programs for advice or consult thefollowing Safe Communities Kit booklets:• Getting Your Crime Prevention Strategies Underway: Project PlanningGuide• Splash and Ripple: Using Outcomes to Design and Guide CommunityJustice Work(See page 31 for details on how to obtain a copy of the Safe CommunitiesKit.)Once you have set your program goal and objectives, you will need adetailed plan for program development and implementation. Create aworkplan that lists all the activities to be completed. Identify who willGetting Started 34