What is the Decision Support Framework?
A structured guide to deepen understanding, broaden perspectives, and foster strategic alignment in decision-making. This framework is meant to strengthen culture and decision-making capacity, not create more paperwork.
Use it to guide what matters—and make your thinking transparent. It supports the county in the development of a thinking discipline to guide and shape comprehensive discussions when decisions are needed. This is a lens, not a scorecard.
Purpose
This framework helps Arapahoe County institutionalize values-based, transparent decision-making. It is intended to assess strategies, initiatives, or decisions based on the County’s Mission, Vision, and six strategic lenses (Sustainability, Data Informed, Community Engagement, Collaboration, Financial Implications, and Equity). In particular it intends to:
- Strengthen County operations and decision-making alignment with County strategic plan.
- Foster thoughtful discussion.
- Improve consistency and clarity in board-facing proposals.
- Serve as a thinking tool, not a mandatory pass/fail checklist.
- Cultivate analysis habits, not be a burdensome exercise.
When to Use the Framework
This tool is not required for every operational decision. It will be used:
- When preparing Board Summary Reports.
- Not for drop-ins or third party presentations.
- When presenting initiatives, policy shifts, capital investments, or new programs for BOCC consideration.
- As a training tool for strategic thinking across leadership.
How to Use the Framework
- Review the statements in each section (6 strategic lenses + mission/vision). Hover over links for additional guidance and/or definitions.
- Mark alignment*:
- High – Strong alignment with criteria
- Medium – Moderate alignment
- Low – Weak alignment
- No – Misaligned
- N/A – Not applicable-provide justification in notes
- Use the Notes section for short explanations (2-3 sentences maximum), if necessary. (Examples: “One-time cost from ARPA,” “Limited engagement due to timeline.”) Notes should be used to explain how or why it aligns, or doesn’t align.
*Do not overthink alignment. Honest responses (including “low” or “no”) are valuable to the discussion. Tradeoffs and imperfection are part of the process. The Notes are where the insight lives.