Plan With, Not For
Collective impact initiatives depend on collaborations that align the efforts of each partner while focusing on the unique opportunities that each may contribute to the goal of a project. It is important to allow the expertise of each partner to enhance and not duplicate or supplant efforts. This requires time for specific planning to identify needs, and to brainstorm new ideas and solutions together that could not exist without the partnership. Whether members are collaborating individually, with artists, with organizations, schools or businesses, it is important to involve all voices equally in the planning. This also provides a meaningful role for each partner and is most likely to be successful.

Identify Goals
In addition to embracing the mission of the Artistic Literacy Consortium, consider what incremental changes may realistically occur during your project. What change do you intend to bring about? What do you hope will happen as a result of the activities you are planning? Once everyone is on the same page, you are ready to consider how to create this change using the resources and personnel available to you.

Track Progress and Share Results
Depending on how long and complex your project is, you may want to establish a time frame to collect and review information to see if you are accomplishing what you hope, and to provide yourself an opportunity to refocus on what is working, or change what is not working as expected. How will you know you have been successful? How might you collect evidence and what will you look for? Some examples of evidence are surveys that ask questions about your established goals. If you hope to increase attendance, simply collect and review your attendance rolls. Having parents sign in for activities and events will help you track parental involvement. If you are observing changes that are happening, keep a journal of what you see. Include happy accidents. Sometimes things happen that are even better than expected. Don’t worry about things that don’t seem as successful, because everything provides opportunities to learn and change. Collective impact initiatives are not perfect. They are often brand new ideas. It is important to establish ways to track what is happening so that you may learn what works for you, and what might help others that would like to learn from you. This is how we progress strategically from grass roots to statewide success providing high quality arts education for every Alabama student.

Consortium members are asked to create logic models and contribute the Shared Evaluation Model so that everyone may learn together. If you need help with planning and/or evaluating please let us help you. Contact the Artistic Literacy Consortium at artisticliteracyconsortium@gmail.com Exploring Regional Possibilities There is a current commitment by the following organizations to facilitate regional, grassroots and systemic activities in support of high quality, standards-based arts education. Still in the design phase, each of these organizations is exploring how they can best serve their communities and schools. For information on how to establish a collaborative effort in your area, please contact the Artistic Literacy Consortium at artisticliteracyconsortium@gmail.com Artistic Literacy Consortium, Birmingham Contact, Diane Litsey Member Organizations and Schools Educational Programs and Resources Artistic Literacy Consortium, Huntsville Contact, Allison Dillon-Jauken Member Organizations and Schools Educational Programs and resources Artistic Literacy Consortium, Tuscaloosa Contact, Sandra Wolfe Member Organizations and Schools Educational Programs and Resources