**ATTACHMENT C**

# U.S. Administration on Aging

## STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN

**FY 2003-2008**

### November, 2002

**Table of Contents**

###### EXECUTIVE SUMMARY....................................................3

**INTRODUCTION ..............................................................4**

**The Administration on Aging.....................................4**

**Development and Update of the Plan..........................4**

**Our Mission.............................................................5**

**Our Vision for Older People.......................................5**

**Our Core Values.......................................................5**

**Our Priorities............................................................6**

**Our Strategies..........................................................7**

**5 YEAR GOALS / OBJECTIVES / STRATEGIES.....................8**

#### APPENDIX

#### A. Relationship between Strategic Goals and GPRA Long Range Goals

B. Strategies Employed to Achieve AoA Strategic Action Plan Goals

C. Relationship between HHS Strategic Plan and AoA Strategic Action Plan

**EXECUTIVE SUMMARY**

The AoA Strategic Action Plan for 2003-2008 was developed at the direction of the Assistant Secretary for Aging to guide the Administration on Aging as it carries out its statutory mission and provides national leadership on aging issues.  The Plan establishes five strategic priorities and related goals and objectives that will be used to focus AoA’s investment of effort and resources over the next five years.  The plan is framed by the priorities established by the Assistant Secretary for Aging and supports the HHS Strategic Plan for 2003-2008.  

AoA’s mission is to promote the dignity and independence of older people, and to help society prepare for an aging population.  AoA carries out its mission with and through a national network of public and private organizations and is charged, under the Older Americans Act, with the responsibility to serve as the advocate for older people at the national level, and to oversee the development of a comprehensive and coordinated system of care that will enable older individuals to remain at home and participate fully in the community life.  Toward that end, the Aging Services Network has, for over thirty years, has played a leadership role in services innovation and in developing citizen-centered systems of health and long-term care at the state and local level.   Most recently, AoA has worked with the network to lead the nationwide development of services and supports for family caregivers through the implementation of the National Family Caregiver Support Program.

The Assistant Secretary for Aging established five priorities in this plan to ensure that AoA and the Aging Services Network continues to play a leadership role in shaping our evolving health and long term care system on behalf of older people.  These priorities are: 

· Make it easier for older people to access an integrated array of health and social supports;

· Help older people to stay active and healthy;

· Support families in their efforts to care for their loved ones at home and in the community; 

· Ensure the rights of older people and prevent their abuse, neglect and exploitation; and,

· Promote effective and responsive management.

The Plan provides a broad strategic framework for achieving these priorities.  Like the HHS Strategic Plan, the AoA plan does not encompass all of the activities carried out by the agency.  It is designed, instead, to describe the agency’s priorities, the overall direction of where the agency is headed, and how the agency plans to get there.  Annual Implementation Plans will be developed each calendar year to identify the specific measurable outcomes staff will pursue during the calendar year to achieve the strategic goals and objectives contained in this document.  A set of long range GPRA Goals has been established as part of this Strategic Action Plan to help the agency measure its progress on each goal.     

**INTRODUCTION**

#### The Administration on Aging

The Administration on Aging (AoA) serves as the Federal focal point and advocate agency for older persons and their concerns. In this role, AoA works to heighten awareness among other Federal agencies, organizations, groups, and the public about the valuable contributions that older Americans make to the Nation and alerts them to the needs of vulnerable older people.  AoA also administers various grant programs that support an array of supportive services, as well as state and local efforts to develop comprehensive and coordinated systems of care for older people and their family caregivers.  

AoA carries out its advocacy and grant programs in collaboration with a national network that includes 56 State Units on Aging, 655 Area Agencies on Aging, 244 Tribal organizations, over 29,000 local community service organizations, 500,000 volunteers, and a wide variety of national organizations.  

#### Development and Update of the Plan

The AoA Strategic Action Plan was developed during 2002, and reflects AoA’s statutory mission and the priorities of the Assistant Secretary for Aging, the HHS Secretary and the President.  The plan also reflects input from staff throughout the agency, as well as representatives of the Aging Services Network and older consumers who participated in the National Listening Sessions conducted by the Assistant Secretary for Aging during 2001.    

The AoA Plan follows the structure and format of the HHS Strategic Plan for 2003-2008.  The AoA Plan embodies a strategic framework for advancing AoA’s mission and priorities.  It includes five goals to reflect the priorities established by the Assistant Secretary, including four programmatic goals and one management goal.  For each programmatic goal, the plan includes three broad objectives: one focused on what AoA does directly for consumers and the general public; a second focused on what AoA does with and through the Aging Services Network; and, a third focused on what AoA does with other federal agencies and private sector organizations to advance its mission and priorities.  The management goal is designed to support the agency’s policy and program activities.   

An Annual Implementation Plan will be developed each year, through an agency-wide process to identify the specific outcomes that will be achieved to advance AoA’s five-year goals and objectives.  These annual planning cycles will take into account changes in the policy and budget environment, as well as emerging trends and issues, and will be used to update the Strategic Action Plan, as necessary.  To help us measure the progress we are making on five-year strategic goals and objectives, a set of Long Range GPRA Goals has been established as part of this Strategic Action Plan and are included in Appendix A.  

#### Our Mission

The mission of the Administration on Aging, as embodied in the Older Americans Act, is to promote the dignity and independence of older people, and to help society prepare for an aging population.  We do this by serving as an advocate for older people, and by overseeing the development of a comprehensive and coordinated system of care that is responsive to the needs and preferences of older people and their family caregivers.   

#### Our Vision for Older People 

Our vision for older people is also embodied in the Older Americans Act and is based on the American value that dignity is inherent to all individuals in our democratic society, and the belief that older people should have the opportunity to fully participate in all aspects of society and community life, be able to maintain their health and independence, and remain in their own homes and communities for as long as possible.

#### Our Core Values 

In the ongoing management of our programs and our strategic planning process, we will be guided by a set of core values that will define AoA’s organizational culture.  In developing and carrying out this action plan and future updates, AoA will:   

· Listen to older people and our partners who serve them. 

· Capitalize on the experience and unique attributes of our network.

· Identify and promote the replication of the “best” the network has to offer in service models and systems of community care.

· Produce measurable outcomes that significantly impact the well-being of older people and their family caregivers.

· Respond to the changing needs and preferences of our diverse and growing elderly population.    

· Take advantage of external opportunities to advance our strategic goals and priorities. 

· Help position our community-based aging services provider network to enhance the responsiveness of our health and long term care system to the needs and preferences of older consumers.

#### Our Priorities

The Assistant Secretary for Aging has established five priorities to guide AoA’s activities over the next five years.  These priorities support the HHS Strategic Plan, and include:   

Priority 1:  Make it easier for older people to access an integrated array of health and social supports.     

#### Priority 2:  Help older people to stay active and healthy. 

###### Priority 3:  Support families in their efforts to care for their loved ones at home 

###### and in the community. 

###### Priority 4:  Ensure the rights of older people and prevent their abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Priority 5:  Promote effective and responsive management. 

**Our Strategies**

The Older Americans Act provides AoA with the authority to deploy six strategies to advance its leadership mission and achieve its strategic goals and objectives.  These strategies are reflected in the performance contract established between the Secretary of HHS and the Assistant Secretary for Aging and include: 1.) advocacy, which encompasses AoA’s responsibility to represent the needs and concerns of older people in the policy, program and budget development processes at the federal level; 2.) the dissemination of consumer information and the conduct of public education activities; 3.) the allocation of formula grants to the states, territories and tribal organizations; 4.) the provision of technical assistance; 5.) knowledge development, research translation, and community implementation, which encompasses policy analysis, the use of and application of research findings to community services and systems, and the development and testing of new models and approaches that benefit older people and their caregivers; and, 6.) effective management that is responsive to, and supports, the policy and program activities of the agency.  

AdvocacyGrants to States,

Territories and Tribes

Consumer Information &  

Public Education     **Goals**              Technical Assistance****

Knowledge Development, Effective and Responsive 

Research Translation and Management  

Community Implementation

**5 Year Goals / Objectives / Strategies**

**Goal 1:  Increase the number of older people who have access to an integrated array of health and social supports.**

**Objective 1.1  Strengthen AoA’s capacity to provide information to older individuals that can help them access health and social supports, and educate the public about the importance of improving older people’s access to an integrated array of health and social supports.**

Strategies We Will Use to Accomplish Our Objective:

· Educate the public, including policy-makers, about the challenges older people face in trying to access services, and strategies that can be used to address these challenges.    

· Disseminate information to older people, including low-income, rural, and limited English speaking older people, to help them access health and social supports. 

**Objective 1.2Support the Aging Services Network’s role in developing systems of care that provide older people an integrated array of health and social supports.**

Strategies We Will Use to Accomplish Our Objective:

· Provide formula grants that support information, outreach, access nutrition and supportive services (Titles IIIB, IIIC, and VI of the OAA), and ensure the effective use of these grant funds in promoting the development of more integrated systems of health and social supports. 

· Use the OAA state plan requirements and tribal organization grant applications to help states and tribes document how they are utilizing Titles IIIB, IIIC and Title VI formula grant funds to advance AoA and HHS priorities in this area. 

· Identify and disseminate state-of-the art knowledge, information and technical assistance on models and techniques that states, tribes and communities can use to improve older people’s access to an integrated array of health and social supports.   

· Support the development and testing of new models and techniques that can improve older people’s access to an integrated array of health and social supports.  

· Conduct analysis of research findings, demographic trends, program data, and other information to identify strategies and approaches to support future program and policy development in this area.  

**Objective 1.3Partner with other federal agencies and private sector organizations to promote policies, programs and activities that will increase the number of older people who have access to an integrated array of health and social supports.**

Strategies We Will Use to Accomplish Our Objective:

· Partner with other agencies and organizations on joint projects and activities that are designed to increase older people’s access to an integrated array of health and social supports. 

· Participate in HHS, government-wide and private sector projects and activities that have the potential to improve older people’s access an integrated array of health and social supports.     

**Goal 2:Increase the number of older people who stay active and healthy.**

**Objective 2.1Strengthen AoA’s capacity to provide information to older people that can help them stay active and healthy, and educate the public about the importance of healthy lifestyle choices, and about health promotion and disease prevention programs that can benefit people as they age.**

Strategies We Will Use to Accomplish Our Objective:

· Educate older people and the general public, including policy-makers, about the importance of maintaining active lifestyles and healthy behaviors for successful aging.

· Disseminate information on health promotion and disease prevention programs to older people, including low-income, rural, and limited English speaking older people, and to the general public.

**Objective 2.2Support the Aging Services Network’s role in developing programs that help older people adopt and maintain active lifestyles and practice healthy behaviors.**

Strategies We Will Use to Accomplish Our Objective:

· Provide formula grants that support health promotion services (Titles C1, C2 and D of the OAA), and ensure the effective use of these grant funds. 

· Use the OAA state plan requirements to help states document how they are utilizing Titles C1, C2 and D formula grant funds to advance AoA and HHS priorities in this area. 

· Identify and disseminate state-of-the art knowledge, information and technical assistance on models and techniques that can be used by states, tribes and communities to enhance health promotion and disease prevention programs for older people.   

· Support the development and testing of new models and techniques that can help older people stay active and healthy, including models targeted at “high risk” populations. 

· Conduct analysis of research findings, demographic trends, program data, and other information to identify strategies and approaches to support future program and policy development in this area.  

**Objective 2.3Partner with other federal agencies and private sector organizations to promote policies, programs and activities that encourage older people to adopt and maintain active lifestyles and practice healthy behaviors.**

Strategies We Will Use to Accomplish Our Objective:

· Partner with other agencies and organizations on joint projects and activities that are designed to help older people stay active and healthy.  

· Participate in HHS, government-wide and private sector projects and activities that have the potential to improve the health of older people, including Healthy People 2010.      

**Goal 3:Increase the number of families who**

###### are supported in their efforts to care 

###### for their loved ones at home and in the community.  

**Objective 3.1Strengthen AoA’s capacity to provide information to families that will help them in their caregiving roles, and educate the public on family caregiving and the importance of supporting family caregivers.**

Strategies We Will Use to Accomplish Our Objective:

· Educate the public, including policy-makers, about family caregiving and the importance of helping families to care for their loved ones at home.

· Disseminate information to families, including low-income, rural and limited English speaking families, to help them care for their older relatives.  

###### Objective 3.2Support the Aging Services Network’s role in  helping family caregivers.

Strategies We Will Use to Accomplish Our Objective:

· Provide formula grants for the National Family Caregiver Support Program (Titles IIIE and VIC of the OAA), and ensure the effective use of these grant funds.  

· Use the OAA plan requirements to help the states and tribes document how they are utilizing Title IIIE and Title VIC funds to advance AoA and HHS priorities in this area. 

· Identify and disseminated state-of-the art knowledge, information and technical assistance on models and techniques that can be used by states, tribes and communities to design and implement programs and services that support caregivers. 

· Support  the development of new models and techniques that can help family caregivers.  

· Conduct analysis of research findings, demographic trends, program data, and other information to identify strategies and approaches to support future program and policy development in this area.  

**Objective 3.3Partner with other federal agencies and private sector organizations to promote policies, programs and activities that support family caregivers.**

Strategies We Will Use to Accomplish Our Objective:

· Partner with other agencies and organizations on joint projects and activities that will benefit family caregivers.

· Participate in HHS, government-wide and private sector projects and activities that have the potential to benefit family caregivers. 

###### Goal 4:Increase the number of older people who benefit from programs that protect their rights and prevent elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.

##### Objective 4.1Strengthen AoA’s capacity to provide information to older consumers on elder rights and consumer protection issues and programs, and educate the public on the importance of such programs.

Strategies We Will Use to Accomplish Our Objective:

· Educate the public, including policy-makers, on the importance of protecting the rights of older people and preventing elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.

· Provide information to older people, including low-income, rural, and limited-English speaking older people, on their rights and consumer protection programs, and benefits to which they are entitled.

**Objective 4.2Support the Aging Services Network’s role in protecting older consumers and preventing elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.**

Strategies We Will Use to Accomplish Our Objective:

· Provide formula grants to support elder abuse prevention, legal services, hotlines and long term care ombudsmen programs (Titles II, IIIB, IV and Title VII of the OAA), and ensure the effective use of these grant funds.  

· Use the OAA state plan requirements to help the states document how they are utilizing these formula grant funds to advance AoA and HHS priorities. 

· Identify and disseminate state-of-the art knowledge, information and technical assistance on innovative models and techniques that can be used by states and communities to inform the elderly of their rights and prevent elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. 

· Support the development of new models and techniques that can make it easier for older people to know their rights and to prevent elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. 

· Conduct analysis of research findings, demographic trends, program data, and other information to identify strategies and approaches to support future program and policy development in this area.  

**Objective 4.3Partner with other federal agencies and the public and private sectors to promote policies, programs and activities that will help inform the elderly of their rights and prevent elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.**

Strategies We Will Use to Accomplish Our Objective:

· Partner with other agencies and organizations on joint projects and activities that will help protect older consumers and prevent elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.  

· Participate in HHS, government-wide and private sector projects and activities that have the potential to benefit older consumers and help prevent elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. 

**Goal 5: Strengthen the effectiveness of AoA’s management practices.**

**Objective 5.1Improve the strategic management of human**

**capital within AoA**

Strategies we will use to accomplish our objective:

· Enhance communication throughout AoA and use employee performance plans to facilitate the contribution of all employees to meeting our goals. 

· Maintain and regularly update a workforce plan.  

· Use competitive sourcing opportunities to augment and improve the capabilities of the AoA workforce.

· Proactively seek opportunities to gain the support and assistance of other employees and programs within the Department to assist AoA in achieving its goals.

**Objective 5.2Improve and maintain strong financial**

**management practices**

Strategies we will use to accomplish our objective:

· Proactively participate in ongoing financial statement audits, and any corrective action, to insure the integrity of AoA financial information.

· Effectively use timely AoA budget/financial information to inform management and program decision making. 

· Proactively participate in the HHS Unified Financial Management System (UFMS).  

**Objective 5.3Leverage technology for optimal program management and service delivery**

Strategies we will use to accomplish our objective:

· Proactively use technology to effectively communicate with and respond to AoA constituents.

· Actively seek opportunities to develop or employ technology that improves our programs and reduces our costs or that of our stakeholders. 

· Proactively participate, and where appropriate take a leadership role, in Department-wide and Government-wide E-government initiatives.  

**Objective 5.4Achieve integration of budget and performance**

Strategies we will use to accomplish our objective:

· Develop a continuous approach that links feedback from GPRA performance measures and State reporting to the budget formulation process for use in shaping budget decisions and developing new program and budget proposals. 

· Develop management reports to provide feedback data to AoA senior management on an ongoing basis.

· Develop ongoing vehicles for sharing performance information with budget stakeholders (in HHS, OMB, the Congress) outside of AoA. 

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