Core Strategies

The Strategic Plan capitalizes on the energy, momentum, and spirit of collaboration that was developed during the planning initiative. Strategies were designed based on several critical factors:

The need to work together and collectively address poverty issues;
The desire for a regional approach;
The need for both preventive and rehabilitative poverty reduction programs;
The need to advocate systems change and the acknowledgement of strength in numbers to affect change;
The knowledge that comes from listening to the voices of people in poverty;
The link between knowledge and actions;
The recognition of poverty reduction programs already in place and existing resources that are a strength to the regional community;
The need to build on existing resources by forming partnerships that enable community members to address poverty more strategically; and
The power that comes from sharing.

Relationship building and partnership formation are the core strategies that shape the foundation of the strategic plan. All programs and actions are based on these strategies. Relationships and partnerships are more than just “broad community improvement strategies.” P4P believes they are critical to the success of any strategic effort to reduce poverty.

Our model of collaboration is an innovative approach to poverty reduction. How does collaboration equate to action?

P4P cultivates trust in the community by: 1) networking or exchanging information such as poverty data; 2) coordinating with regional partners to become an adaptable organization that alters activities in response to community needs; 3) cooperating by sharing resources such as knowledge, time and energy; and 4) collaborating by strengthening the capacity of regional stakeholders. Poverty reduction will only be achieved by partnerships and collaborative efforts. Such an approach exemplifies the prosperity that comes from living, working, adapting and celebrating together.

Collaboration Defined: a Continuum of Definitions and Strategies

Networking is defined as exchanging information for mutual benefit.
Coordination is defined as exchanging information and altering activities for mutual benefit and to achieve a common purpose.
Cooperation is defined as exchanging information, altering activities, and sharing resources for mutual benefit and to achieve a common purpose.
Collaboration is defined as exchanging information, altering activities, sharing resources and enhancing the capacity of another for mutual benefit and to achieve a common purpose.

The Illustration

A popular children’s story provides an illustration of P4P’s Strategic Plan to Reduce Poverty. Although there are several versions of “Stone Soup,” they all focus on working together to meet a need. In the story, a hungry traveler comes upon a village and asks the villagers for food. When he is turned away from the village, the traveler decides to make “stone soup”. The villagers start bringing ingredients and before long they have created a nutritious pot of soup. The moral is that by working together, with everyone contributing what they can, a greater good is achieved.

P4P takes a similar approach to poverty reduction. We believe that by working together, with everyone contributing what they can, prosperity will be achieved. The following is an illustration of how P4P will help the region achieve prosperity (make “soup”):

Prosperity for Eastern Idaho

P4P will research “soup” for the regional community: What kind of soup does the community need? What kind of soup does it want? What kinds of ingredients are available to make soup?

P4P will help Eastern Idaho make “soup” by providing an analysis of the research and coordinating a collaborative effort among community stakeholders. Many of the ingredients will come from the community and P4P will add to the pot of soup by providing technical assistance, leveraging opportunities, and sharing recipes.

In partnership, Eastern Idaho will have prosperity!