< GOALS ONE    < GOAL TWO    < GOAL THREE   
< GOAL FOUR   

FIVE YEAR PLAN EVALUATION FY 2010 - 2014

GOAL ONE (Key Issue: Rethink Grant Making Processes)

Objective 1A
Within one year, adopt a set of policies simplifying the application process by one-half for arts organizations providing ongoing public programs.

Strategies under Objective 1A:

1. Permit one annual application per organization.
2. Base panel review on organizations’ prior year final reports.
3. Use prior year actual income and expense figures in panel reviews.
4. Measure the effectiveness of the policies using feedback on the application process from arts organizations.

Objective 1B
Within one year, establish a system that provides reliable ongoing support for public programs delivered by Idaho arts organizations.

Strategies under Objective 1B:

1. Establish an entry track for new organizations to obtain multiple-year support.
2. Begin review of each organization funded with General Operating Support (GOS) to determine whether its record delivering public programs in the arts qualifies it for multiple-year support.
3. Refine administrative procedures to include analysis of applicant eligibility prior to panel review.
4. Craft a procedure for panels that removes their consideration of Commission funding from the review process.
5. Use the panel scores in a funding formula that is presented to the Commission, to distribute the available grant funds.
6. Create a policy of minimum and maximum increases and decreases for the ongoing funding of arts organizations’ public programs.

Objective 1C
Within one year, focus QuickFund$ for Organizations to support programs and projects of applicants ineligible for General Operating Support (GOS).

Strategies under Objective 1C:

1. Provide timely support for arts programs and projects to non-GOS organization applicants.
2. Assist non-GOS organization applicants in evaluating their cash flow needs and provide options for addressing them.
3. Measure the effectiveness of QuickFund$ for Organizations policies using feedback from applicants.

Objective 1D
Continue to provide awards and career enhancement opportunities for Idaho artists in recognition of artistic excellence.

Strategies under Objective 1D:

1. Provide Fellowships for Idaho artists in recognition of artistic excellence.
2. Provide Traditional Arts Apprenticeships to Idaho folk and traditional artists to perpetuate artistic traditions for future generations.
3. Support ongoing fieldwork with folk and traditional artists.
4. Examine the feasibility of assisting private contributors to fund individual artist fellowships and apprenticeships.
5. Survey individual artists to determine what new career services they would find most advantageous.

Objective 1E
Continue to support teaching and learning activities for K-12 students, uniting effective instructional practices in education, in and through the arts, encouraging the use of Idaho artists and arts organizations.

Strategies under Objective 1E:

1. Review effective instructional practices in arts education.
2. Encourage the use of resources provided by artists and arts organizations to support teaching and learning in the K-12 arts curriculum.
3. Require Commission-funded, school-based projects to support the academic standards in the arts and humanities.
4. Provide guidance to grant recipients to identify project outcomes, measure progress, and share results.
5. Maintain a grant reporting process to evaluate accomplishments toward program goals.

GOAL TWO (Key Issue: Reduce Isolation)
Reach out to communities across the state to reduce their expressed sense of isolation.

Objective 2A
Within one year, schedule staff time for more in-person communication with constituents, addressing the needs of Idahoans where they live.

Strategies under Objective 2A:

1. Determine workload for staff and establish a master schedule.
2. Identify areas in which staff duties can more effectively accomplished, making more time available for constituents.
3. Engage constituents across Idaho, supporting new and existing relationships.

Objective 2B
Within one year, expand the role of citizens as advocates for the arts in their communities.

Strategies under Objective 2B:

1. Web-link to local arts events calendars across the state from the Commission website.
2. Inform grantees of commissioners’ availability to attend local events.
3. Encourage commissioners to meet with local officials, funders, donors, and other cultural leaders.
4. Explore new advocacy roles for citizens in their regions.
5. Publicize Commission involvement in local events.
6. Create a system to notify elected officials of Commission grants and services delivered in their districts.

Objective 2C
Within four years, bring artists, arts organizations, and others together for multiple regional events.

Strategies under Objective 2C:

1. Select a topic that is relevant in regions across the state, in consultation with artists and arts organizations.
2. Invite artists, arts organizations, and those not yet affiliated with the arts to attend.
3. Evaluate events to determine future formats and content.

Objective 2D
Continue to develop or expand arts events in communities across the state.

Strategies under Objective 2D:

1. Support initiatives of the National Endowment for the Arts.
2. Build on the literary culture of Idaho with collaborative literary programs, such as Poetry Out Loud, The Big Read, and TumbleWords.
3. Support Writer-in-Residence and Idaho Writer’s Connection readings and workshops.
4. Support the biennial Governor's Awards in the Arts.
5. Support exhibitions of visual arts Fellowship recipients and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship artists.

Objective 2E
Within five years, expand by one-quarter the reach of Commission arts education activities to teachers and educational administrators.

Strategies under Objective 2E:

1. Enhance professional development activities for arts education providers.
2. Convene key arts education stakeholders to determine where their priorities intersect regarding quality arts learning.
3. Encourage networking and information exchange among Idaho’s arts education providers.
4. Involve underserved constituencies in Commission teaching and learning activities.

Objective 2F
Continue to link the Commission’s efforts to larger public agendas.

Strategies under Objective 2F:

1. Build relationships with the Governor, First Lady, and their staffs to assist the Commission in supporting the Governor's agenda.
2. Meet with officials from local, state, and federal agencies to determine at which points their efforts merge with those of the Commission.
3. Commit or obtain resources to implement activities that support the mutual agendas that emerge from these meetings.

Objective 2G
Continue to work with social service organizations to provide services to artists new to Idaho.

Strategies under Objective 2G:

1. Identify the service providers of newcomer artists.
2. Coordinate an annual convening of the service providers.
3. Expand delivery of coordinated services to newcomer artists.

Objective 2H
Within three years, encourage regional and national arts conferences to meet in Idaho.

Strategies under Objective 2H:

1. Connect with conference planners in Idaho to determine local support for soliciting regional or national arts conferences.
2. Identify the best persons to lead such efforts.
3. Seek assistance from the travel industry and other stakeholders.

GOAL THREE (Key Issue: Deliver Practical Information)
Provide practical arts business management and arts-learning information to Idahoans.

Objective 3A
Within two years, further the development of artists in Idaho through the communication of practical professional information.

Strategies under Objective 3A

1. Create a panel of experts to identify information about the small-business requirements of individual artists.  
2. Explore career development workshops, in consultation with Idaho artists, focused on their requirements for professional success.

Objective 3B
Continue to contribute to policies that support the arts as core subjects in K-12 education in Idaho.

Strategies under Objective 3B

1. Analyze the most critical needs for arts education policy in Idaho.
2. Use strategic alliances that further arts education in the state.
3. Maintain a presence in Idaho’s educational decision-making connected with arts education.
4. Collaborate with the Idaho Department of Education on the distribution and implementation of Idaho’s academic standards in the arts and humanities.

Objective 3C
Within three years, collect, clarify, and disseminate information about the impact arts programs have on teaching and learning.

Strategies under Objective 3C

1. Review current national research in arts learning.
2. Identify effective communication strategies used to share research findings relevant to Idaho schools and communities.
3. Communicate with Idaho teachers, administrators, and community leaders to clarify the role of the arts in the core curriculum.
4. Use the grant evaluation data of the arts education program to communicate evidence of arts learning through Commission-funded programs.
5. Collect and communicate educators’ contributions to effective arts-learning practices in Idaho.

Objective 3D
Within five years, require all GOS applicants to provide a cash-flow budget using actual figures from the prior year.  

Strategies under Objective 3D:

1. Conduct workshops for all applicants in which sample cash-flow budgets will be completed using their prior-year actual income and expenses.
2. Provide all applicants with information on cash-flow budgeting and its advantages.
3. Provide all applicants with a cash-flow forecaster to assist arts organizations in preparing their budgets.

GOAL FOUR (Issue: Provide Professional Services)
Provide professional services enhancing the growth and stability of Idaho arts.

Objective 4A
Within two years, schedule the Commission’s program directors to participate in facilitation training.

Strategies under Objective 4A:

1. Research available facilitation techniques and determine which best suit Commission needs.
2. Provide staff with opportunities to facilitate and to observe facilitation models as meeting or planning processes.

Objective 4B
Within one year, provide expanded professional services to Idaho artists and arts organizations.

Strategies under Objective 4B:

1. Provide resources for organizational planning and development.
2. Identify consultants who can provide relevant professional services for Idaho artists and arts organizations.
3. Conduct more workshops on actionable subjects relevant to artists and arts organizations.

Objective 4C
Continue supporting public art in Idaho communities.

Strategies under Objective 4C:

1. Maintain support of the regional public art initiative.
2. As required, update the regional public art advisors with practical information and skills to assist community leaders to implement local public art.
3. Explore options to increase funding for public art.

Objective 4D
Continue Idaho teacher, administrator, and teaching-artist professional development, supporting teaching and learning in the arts, in K-12 classrooms.

Strategies under Objective 4D:

1. Coordinate with the Idaho Department of Education to plan professional development for teachers and administrators supporting the Idaho academic standards in the arts and humanities.
2. Design workshops to provide participants with skills and knowledge for effective instructional practices in arts learning.
3. Evaluate the professional development programs of the Commission to determine if they improve arts education instructional skills and knowledge.
4. Convene arts education stakeholders on topics of effective practice in arts learning.
5. Develop and distribute informational resources enhancing arts teaching and learning in Idaho.
6. Maintain a directory of, and train, Idaho teaching artists to work in Idaho schools and community educational settings.

top