NAACCR STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PLAN Goals and Objectives 2021-2024
In June 2021, the NAACCR Board of Directors approved the 2021-2024 Strategic Management Plan, which was presented to the NAACCR membership in the 2021 Business Meeting. This version builds upon the foundation of previous Plans, and represents substantial hard work by the Priority Area Steering Committees to consider their direction moving forward, informed by input from the membership. This most recent version of NAACCR’s Strategic Management Plan represents a conceptual shift, moving from a more “management” approach to a more “strategic” approach. The plan is also a living document, providing flexibility to incorporate NAACCR’s changing needs over time. We are grateful to the NAACCR membership, the Steering Committees, and all NAACCR’s volunteers for their hard work on this plan!
Download: PDF NAACCR Strategic Management Plan 2021 – 2024
The PDF document includes the background and initial goals and objectives of the 2021 – 2024 Strategic Management Plan. The latest versions of the Steering Committee goals and objectives may be found below.
Looking for information prior to this plan? Please visit our SMP Document Archive located here.
As of the release date of the 2021–2024 SMP, the NAACCR Board has not adopted any additional WOW initiatives. However, the Board will be focusing on strategic direction over the next 3 years. Through that process, we fully expect to identify at least one new WOW initiative to include in the SMP.
The below tabs are from the last WOW initiatives. New ones will be coming soon.
Virtual Pooled Registry-Cancer Linkage System:
The creation of a resource to support multi-state or nationwide research with one application and one file submission will continue. This resource will also have the capacity to support inter-registry de-duplication, cohort-based research studies, clinical trials, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required post-marketing surveillance. Not only will the VPR-CLS facilitate linkages, but also a simultaneous goal is to develop a Central IRB, which could function as a universal IRB for VPR-CLS eligible studies. In addition, a template IRB application is being developed to streamline the IRB process.
Technical Assistance for International Cancer Registries:
NAACCR has been an active partner in establishing and supporting the Caribbean Hub for the Global Initiative for Cancer Registration, sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and IARC. In addition, NAACCR has established an international membership category, and is working to provide education, training, and other resources through portal access on our website. We are also building a mentorship and training program through twinning to assist registries in other parts of the world in their effort to measure the burden of cancer and develop effective cancer control programs.
Registry of the Future Expert Leadership Panel:
An expert leadership conference that brings some of the world’s top leaders in cancer surveillance together to vision the cancer registry of the future using critical thinking and innovative problem solving techniques.
Review Registry Certification:
Explore the need for modifications to current Gold and Silver certification levels, or the addition of a new level of certification. Criteria to be considered may include data sharing, de-duplication between states, and other activities that improve the overall quality of North American data and data use.
Strategic Management Plan Goals & Objectives 2021-2024
Priority Area 1: Strategic Planning and Alliances
Rationale:
Strategic planning is a critical Board responsibility required to ensure that the NAACCR mission is sustained now and into the future. Board members must be able to understand the issues and evaluate opportunities for and risks to accomplishing NAACCR’s mission. In addition, investment in strategic partnerships is needed to advance NAACCR’s mission. Relationships of mutual benefit must be carefully chosen and built over time.
Goal 1: Ensure that NAACCR’s strategic plan serves to advance the mission of the organization.
Objective 1: Conceptualize and recommend a strategic direction for NAACCR.
Objective 2: Analyze potential strategies using a consistent, systematic approach.
Objective 3: On an annual basis, coordinate with other the Steering Committees to align Board strategy with Steering Committee strategy.
Objective 4: Oversee the Strategic Management Plan renewal process.
Goal 2: Ensure that NAACCR maintains a complement of partnerships and alliances that promote and enhance NAACCR’s mission.
Objective 1: Systematically evaluate stakeholder and competitor organizations to understand their relationships with and influence on NAACCR.
Objective 2: Develop strategies for engaging and collaborating with potential new partners.
Objective 3: Assess existing partnerships to ensure relationships are mutually beneficial.
Priority Area 2: Standardization and Registry Development (S&RD)
Rationale:
Standardization and registry development continues to be a mission-critical role that must move forward so that central registries are adequately prepared to adapt rapidly and successfully to changing developments in cancer surveillance. Emerging technologies, genetic and clinical advances, survivorship issues, electronic medical records, and “Big Data” are transforming the way central cancer registries function. For these reasons, the S&RD priority area must continue to maintain its efforts to assure the highest quality data for central registries while seeking innovative strategies to develop the cancer registry of the future.
Goal 1: Prepare for the cancer surveillance system of the future—a system that is more timely, responsive, and adaptable to change.
Objective 1: Analyze how cancer surveillance systems will interface with electronic health data and continue to assess semantic interoperability issues.
Objective 2: Engage with and appraise national and international efforts regarding informatics initiatives, electronic health records, artificial intelligence, and other IT technologies as they relate to central cancer registries.
Objective 3: Identify, analyze, and assess emerging cancer surveillance data sources to assist registries with ensuing data storage, computing infrastructure, and operational needs.
Objective 4: Investigate and promote increased registry incorporation of informatics to optimize registry operations.
Goal 2: Establish consensus standards and best practices for the collection and processing of cancer and patient information.
Objective 1: Organize consensus-based standards volumes and implementation guidelines.
Objective 2: Develop methods to simplify the death clearance process to improve efficiency.
Objective 3: Enable the facilitation of automation of record consolidation by developing general principles and consolidation guidelines.
Objective 4: Evaluate recommendations of timeliness initiatives to identify commonalities and feasibility.
Objective 5: Collaborate with the Research and Data Use Steering Committee to develop best practices for interstate deduplication.
Objective 6: Collaborate with the Research and Data Use Steering Committee to develop minimum and targeted data sets.
Goal 3: Investigate and develop innovative uses of cancer registries by identifying emerging initiatives and new roles that bring value- added benefits to cancer surveillance, research, and control.
Objective 1: Investigate and recommend opportunities for cancer registries to improve cancer surveillance, research, and control (for example, Childhood Cancer Registry).
Objective 2: Investigate the process and feasibility of setting up and maintaining virtual population-based tumor banks.
Objective 3: Develop best practices for conducting linkages to enhance registries.
Priority Area 3: Research and Data Use
Rationale
The fundamental value of centralized cancer registries is the high-quality data that allows innovative research, reliable cancer surveillance and improved cancer control. The Research and Data Use Steering Committee plays a vital role in assuring promotion and access to registry data in a systematic and user-friendly way. Significant advances in technology and science offer new opportunities and challenges for cancer surveillance. Data analytics and “Big Data” are presenting new ways to analyze both structured and unstructured data to provide new insights and directions in our understanding of cancer. It is essential that NAACCR keeps pace with these developments by making certain that central registries are positioned to make the fullest possible contribution to future research in epidemiology, cancer prevention and control, and, in particular, clinical outcomes.
Goal 1: Increase the use of central cancer registry data.
Objective 1: Assess the relevance and demonstrate the value of central cancer registries to the cancer control community, clinicians, researchers, and the public (in collaboration with Communications Priority Area).
Objective 2: Develop efficient processes to improve access to North American population-based cancer registry data.
Objective 3: Improve the research and data use capacity of NAACCR member registries and external researchers (in collaboration with Professional Development Priority Area).
Priority Area 4: Communications and Policy Development
Rationale:
Communicating a unified understanding of purpose to members, outside stakeholders, and the public is the critical role performed by the Communication Steering Committee. Keeping members informed of advances in the field, reporting progress towards reaching SMP goals and objectives, sharing success stories among members, and providing opportunities from member input are just a few of the important steps necessary to assure openness and transparency within NAACCR. At the same time, a platform for sharing information with the broader cancer surveillance community, and the public in general, is essential to bringing a greater awareness of NAACCR member interests to wider audiences. Finally, as an association representing the interests of central cancer registries, NAACCR must develop and promulgate carefully crafted policy statements on critical issues of national relevance to its members and the broader public they serve. These statements will be issued through the Communications Steering Committee.
Goal 1: Strengthen NAACCR’s ability to capture and share member views, opinions, and perspectives on important registry issues and promote member engagement and the sharing of expertise, knowledge, procedures, and best practices among NAACCR members.
Objective 1: Identify opportunities to enhance the content and broaden the distribution of the NAACCR Narrative newsletter to expand readership.
Objective 2: Develop an effective and efficient process for the systematic and timely review and publication of material submitted for the NAACCR Narrative.
Objective 3: Enhance member opportunities for sharing best practices and obtaining member views and insights on specific cancer surveillance issues.
Objective 4: Improve the ability of NAACCR to promote member engagement opportunities.
Goal 2: Strengthen NAACCR’s ability to promote its products, services, and accomplishments to increase brand awareness and market visibility among external stakeholders, partner organizations, and other target audiences.
Objective 1: Explore and develop strategies and resources to share promotional content through multiple media outlets.
Priority Area 5: Professional Development
Rationale:
The development and training of skilled CTRs, epidemiologists, IT specialists, and registry managers remains essential to the future of centralized registries. New technologies and advances in genetics and molecular biology are informing clinical and cancer control strategies. Informatics, analytics, and molecular epidemiology are combining to push for change in the way registries function. Personnel are being asked to do more with less, as budgets are cut and the complexity of work responsibilities increases. Enhanced training and professional development will remain an essential priority of NAACCR.
In addition, an aging workforce creates a demand for succession planning to establish a talented pool of future leaders for central registries. Programs to develop management, leadership, and strategic thinking proficiencies will grow. NAACCR needs to work collaboratively with other key agencies to address this serious concern.
Goal 1: Develop and implement strategies to recruit and retain personnel in central cancer registries by enhancing career opportunities for individuals with diverse skill sets.
Objective 1: Partner with other professional organizations (e.g., American Health Information Management Association, American Public Health Association, NCRA) to address recruitment and retention issues.
Objective 2: Establish collaborative approaches to make career opportunities more attractive to individuals with skill sets and expertise to build and implement the cancer registry of the future.
Objective 3: In collaboration with other steering committees, such as Standards and Registry Development and Research and Data Use, bring
top central registry staff together to brainstorm best practices for leadership, management, registry operations, epidemiology/statistics, information technology (IT), research support, and data security.
Objective 4: Collaborate with NCRA and other groups to address data quality from non-cancer registry/non-U.S. outsourcing firms.
Objective 5: Engage new members through the Member Ambassador Program to encourage involvement in NAACCR activities.
Goal 2: Develop a comprehensive multidisciplinary training program to ensure that NAACCR members possess the requisite skill sets to excel in the rapidly changing cancer surveillance environment.
Objective 1: Produce a training program that includes core competencies in the areas of leadership, management, registry operations, epidemiology/ statistics, IT, research support, and data security to prepare members for management positions and to provide a talented and reliable supply of future NAACCR leaders.
Objective 2: Coordinate an inter-registry mentorship program, with opportunities for registry staff to observe operations and best practices of highly successful registries.
Objective 3: Support and guide university-level curriculum for central cancer registries, along with other interested organizations.
- Strategic Management Plan 2015 Update (6/2015)
- Strategic Management Plan Goals (Updated 6/2011)
- Strategic Management Plan Timeline (3/2011)
- Strategic Management Plan Chair Meeting Presentation (2/2011)
- Strategic Management Plan – Status Update II (3/2011)
- Strategic Management Plan – Phase I – Status Update I (12/2010)
