Most organizations involved in the cases studied engaged in comprehensive planning before starting with the development and implementation of their integration initiative. This prior planning allowed integration efforts to exist within a broad strategic view of integrated justice. Indeed, according to Cresswell and Connelly (1999), initiatives based on comprehensive planning and a long-range perspective achieve a wider, more systematic range of objectives. Prior and ongoing planning efforts in the cases allowed for the identification of environmental complexity and resulted in the adoption of short and long-term strategies to address this complexity. Planning also informed change management strategies and specific technical development efforts. Early integration planning highlighted the need for an interoperable technical infrastructure to support integration. A number of the cases invested early on in cross-boundary standards efforts to support interoperability.

Harris County designed its integration initiative with future needs in mind. Likely needs for support and growth were considered in the development of the County’s Justice Information Management System (JIMS). Similarly, Delaware developed an incremental approach that included long-range planning and periodic enhancements.