HAC’s Strategic Planning tool begins in earnest with a one-day staff and board retreat. Trainers use collaborative decision-making techniques to determine the organization’s highest priority goals and then break up the staff and board into groups to develop SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) objectives. Post workshop, the organization’s Executive Director (or designee) and the HAC Facilitator draft the plan into a final document which is presented to the organization’s Board of Directors for adoption. While there are more comprehensive long-term processes used for strategic planning, HAC has found this approach to help rural organizations with small staff and boards define their most important goals and objectives in a quick and cost-effective manner.