Foundational Activities
The Foundational Activities materials help teams inventory their climate and resources, identify a common vision, document mission and goals, clarify roles, build trust, and prepare for unexpected obstacles and opportunities in ever-changing healthcare and community environments. Comprised of three subcomponents, the SOAR Analysis, Team Charter, and Scenario Planning, the foundational activities help teams create space for open dialogue, reveal assumptions that may hinder collaboration, and establish a shared language and direction. Investing time in these foundational steps equips teams to navigate the complexity of health equity work and collaborate more effectively toward sustainable change.
| Core Sub-components of the Foundational Activities Curriculum | |
|---|---|
| Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, and Results (SOAR) Analysis | A SOAR Analysis is a strengths-based planning tool that helps teams identify what is working well; where opportunities exist; what teams aspire to achieve; and how they will define success. Rather than focusing on deficits, SOAR encourages teams to build on existing assets and align around a shared vision for impact, supporting motivation and collective ownership of goals. |
Team Charter | The Team Charter establishes a shared foundation for how teams will work together. Through this activity, teams clarify their purpose, roles, decision-making processes, norms for collaboration, and specific, time-bound goals. A clear charter promotes accountability, transparency, and trust by ensuring all members have a common understanding of expectations and how work will move forward. |
Scenario Planning | Scenario Planning helps teams anticipate and prepare for uncertainty before implementing new care or payment models by exploring the potential challenges, constraints, and opportunities that could affect their work. By discussing “what-if” situations in advance, teams can identify risks, test assumptions, and develop strategies to respond thoughtfully rather than reactively. This activity strengthens adaptability and resilience over the course of the implementation. |
How and when to work through this component
Teams should start with the SOAR Analysis, followed by the Team Charter and conduct Scenario Planning before implementing new or revised care delivery transformation and payment mechanism(s). Click on a specific Foundational Activities sub-component below to see its curriculum. Revisit each sub-component at least once a year to update it as your work evolves.