HMIS Governing Board Strategic Planning
The HMIS Governing Board is pleased to share that work has begun to develop a vision and strategy for Minnesota’s HMIS. As announced in the 2022 annual meeting, the Governing Board, ICA, and a small group of partners representative of our users and programs are engaging in a strategic planning process.
That strategic planning workgroup will convene in a series of virtual workshops in January, February, and March.
This group will develop priorities, then a vision, mission, strategy, and values.
If you have questions about the strategic planning workgroup or would like to join, you can contact John Ward, ICA’s Executive Assistant at john.ward@icalliances.org.
Concurrently, at the direction of the HMIS Governing Board, ICA is taking preliminary steps to evaluate HMIS platforms available to Minnesota. As a routine activity completed by an HMIS lead, ICA is starting our vendor review process, which was last conducted in 2019. This process should occur once every three years and includes evaluating our current HMIS vendor, researching the other HMIS products available in our market and understanding the cost associated. We know our agencies and users want a system that is intuitive, easy to use, and can facilitate housing and sheltering clients as quickly as possible. If there are ways to do that better or more effectively, we should know.
In recent years, the board and ICA acknowledged that while the board workplans were sufficient for HMIS lead oversight, they were not visionary. Moreover, the board structure (e.g., the committees and responsibilities of each) needs revitalizing. To best position our community to face the challenges of today and those of the years ahead, we need clear, shared direction and adaptive governance.
Before that could happen, however, this volunteer board needed logistical support. In 2022, we remedied that with the additional staffing support and by engaging a technical assistance provider. That brings us to today.
We anticipate the strategic planning work to finish in March, after which the HMIS Governing Board will vote to adopt the strategic plan.