Why, When & How Refuges & Friends should Plan our Moves Together Larry Williams Division of Budget, Performance & Workforce Friends!

What is “strategic planning?” It’s simply a process to determine: 1. What we’ll try to accomplish (Plan & Set Goals) 2. How we’ll get there (Implement) 3. How we’ll know if we met our goals (Assess)

Planning/ Goal Setting ImplementationAssessment FRIENDS Fit Into All Parts of the Cycle !

Why all the talk about “strategic planning?” Trend toward improved performance & better accountability in federal government Trend toward improved performance & better accountability in federal government Part of President Clinton & Bush agendas, but especially emphasized by Pres. Obama Part of President Clinton & Bush agendas, but especially emphasized by Pres. Obama

Friends already help Refuges tremendously… Support for CARE’s national advocacy efforts Support for CARE’s national advocacy efforts Local advocacy for your refuge Local advocacy for your refuge Visitor services: staffing visitor centers; book stores; leading refuge tours, etc. Visitor services: staffing visitor centers; book stores; leading refuge tours, etc. Habitat improvement projects: remove invasives, etc. Habitat improvement projects: remove invasives, etc. Biological monitoring: nest boxes, bird surveys, etc. Biological monitoring: nest boxes, bird surveys, etc. …And there’s another way, too. By planning Friends activities that support Refuge “performance goals”

Assessing & Improving Performance is a big part of Strategic Planning Watching the gas gauge and speedometer Watching the gas gauge and speedometer Counting the calories, then counting the miles or minutes Counting the calories, then counting the miles or minutes Going to school, taking tests, getting a report card Going to school, taking tests, getting a report card

Federal Agencies get a Report Card that Grades Performance

Our Report Card is Compared to Other Agencies Hey, I deserve an A plus!!!

Why all the tussle over good grades?

Competition for Limited Dollars

Good Grades (i.e., better Performance) = More Funding for Refuge System!

To get the funding needed to meet our mission, the Refuge System must: 1.Demonstrate Need 2.Demonstrate Good Performance (appropriate spending of taxpayer dollars, with tangible results demonstrated) Friends groups, by supporting CARE, are already involved in #1, but could get more involved in #2

What’s on the Refuge System’s Report Card? …Grades measuring how well we meet the 12 Goals in the National Wildlife Refuge System Strategic Plan

Goal 1 - Conserve, manage and restore fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats Friends!

Goal 2 - Provide quality environments with adequate water quality & quantity, clean air and soils Friends!

Goal 3 - Protect unique values of Wilderness, other special designation areas, and cultural resources Friends!

Goal 4 – Welcome and orient visitors Friends!

Goal 5 - Provide quality wildlife-dependent recreation Friends!

Goal 6 – Facilitate partnerships and cooperative projects to engage others in the mission of the Refuge System Friends!

Goal 7 – Protect resources and visitors through Law Enforcement

Goal 8 – Provide & Maintain infrastructure/equipment adequate to support the Refuge System mission Friends!

Goal 9 – Complete quality Comprehensive Conservation Plans (CCPs) on schedule & with full engagement of partners Friends!

Goal 10 – Strategically grow the Refuge System California Black Rail Friends!

Goal 11 – Reduce wildfire risks and improve habitats This refers to unwanted fires only

Goal 12 – Promote and enhance organizational excellence Good morale and work environmentGood morale and work environment Continuing Education for employeesContinuing Education for employees Efficient business practicesEfficient business practices Consistent application of policy across regionsConsistent application of policy across regions

How Are We Doing? Evaluation of the Refuge System, by independent contractor Management Systems International (MSI) Evaluation of the Refuge System, by independent contractor Management Systems International (MSI) Assesses if Refuge System is meeting its 12 Strategic Goals and …if not, then why not Assesses if Refuge System is meeting its 12 Strategic Goals and …if not, then why not budget/budget.html budget/budget.html

MSI Report’s Conclusions Refuges were “partially to highly effective” for 9 of 12 Goals “Highly effective” at Facilitating Partnerships & Coop. Projects “Ineffective” at 1. Protection thru Law Enforcement, and 2. Growing the Refuge System

MSI’s Findings/Recommendations Budget shortfalls from forced NWRS to cut services and staff, and hindered our ability to fully meet many goals Law Enforcement program, especially, needs increased funding Biological Inventory & Monitoring needs to be increased, with a consistent System-wide approach…must hire more biologists to make this happen Review Needs/Hire additional biologists – or balance priorities The Refuge System should strive to increase policy and program consistency across administrative Regions and Refuges

MSI’s Findings/Recommendations Develop a Water Strategy to secure adequate quantity & quality Reduce administrative and reporting requirements Develop consistent and improved refuge websites Prioritize visitor services – develop a strategy, e.g. percent of resources, identify which services fit where Strategically grow the Refuge System; develop Land Acquisition policy Redesign the RAPP reporting system Develop a “knowledge management” program to better share information and promote learning

What we’ve Covered so far: 1.Strategic Planning: what it is & why it’s important 2.Assessing & improving Performance is a big part of Strategic Planning 3.Strong Performance means healthier habitat for wildlife, better visitor services, and justifies higher funding levels 4.We demonstrate Performance to Congress and DOI in context of our 12 strategic goals 5.MSI Report gave recommendations to improve Performance in our 12 strategic goals …Now let’s talk about how Friends might help Refuges improve Performance!

Review the Refuge Annual Performance Plan (RAPP) with your Refuge Manager Review the Refuge Annual Performance Plan (RAPP) with your Refuge Manager Get to know their priorities and areas of under-performance Get to know their priorities and areas of under-performance Design Friends projects to help the Refuge boost performance in these areas Design Friends projects to help the Refuge boost performance in these areas Friends!

Example of RAPP Data Too Many!!! None!!! Friends!

You Already Saw this Slide. But after learning about RAPP, the 12 Strategic Goals, and the many benefits of improving Performance, maybe you now see Friends work in a new light?!

What Else Can Friends Do? Think in terms of the 12 strategic goals; know if your projects will boost your refuge’s Performance Think in terms of the 12 strategic goals; know if your projects will boost your refuge’s Performance Think Ahead: Refuges will soon have to show Performance in addressing Climate Change. So do relevant projects, such as climate-smart species monitoring or reducing non-climate stressors such as invasive species & fragmentation Think Ahead: Refuges will soon have to show Performance in addressing Climate Change. So do relevant projects, such as climate-smart species monitoring or reducing non-climate stressors such as invasive species & fragmentation

Strategic Planning in Summary If we mind the Inputs (gallons of gas, calories, or dollars) and the Outputs (miles, minutes, acres, visitors) together, we all become a little wiser at what we’re trying to do

Questions?

HighlyEffective SOG 6: Facilitate Partnerships and Cooperative Projects… Effective SOG 5: Provide Quality Wildlife-Dependent Recreation and Education SOG 8: Provide Infrastructure and Equipment SOG 9: Complete Quality/Useful CCPs…with Partners & on Schedule SOG 11: Reduce Wildfire Risks and Improve Habitats Strategic Goals Effectiveness Ratings

PartiallyEffective SOG1: Conserve Manage, and Restore Wildlife and Habitats SOG 3: Ensure that Unique Values of Wilderness are protected SOG 4: Welcome and Orient Visitors SOG 12: Promote and Enhance Organizational Excellence. Ineffective SOG 7: Protect Resources and Visitors through Law Enforcement SOG 10: Strategically Grow the System Unable to Evaluate SOG 2: Provide Quality Environments with Adequate Water Strategic Goals Effectiveness Ratings