Actions and indicators show how the language revitalization plan will be carried out and how progress will be assessed.
What Are Actions?
- Actions are about doing what needs to be done.
- They can also be called activities or tasks.
- Actions relate directly to achieving strategies.
- Make sure that the actions selected are SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound.
- Actions should be written with action words. For example, start, create, build, implement, etc.
Developing Actions
Review each strategy and identify specific actions that will support the community to achieve it. This may require some research to understand the different steps involved. This information will also inform budget costs.
Example actions:
- Secure funding
- Designate administrator to coordinate program
- Post advertisement for teams
- Recruit fluent Elders to be mentors
What Are Indicators?
Indicators measure progress towards strategies and goals. Indicators need to be clear and measurable.
Indicators are not actions. They are written as nouns that describe the tools that will be used to assess progress.
Indicators can be either countable (quantitative) or descriptive (qualitative). Countable indicators are things like the number of people enrolled in a program or the number of resources developed. Countable indicators could also have yes or no answers, such as whether a reading room was created. Descriptive indicators include stories, quotes and observations.
Both countable and descriptive indicators are informative and useful.
A few common indicators that might be used to measure success include the following:
Countable (Quantitative)
- Number of people enrolled in or attending a program
- Number of new speakers
- Number of resources developed
- Level of language proficiency among learners
- There are designated advisory members for each of the dialects in the area (yes/no).
Descriptive (Qualitative)
- How and where the language is used
- How community members feel about learning the language
- Community feedback on how the programs impact people’s lives
Developing Indicators
- Work together with the community and advisors to define success. How will you know if an action is successful?
- Think about each goal in the plan. How will you know if you have achieved it?
- Decide which indicators will be most effective in tracking progress. Consider a mix of countable and descriptive indicators.
Example Indicators:
- The number of young adults that have done intensive language learning and achieved novice-high or intermediate-low proficiency levels
- Feedback from Mentor-Apprentice participants on how the program has impacted their lives
Note that actions are written with action words, and indicators are written as nouns that describe the tools that will be used to track progress.
When you have identified the activities and indicators, put them together with the vision statement, goals and strategies using the Language Revitalization Plan Template. Here is an example of a language revitalization plan: