Strategic Planning forStrategic Planning forPublic WorksPublic Works

Chas Jordan, M.P.A., LEED GAChas Jordan, M.P.A., LEED GACity of Largo, FloridaCity of Largo, Florida

Strategic Planning – Why?

● DIRECTIONDIRECTION● AccountabilityAccountability● Work and Business PlansWork and Business Plans● Community and Employee Community and Employee Buy-InBuy-In

Strategic Planning – Rule No. 1

There is not a wrong There is not a wrong way, or a right way, to way, or a right way, to make a Strategic Plan.make a Strategic Plan.

There is only YOUR Way.There is only YOUR Way.

Strategic Planning – Rule No. 2

You cannot know where You cannot know where you need to go without you need to go without

first knowingfirst knowing

WHERE YOU AREWHERE YOU ARE

Strategic Planning – Rule No. 3

The plan will work most The plan will work most effectively if the effectively if the

organization can buy in, organization can buy in, take ownership, and take ownership, and

make it happen.make it happen.

How does it work?

Comprehensive Plan (7-10 Years)

Capital Improvements Plan (5-6 Years)

Asset Management / Replacement Program (3 or More years)

Fiscal Budget(Annual or Biennial)

Mission / Vision

Now how do we get from....

HERE TO HERE

Basic Strategic Planning Model

How Largo Public Works Does it..

➢ Assign a Coordinator or Assign a Coordinator or Facilitator (Project Manager)Facilitator (Project Manager)➢Establish a CommitteeEstablish a Committee➢ Ask the simple, yet difficult Ask the simple, yet difficult questions:questions:

➢ What do we do?What do we do?➢ How do we do it?How do we do it?

➢ Poll or Survey both Customers Poll or Survey both Customers and Staffand Staff

The Strategic Planning Pyramid

OBJECTIVES / TACTICS

GOALS

GUIDING PRINCIPLES,

& STRATEGIES

MISSION, VISION, & VALUES

REP

ORTI

NG /

REV

IEW

ANALYSIS / U

PDATES

The “Golden Thread” Principle

Mission, Vision, and Values Statements

➢Mission StatementMission Statement➢ What we do What we do ➢ Example- “Serve Public Works Example- “Serve Public Works

Professionals”Professionals”➢Vision StatementVision Statement

➢ Where we are heading with our Where we are heading with our MissionMission

➢ Example - “Provide quality services to Example - “Provide quality services to Public Works Professionals to Public Works Professionals to advance the profession”advance the profession”

➢Values StatementsValues Statements➢ What we believe as an organizationWhat we believe as an organization➢ What we expect from our staffWhat we expect from our staff➢ What our customers should expect What our customers should expect

from usfrom us

Where are we and What is on the horizon?

➢Perform a SWOT AnalysisPerform a SWOT Analysis➢ Strengths Strengths ➢ Weaknesses Weaknesses ➢ Opportunities Opportunities ➢ Threats Threats

➢Other ways of doing this now:Other ways of doing this now:➢ P.E.S.T.P.E.S.T.➢ P.E.S.T.L.E.P.E.S.T.L.E.➢ S.T.E.E.R.S.T.E.E.R.

Guiding Principles / Strategies

➢Primary functional areas of Primary functional areas of Responsibility for the OrganizationResponsibility for the Organization➢Probably the most difficult aspect of Probably the most difficult aspect of a Strategic Plan to develop (and a Strategic Plan to develop (and hardest to document)hardest to document)➢Set primary organizational-wide Set primary organizational-wide goalsgoals➢Intended General Outcomes from the Intended General Outcomes from the MissionMission

➢ Example: “Professional Development Example: “Professional Development of APWA Members”of APWA Members”

Goals - Development

➢ Goals should be general, yet achievable Goals should be general, yet achievable outcomes (not outputs)outcomes (not outputs)

➢ Goals are measurable through the Goals are measurable through the completion of their objectives that are completion of their objectives that are assignedassigned

➢ Goals should link to a specific Guiding Goals should link to a specific Guiding Principle or Strategy, and meet the Principle or Strategy, and meet the needs of the Mission overallneeds of the Mission overall

➢ Example:Example:➢ ““Provide opportunities for management Provide opportunities for management

related technical sessions for APWA”related technical sessions for APWA”

Objectives / Tactics

➢The “Meat” of the Strategic PlanThe “Meat” of the Strategic Plan➢Provide guideposts for success within Provide guideposts for success within measurable time framesmeasurable time frames➢Must be specific, achievable, and Must be specific, achievable, and accomplishable.accomplishable.➢Example:Example:

➢ ““Provide Strategic Planning Workshop Provide Strategic Planning Workshop for APWA Members by June 2013”for APWA Members by June 2013”

Organizational Units (Divisions)

Depending on the breadth of your Depending on the breadth of your organization, consider breaking organization, consider breaking down Goals and Objectives into down Goals and Objectives into

subsets based upon the subsets based upon the organizational basis of the organizational basis of the department, or the guiding department, or the guiding

principles set in the document.principles set in the document.

The City of Largo created specific The City of Largo created specific goals and objectives for the goals and objectives for the

department and each division as department and each division as well.well.

Example

➢ Mission: Serve Public Works Mission: Serve Public Works ProfessionalsProfessionals

➢ Vision: Provide quality services to Public Vision: Provide quality services to Public Works Professionals to advance the Works Professionals to advance the profession.profession.

➢ Guiding Principle: Professional Guiding Principle: Professional Development of APWA MembersDevelopment of APWA Members

➢ Goal: Provide opportunities for Goal: Provide opportunities for management related technical management related technical sessions for APWA.sessions for APWA.

➢ Objective: Provide Strategic Planning Objective: Provide Strategic Planning Workshop for APWA Members by June Workshop for APWA Members by June 2013.2013.

Pulling it all together

Project Manager Project Manager needs to own needs to own this.this.

Develop Golden Develop Golden ThreadsThreads

Less is more!Less is more!

Document Document relationship to relationship to other plansother plans

Support and Approval

➢ Hold a Department wide Q&A or Hold a Department wide Q&A or Retreat to review the Plan with StaffRetreat to review the Plan with Staff

➢ Present the plan for approval by Present the plan for approval by Advisory or Governing BoardsAdvisory or Governing Boards

➢ In these presentations explain In these presentations explain proposed changes both physical and proposed changes both physical and financial to gain support and financial to gain support and understandingunderstanding

Document your Successes and Failures

Vital Part of Vital Part of Strategic PlanningStrategic Planning

Review with Boards Review with Boards and Staffand Staff

Publish to your Publish to your websitewebsite

Document personal Document personal and departmental and departmental successes and only successes and only departmental departmental failuresfailures

Lessons Learned – 2nd and 3rd Time Around

➢ No matter how good it is, it can No matter how good it is, it can always be betteralways be better

➢ 22NdNd Time – Business-Oriented Time – Business-Oriented Objectives and Measures and Objectives and Measures and utilizing more front-line personnelutilizing more front-line personnel

➢ 33RdRd Time – Making the Plan Longer Time – Making the Plan Longer and following a continual revision and following a continual revision modelmodel

Wrapping it up...How has it helped?

➢ 85% Objective Completion Rate85% Objective Completion Rate➢ Published six years of Annual Published six years of Annual

ReportsReports➢ Goals and Objectives now a regular Goals and Objectives now a regular

part of Management (used for part of Management (used for evaluation purposed)evaluation purposed)

➢ Department has received praise Department has received praise from Community and Professional from Community and Professional LeadersLeaders

➢ Most importantly – The Department Most importantly – The Department is TRUSTED to provide our services is TRUSTED to provide our services and accomplish our missionand accomplish our mission

Questions and Contact Information

Charles R. “Chas” Charles R. “Chas” Jordan, MPA, LEED GAJordan, MPA, LEED GA

City of Largo, FloridaCity of Largo, Florida

cjordan@largo.comcjordan@largo.com

www.largo.comwww.largo.com

727-586-7418727-586-7418

@chasjordan@chasjordanhttp://www.linkedin.com/in/chasjordanhttp://www.linkedin.com/in/chasjordan