Strategic Plan Implementation July 18, 2018 John Blevins

FAUQUIER COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT The Fauquier County Parks and Recreation Department is dedicated to the enhancement of the quality of life for all people in Fauquier County. Working in a partnership with the people, the department shall provide the leadership to assure that citizens receive high quality recreational facilities and services, and to assure the preservation of local history.

What Is a Strategic Plan? The Strategic Plan is intended to be a living document with annual updates on status of action items that evolves with the ongoing priorities and accomplishments of the County government and the highest needs as expressed by the Board of Supervisors. Annual action/monitoring plans and reporting are a key part of the plan and will ensure the department remains accountable to the strategic objectives and action steps, while also providing flexibility to course-correct as needed.

Education and Awareness – 1st Month Focus on getting to know staff, relationship building with staff and key stakeholders and understanding of the overall framework of the strategic plan. Learn from the workforce, take time to hear what’s working and where there are opportunities for improvement. Change can be challenging for many and an approach that engages the wisdom and experience of staff and key stakeholders is important. This sets the tone for a collaborative approach. Familiarize self with current strategic plan and objectives – what is overall framework? Review in context of department vision, agency goals and objectives. Is there an existing monitoring plan? Look at other data sources such as 2017 Needs Assessment, County Strategic Plan (Section 3.3 and 3.4), Good Times Brochure, Budget Documents including outcomes and measures. Talk to staff, commissions, community groups, boards etc. Who are the key stakeholders? How are they working in support of accomplishing plan goals? What’s working well and what are considerations for improvements? What accountability systems have worked best in their experience? What has been our performance against our past plan? What are our statistical trends? How successful have we been with recent initiatives?

Present Situational Assessment & Proposal - 2nd Month If the current system in place is working well we can move forward and reinforce it. If tweaks are needed, I would present a proposal on suggested improvements and strategies for how to do that. This must include staff engagement for buy-in. I would prepare a briefing that summarizes what I learned and what staff and commissions shared with me and my recommendations for moving forward. Each action plan in the current plan could have strategies identified for achieving the action plan. Ex: what are the steps (strategies) to take to get to a revenue philosophy? Maybe a bit of re-formatting of the strategic plan chart to show detailed strategies, POC and timeframe for accomplishment.

Guidelines for Implementation – 3rd-6th Month Successful implementation of a strategic plan requires attention to the following areas when developing a monitoring plan. Clearly assigned ownership of the components of the plan Specified tasks and timelines Regular reporting and review Active committed leadership and accountability for progress As overall Dept lead I would be responsible for managing group dynamics, keep energy high, build consensus, set agendas and milestones. The team members need to be on the same page right from the beginning.

Monitoring Plan Roles Leadership Team Talk about it, make it our everyday work Align key strategic tasks in KWE of staff Recognize progress, give kudos Goal Conveners Foster cross department coordination Manage process for collaboration and accountability Identify project leads Develop initiatives and tasks with SMEs Assistant Director Overall Lead Monitor Accountable to maintain monitoring and reporting Ensure quarterly and annual check-in Goal conveners are responsible for specific goals of the plan. They will assign SMEs to assist with their specific goals.

Roles of SME (Subject Matter Expert) Provide leadership; maintain focus, interest, enthusiasm Demonstrate commitment to achieving planned objectives Build on positive energy of strategic planning committee Get others involved - foster cross-department coordination Be invested in the work, hold broad view Encourage that strategic tasks are integrated into work priorities Hold accountability for accomplishments Report out on progress Serve as point of contact for others who need to find out what’s happening under the action plan

Monitoring Plan - Reporting Quarterly check-in at appropriate staff meetings (Fall, Winter and Spring) Examine progress on each strategy Use of Excel workbook to document programs Include Parks and Recreation Board Annual department update (Summer) Review progress for the year Identify barriers Recommend changes in objectives Reestablish priorities and action plans As overall Dept lead I would be responsible for managing group dynamics, keep energy high, build consensus, set agendas and milestones. The team members need to be on the same page right from the beginning.

Role of Assistant Director Work closely with department director along the way Serve as Maestro or Conductor, be accountable for getting the work done Seek recommendations on strategies to accomplish identified action plans Facilitate cross-divisional, cross-departmental collaboration; consult Subject Matter Experts (SME’s), may include: Appointing a smaller team, or workgroup for subsets of the work Work sessions open to others for greater participation Meet with Park Board to provide opportunity for feedback Facilitate process for accountability List tasks, identify task ownership, develop timelines Schedule check-in’s and interim reporting Organize report outs on progress Identify areas of difficulty and delay, areas for stretch objectives/strategies Recommend needed changes to the department plan Maestro leader, steward the work of the dept on the strategic plan. Be the SME of the plan.

Questions or Comments?