Policy Making In the Public Interest Chapter 3 Discovering the Community Wide Public Interest

Strategic Planning Systematic process for drawing a vision of community’s future. Identifies the broad community public interest through identification of strategic issues and goals to implement those issues. Serves as the umbrella covering strategic issues and goals that should be fulfilled though public policy. Strategic planning must be comprehensive and resources necessary for implementation included in organizational budget.

Strategic Planning-Processes Identify Mission & Values Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, challenges (SWOC) Identify strategic issues Formulate strategic to address strategic issues

Strategic Planning-Processes Set goals to carry out strategies Set vision of success Evaluate & Adjust

Strategic Planning Process Stakeholder Steering Team Citizen/Stakeholder/Customers Technology Government Social Educational Economic Leadership Briefing Environmental Scan External Initial Assessment Political endorsement Form stakeholder steering team Staff/ Citizen Task Team Determine Process Internal Establish Vision Values Organizational Strengths/Weakness History Culture Mandates Environmental Scan Ratify Ratify Governing Body

Strategic Planning Process (cont) Stakeholder Steering Team Recommend Review & Evaluate With Staff Staff Prepare Review & Recommend Community Updates Task Teams Environmental scan Strategy Formulation Goals Objectives/Strategies Performance Indicators Implementation & Evaluation Strategic Issues Leadership Briefing Ratify Approve Monitor & Adjust Governing Body

Requirements for Success Organization should not be in crisis Top level officials, elected and appointed, must endorse the process Must have a stakeholder leadership team to design, monitor, legitimize the process. Public and stakeholders must be active partners in process Must have financial and other resources to complete the plan.

Requirements for Success Legislative body must own the plan and agree to include implementation of goals within budget. Top level officials, elected and appointed, must endorse the process Must dedicate time to process. First plan approximately 1 year. Updates 3-9 months. Weekend sessions are not strategic planning

Leadership Steering team Will guide the planning process. Will insure community and stakeholder buy-in to the process and results. Appointed by legislative body. Members selected by asking who are major stakeholders affected by plan & which stakeholders can persuade elected body to maintain faith with process when negative groups lobby for discontinuance of planning process.

Leadership Steering team Broadly representative teams will have 15-20 members Management team, employee and union representatives should serve on team.

Mission for Leadership Steering team Design process and scope for the plan. Outside consultant may assist as neural advisor and guide Serve as cheerleader/champion for process and purpose of plan. Monitor process implementation. Setbacks will occur. Adjustments to process will inevitably be necessary

Other considerations for strategic planning Strategic planning is not easy or short in duration Elected body, manager, leadership team are catalytic drivers Extensive community involvement is required Strategic planning is not done in a one or two day workshop Public interest mandates extensive citizen engagement They will define public interest

Other considerations for strategic planning Citizen involvement must be direct and indirect. Citizen and stakeholder ownership more important than speed of process Strategic planning is not done in a one or two day workshop Must integrate electronic engagement with traditional forms of deliberation Planning process not fixed in stone Dynamic process each community select process that fits their community