STRATEGIC PLANNING

FOR

ALASKAN COMMUNITIES


A PRESENTATION BY:

JD'S PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE

P.O. Box 1736

Kenai, Alaska 99611

Phone 907-283-8051

Fax 907-283-7750

For The

ALASKA MUNICIPAL LEAGUE'S

1995 CONVENTION

I. INTRODUCTION

This brief paper is intended for communities to use as guidance in attempting strategic planning, or for that matter any kind of comprehensive, community-based planning. Every City or Borough Council, has an occasion where they need to have a long term plan in place that they are striving to accomplish. Some are large enough like the consolidated City/Boroughs at Fairbanks, Juneau, and Anchorage that they have large planning or planning and zoning departments. Many communities have developed Strategic Plans. Some have little or no planning beyond trying to obtain funding for their most critical need.

In writing this paper, it was difficult to figure out how to put something in for the wide diversity and disparity in planning experience, knowledge and effort that was likely to attend. For those with a great deal of experience and large planning departments and efforts, much of this paper may seem trite or over simplified. If so, please accept the author's apologies, but also bear with the effort and you may find a tool or two, a reminder, or a new idea.

This paper does not use extensive technical planning jargon or concepts. Many author's and planners have sophisticated systems for developing strategic and comprehensive plans. As one helps communities and facilitates these planning efforts, one tends to refine and adjust their own unique methods. This author's experience has been to avoid too much of a "canned" approach, and simply help the community determine what they want, where they are, and how to get from one to the other.

The size of the community, number of interest groups and organized entities, infrastructure, size of the governing structure and paid staff, the issues, the tax base, and needs of communities in Alaska are each unique in some ways. It is important that the community in their planning recognize and capitalized on the uniqueness and diversity rather than try to develop a plan just like some other community has done.

This paper provides some ideas for developing a strategic plan, and presents the necessary components and items to address in a good strategic plan. Some tools and ideas for how to do the actual planning session are also included. This is a planning guide, but in no way is it intended to make a professional planner out of the reader, nor to automatically guarantee that a community will do good planning or want to do so, although that would be a great result. If a community has questions or the paper stimulates discussions and you wish to complain or clarify something in the paper or the presentation, please do not hesitate to call.

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II. CONCEPTS OF STRATEGIC PLANNING

A. WHAT IS STRATEGIC PLANNING?

Strategic Planning is the broadest possible form of community planning. It starts with determining the philosophical direction of the community, or in what direction it wishes to go. This is usually described or summarized in a vision or mission. Strategic Planning also includes assessing the community needs, and completing long range planning, goal setting, and implementation planning to work toward that vision. This planning is done with maximum citizen involvement, and with due consideration of the larger world around you and the constraints and opportunities therein.

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B. WHAT ARE THE STEPS IN STRATEGIC PLANNING?

1.) Define a Baseline - See where you have been and where you are today.

This includes the review of past goals and how well they have been performed. It also includes the philosophies, ideas, needs and concerns of the Council members, and the citizens. The accomplishments and disappointments are also reviewed, as are the assets and liabilities, or strengths and weaknesses of the community and its government.

This also should include a needs assessment of unmet needs, felt needs, desirable traits, results or conditions, and problems unsolved. This would include current issues or situations, management of the organization, and status. This also includes an analysis of monetary and other resources available.

2.) Create a Vision - Determine where you would like your community and organization to be at some point in the future (2015, 2005, 2000 or whatever-usually 25 years, but at least 20).

This is the vision of where you would like to be or how the organization should look. This requires a creative process of "visioning" which makes educated guesses about the longer term future. The concepts of change, flexibility, and goal areas then become a part of the planning.

3.) Define the Environment - Analyze the environment (the total world around your community) in which you are or will be operating for unknowns, constraints, obstacles, opportunities, trends or indicators and resources.

This is where market analysis, demographics on the increased population, world and local economic trends, e.g. the tourist industry growth, all come into play. Anticipated or predicted change is also considered at this stage. Special opportunities, problems, issues, obstacles, or constraints are also addressed in this section. This is sometimes considered the "reality check," and others use the phrase of operating on the "no surprises" philosophy. It is where practical considerations need to be incorporated into the visioning. This is not to kill the idea, rather to allow for these considerations and plan for them.

4.) Plan or Strategize - Define how to get from where you are in 1.) to where you desire to be in 2.) considering 3.).

This includes any special rationale or strategy of operations, overall philosophy, or special approaches to the planning which are to be applied. Once the overall philosophies are agreed to if there are some, then from the goal areas defined in 2.), the long term goals are developed.

After the long term goals are developed, subsidiary shorter term goals, objectives and action plans are completed. At each step of descending or defining there is a prioritization process and strategy determination that takes place. Some planners would consider the vision as the big picture, and the strategies and action plan steps the operating details. Without strategic planning it is easy to become extremely busy and spend a great deal of resources accomplishing a bunch of action items or steps going nowhere.

The concepts of Strategic Planning and the steps to accomplish it are sometimes referred to as a solar system, or like a road map, a pyramid, or mountain. The vision is like the sun in a solar system, the destination on a road map, or the top of the mountain or pyramid. If the vision is placed at the top of a mountain or pyramid, the long term goal areas support the vision, long term goals are below that, short term goals under those, objectives under the goals, and activities under the objectives. The idea is there are many paths up the mountain, often interconnected, as well as strategies necessary to get there, and constraints or obstacles enroute.

Vision

Long Term Goal Areas

Long Term Goals

Short Term Goals

Objectives

Action Steps

Baseline Today ---- Details

Strategic planning should include some discussion of public and private strategies or agendas for action. This also should include defining your community's public. Often there is an internal public (the residents) and an external public (neighboring community members, other community councils, State and Federal Agencies, interest groups, etc.) that should be identified. The need for full involvement of residents (internal public) at all times is critical for successful strategic planning. There is also a need for formal coordination and involvement of the external public at the planning stages, at presentation of the planning stages, and in a working relationship to accomplish the plan.

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C. INGREDIENTS IN ALL STRATEGIC PLANNING:

1) Involvement--of affected citizens or internal public as discussed above (residents), relevant agencies, public and private sector, and interest groups (the external public). Care should be taken to ensure participation by a vertical slice of community, planners and implementers that are racially and socially mixed and present diversity.

2) Consideration of changes and reasons for them--Felt need (needs assessment and analysis), vision, leadership, openness, willingness to commit to goals, funding and resources, risk taking, progress results and rewards, failures used for experience.

3) Future trends analysis--changing power bases, polarization, rights of individuals; changing work force and methods; complexities of society; federal funding, programs, and influence or control; state funding, programs and influence or control; internationalization of Alaska's resources; role of Alaska Natives, and community and local control.

4) Success and failure review and analysis: (Various planners use differing terms for this part of the analysis. Some use strengths and weaknesses, assets and liabilities, good and bad, problems and solutions, complaints and brags, constraints and resources etc.)

5) An Options analysis of favorable and unfavorable conditions and alternatives: This is an analysis of obstacles or constraints versus the resources to overcome them. This is tied to any assets and liabilities analysis from above.

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D. STRATEGIC PLANNING TOOLS

1. Agenda or Outline

All retreats or planning sessions should start with a plan of how you are going to develop your plan!! This takes the form of an agenda or an outline and the information or research to go with it. The purpose of this is to be certain that the planning session does not get bogged down on one aspect and not complete any results. This is also necessary to be certain that all the necessary elements of planning take place. Often, the initial introductory step is to confirm the agenda, and to solicit different agendas, hopes, or expectations of the people in the planning session.

This includes determining where you are today--the expectations of the group (including philosophies and parameters and concepts), the strengths and weaknesses of the organization, any previous planning and the status of goals, the unmet needs or problems of the organization or its members, and how to get involvement of the members. It also includes analyzing changes and predicting the future trends which might affect your organization and where you want the organization to go (its vision). Then the retreat or planning session should include an analysis of the constraints, obstacles, resources, and strategies to get there. The last aspect is to develop actual goals, objectives and plans to work toward the vision.

2. Planning Information

The next step in conducting a retreat is to gather all the planning information already available. This includes any member or community involvement or input, needs assessments, surveys and the like. It also includes all previous planning efforts and plans. If goals, objectives, tasks, or milestones have been set, it includes a review of all of these also. Sometimes, it is necessary to review historical information, financial information, background and management, policy, procedures, and agreements. This gathering of the previous planning effort is often overlooked by people who have been on the Council for a long time, as they assume everyone else lived through all the previous planning just as they did. Even where that is the case, a review is helpful.

3. Status of Previous Planning

Just as in gathering the planning information discussed above, it is necessary to review the actual status accomplishments and success (or failures) of previous planning. If goals were set, were they accomplished; or, if not, why not? If feedback, reviews, evaluations, or other tools were used, what did they show? Are the results desired being accomplished? Were the priorities correctly assigned and accomplished in the order originally expected? Were the action plans sufficient? Were there unexpected constraints or obstacles; and, if so, how were they overcome? The status should also determine the status of the community or area, the economy, and financial condition of the organization.

4. Involvement & Participation

In planning for involvement and participation, the entire Council, Board, or group should be in attendance if possible. If a larger community of interest is represented, some feedback, survey, or input from that group should be solicited. Care should be taken to invite the divergent interests in the community and carefully consider how to ensure a "vertical slice" of the community. As planning goes forward, additional give and take or participation by all affected individuals should be incorporated into the process. Sometimes, games, introductions, or case studies or other problems can involve the group and stimulate interest, motivation, participation, and creativity. Role playing, group problem solving, and team approaches all have success.

5. Visual Aids

Some variety of visual aids should be used. Graphs, charts, flip charts, maps, overhead projections, slides, videos, etc. are all helpful. Depending on the size of the group, care must be taken to make these truly visual and readable. Books, workbooks, worksheets, quizzes, or assignments often provide additional visual aid and hands on participation. Acting out, non-verbal communication, movement, gestures, and body language often become visual aids which enhance the learning and participation process.

6. Brainstorming

As most of you have probably experienced, the use of brainstorming is often a successful technique for soliciting a great number of ideas in a short time frame. This is also often a source of additional stimulation to others and sometimes offers a humorous aspect to otherwise serious endeavors. This is a good tool for visioning processes, for listing action steps, needs, results, or other such categories needed in a planning session. The Rules of Brainstorming (keep it moving, no questioning, no clarification, no explanation, no recriminations, all participants are equal, no criticism, no selling of ideas, etc.), should always apply.

7. Creativity Enhancers

Often times in planning sessions, some method of releasing inhibitions, mental blocks, tiredness, numbness, or other maladies is necessary. In getting ready for a planning session, it is wise to have a few of these methods in mind. These "creativity enhancers" can take the form of stories, case studies, examples, mind maps, brainstorming, juggling, opposite hand techniques, or stretch breaks, changes of course, visioning, "futuring," etc. Anything that re-stimulates the flow of ideas is a good creativity enhancer. It might be a thought provoking question, a hypothesis, a theory, or a "way out" or an "outlandish" statement, if it productively creates new ideas.

8. Visioning

Somewhere near the beginning of a planning session it becomes necessary to look at the rapidly changing world around us. When this is done with the idea of looking into the future for ideas, concepts, and planning, it often helps the organization or group to develop its vision. It is sometimes necessary to get the participants to leave the status quo in their minds and to set a new direction for their organization. Often, a long range "futuring" (guessing the future of the world at a set time-usually 20-25 years) brainstorming session is helpful.

9. Start with knowns (base of knowledge, status of work, planning, goals etc.)

This is listed as a tool, in that it is often overlooked. You and your organization (or any organization you are helping), have certain known information. This includes, history, background, demographics, geographic setting, planning, statistics, and track record. Some organizations have their own health and culture (or lack thereof). Previous goal setting efforts and the status of accomplishment should be known. All of these are a basis for starting of any planning as we discussed above. Effort should be made to ensure a review of these to help all participants have the same base level of knowledge.

10. Information Gathering

Likewise, another important tool not to neglect is that of information gathering. For example, status reports, studies, assessments, and the like that have been done before are often helpful. It is also very helpful to determine what the participants know about the community, area, and operational field of the organization you are helping to facilitate in their planning. Often times, the participant knowledge is historical, anecdotal, or previously unrecorded, but extremely valuable. Gathering information is usually a combination of secondary research of written materials, and primary research of needs, knowledge, and concerns and ideas. This can include formal or informal Needs Assessments, community-wide surveys, polls, or other means of getting the maximum information about the community's people, needs, and interests.

11. Preparation

The most important tool and concept is to prepare. Then you should prepare some more. No matter how much "information" you get, you will still be gathering it as the planning starts and goes forward. You should know enough to determine if some aspect of the organization, community, or interest groups are being left out in the discussion and then be able to solicit from the group whether that is a purposeful move or not. The preparation for a planning session should also include the room, materials, logistics, and any visual aids you will be using. The administrative preparations should not be the only focus of pre-planning efforts, but they cannot be ignored. If participants are freezing, or there is not bathroom, the quality and duration of planning efforts may be limited.

12. Outside Assistance

Your community may or may not need a "facilitator," planner, or other expertise to assist in a strategic planning effort. Your Council should carefully consider the in-house costs and capabilities versus the cost and capabilities of using an outside consultant. Generally, it is always best to go with an open competitive process of hiring someone to avoid any dissatisfaction or appearances of impropriety. Likewise, the public relations aspect of bringing in outsiders, or "spending money for someone to tell us what we want" must be considered. Most communities need some help in their first planning efforts, or if it has been a great deal of time since any took place. However, a community does not need a facilitator for every strategic or other planning session.

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E. IDENTIFYING ORGANIZATIONAL STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES

This is a review of the Municipal Council and the Community as a whole. This is a part of establishing the base of knowledge for where you are today. It should include a review of relationships, assets, liabilities, accomplishments, disappointments, strengths and weaknesses. It should be a sort of overall "physical" for determining the health of your community. Often times, these items can be completed with available materials and some brainstorming of the planning group on "flip" charts or other visual recording devices.

1. Relationships

This is dealing with location, geographic considerations, Federal and State situations, Borough or REAA considerations, City and Tribal concerns, relationships, and current agreements, leases (office), contract relationships and projects. It also includes management and administrative systems, organizational structure, tax status, and businesses. Sometimes, this item is reconsidered and relationships modified as the strategic planning process goes forward.

2. Assets

This includes a thorough review of your community's physical assets. This includes the Land, Natural Resources, Buildings, Facilities, Utilities, Infrastructure, Systems, Equipment, Materials, and Supplies. Whether these are owned, have debt, have restrictions, or whether you have full authority over them are all items that should be considered. Sometimes, this is all in writing already for a community. If not, a first step should be to get an inventory of these assets.

Another kind of asset that every community has is its human resource assets. This includes the residents, paid staff, previously trained Council members, trained residents, outside or consultant technical assistance available. It also includes agencies and organizations which can lend a hand in completing planning (sometimes this is financial assistance, and sometimes it is technical assistance or facilitation by a trained person).

The last category of assets is the most commonly considered asset, that of the financial or the monetary assets of your Community? This should include the latest audits and financial reports of the community. Whether or not there is cash in bank, fund raising potentials, grants, contracts, taxes, or other revenues should always be looked at when you start strategic planning. The current days of revenues available to communities being cut at federal and state levels means the strategic planning needs to consider how to get by with less dollars, use the dollars more effectively, or find ways to obtain new dollars, or all of the above. While planning can be done without excessive costs, there is usually a dollar cost to just getting a plan completed, let alone implemented.

3. Liabilities

Financial debts both short and long term, bonds and bond ratings, bond issues passed, contracts for performance, and performance obligations, commitments to voters and residents, are all forms of liabilities. Additionally, constraints, obstacles, problems and difficulties often surface at this stage in planning. These should be enumerated as potential liabilities, then plans or strategies should be developed to avoid, resolve or mitigate the pitfalls or problems.

4. Accomplishments

In deciding where you are today, you should always review the greatest accomplishments over the last few years. This would include what goals, objectives, or tasks have been completed and no longer need to be included in planning efforts??

5. Disappointments

Just as with the accomplishments, it is important to recognize the disappointments to try to fix them, learn from them, or avoid the same consequences in other cases. Care should be taken to keep personalities and individual criticism out of this. However, identifying unanticipated problems, constraints or alternatives is a naturally flowing outcome from the listing of disappointments.

6. Strengths

The organizational strengths of your community or organization should be listed and reviewed in order to capitalize on them in planning and making assignments for the execution of your plan. This includes the structure, administrative systems and management. It also includes policies, planning and the resources already discussed.

7. Weaknesses

As with disappointments, it is important to identify weaknesses in your community or organization in order to try to correct them in your planning efforts. Sometimes, this is where various unmet needs, problems or desired results first surface. Often, the priorities for the planning come from the list of weaknesses. Again, care should be taken not to personalize these, yet truly identify the problem versus the symptoms.

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F. RESIDENT AND COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND NEEDS

This should include considering and using any feedback from the community residents on any planning efforts, or comprehensive plans already existing. It should also include any feedback from Council, City, Village, or groups of resident meetings. It would also include any formal Needs Assessments that have been done, including surveys, statistics, known weaknesses from above, and the like. Even responses to newsletters sent out, letters to the editor, surveys and polls, constituent calls, voters concerns, are all ways to gather this information. Any other methods of feedback, particularly any unmet needs or priorities that need to be added to the mix of things to work on, should be flushed out early in the planning effort.

Sometimes, in the planning efforts, it is important to have members of the community (randomly selected and a vertical slice of the community providing the broadest, mixed representation) participate in the planning process. This assists in adding a practical dimension to the need, and prioritization which will eventually need to be done. This participation can often add a great deal of information as to needs, which may have been overlooked by the Council or planning departments.

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III. DEVELOPING A VISION, MISSION, LONG TERM GOALS

A. SETTING THE PARAMETERS FOR THE PLANNING

You have probably had training or experienced the kinds of things expected from a Board or Council. These Council responsibilities are usually the following in some form:

Strategic and Long Term Planning

Decision Making

Philosophical Direction

Policy Direction

Political Considerations

Evaluation

In starting a vision, mission, and long term goal setting session as a part of a strategic plan, it is important to evaluate the Council's role in the planning effort. Likewise, it is important to evaluate the Council's past roles, actions, implementation, methods, and goal setting in order to improve. Setting visions, missions, and long term goals are a part of strategic planning and a part of the responsibility of leadership in a community.

The Council provides the philosophical, political, and policy direction for the community and is answerable to the residents of the community at election time. The Council must exercise the leadership to develop its "vision" or dream for the community. Then the Council must set in place a process of planning and decision making to try to accomplish that vision. Your Council or community may have started that process years ago, and be simply continuing that process today. If you or your Council have never participated in any strategic planning or even goal setting, it is vital that you get started and that you establish a baseline to measure progress from.

B. WHAT ARE RECENT CHANGES?

One of the first things to do in developing a vision is to consider the concept of change. Without belaboring the point, it is important to remember that:

Change is inevitable! Change is everywhere! Change is continuing!!

Your organization must accept change and plan for it, as it happens whether you like it or not. This means that you need to recognize, predict or anticipate changes, and determine how to use change to your advantage in helping lead your community. This will require looking at current changes, trends, and being able to visualize the future you desire for your community. Often, people have trouble visualizing this beyond the next few years.

As an example of looking at change, lets discuss recent changes in Alaska and the world that might affect your community.

The Middle East/assassination of Israelis Prime Minister Rabin

Bosnia/Serbian peace efforts

State Budget Shortfalls & the Long Range Planning Commission Report

Federal Budget Shortfalls & recent Congressional action

Election Year coming Up

ANCSA Corporations & the affect on your community

Tribal Councils & the affect on your community

New City Council members, Mayors, City managers, or others

New businesses in the community

Business and residential sales & the changing customer

Subsistence decisions and the ongoing debate

Statewide tourism increases and the affect on your community

Social situations/problems (e.g. alcohol wet vs. dry votes)

Others

C. VISIONING - YOUR DREAM FOR 2015

A process that I call "futuring" can be used to help arrive at a vision for your community in 20-25 years. Often this process lends itself to brainstorming of ideas, but first the participants in the planning session need to let loose of all previously conceived notions. Many techniques for getting your mind into the correct frame for this "futuring" are possible, a few are listed below:

Pretend you are having an out of body experience (none of the weight of your current body of experiences).

Pretend that you are new to the world, like an alien, and have all the power in the world, what would you do (the clean slate approach)?

You are visiting a planet with more intelligent life than ours, and it is a few light years ahead of us. What is it like?

Predict events of the future by looking at the past (trends analysis).

Things you have heard mentioned by someone: e.g. piping water to California, barging icebergs, railroad tunnel to Siberia.

Science fiction, or space comics or shows

Once participants are in the "loosened" frame of mind, a brainstorming list of what the future will be is prepared. Once completed, a review of this is done to determine if these are remotely possible. If they are, then you need to think of how your community would look or respond in situations such as those that were listed. The future of your own community is another list which is quite easily developed by brainstorming. From that list, you begin to try to phrase a vision for your community at a period 25 years down the road.

The vision should provide a "visual" idea for the community. It can be a phrase, a symbol, a word, or a saying. The important thing is that it encapsules the philosophy of the Community in the future. Sometimes it is a result, idea, concept, or challenge. Each community should decide its own vision that will unit the residents and motivate them toward achieving it. A vision should set the overall tone, interest, and desire for the community. An example of a vision for a community might be: "Where grandparents and grandchildren stay."

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D. LONG TERM PLANNING

After the vision is determined, it is important to pick some long term areas of improvement desired for your community. These should be areas that have been identified in needs assessments or by participants, and should be within the overall vision just created. These long term goal areas for improvement are usually things such as: business opportunities, lifestyle, infrastructure, revenues, employment, education, facilities, economics, etc..

When these areas are identified where results are desired by the community residents, then long term goals are set. These are still for the 20-25 year period, so as a necessity are usually general and not specific, easily measured, or assigned to anyone. Examples of these using the long term goal areas above might be:

*To improve the opportunities for business investments in the community.

*To preserve and enhance the quality of lifestyle of the residents.

*To improve the infrastructure of the community to allow for increased population.

*To increase and stabilize revenues to meet the operational and capital improvement costs of the community.

*To improve the employment opportunities in the community so that no resident need be unemployed.

*To provide a quality education for all residents to their maximum potential.

*To provide the necessary utilities, facilities, and buildings for the municipality to serve the citizens.
*To enhance the economic opportunities and promote economic development in the community.

Once the long term goals are decided for the community, the mission can be easily written with the vision and long term goals put together. An example of a mission using the above vision and long term goal areas would be:

To make _____________ a community where grandparents and grandchildren stay by: improving opportunities for business investments; providing a quality of lifestyle for residents; improving the infrastructure; providing adequate revenues; improving employment opportunities; providing quality education opportunities; a strong municipality and community-wide economic opportunities.

There is no set formula for developing the mission or the long term goals. The most important thing is that they are meaningful, they include the Council's or community's parameters and philosophies, and work toward the vision. All of these should be responding to long term resident needs. Once the vision, mission, long term goal areas, and long term goals are set, it is time to develop the short term or operating goals. A brief idea of how to develop these follow, but all short term goals should be directed toward one or more long term goals (usually, the more of the long term goals the short term goal will work toward, the higher priority it is).

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IV. SETTING SHORT TERM GOALS

A. DEFINING A SHORT TERM GOAL

A short term goal is usually one that can be accomplished in the next five years, and is needed in the next five years, if the long term goals, mission, and vision are going to be accomplished later. This is a little like the need to get to the Glenn Highway junction, if your are going to eventually drive to Anchorage from Valdez. It is important that the short term goal be necessary to accomplish one or more long term goals. Otherwise, limited resources are diverted from the road to success you have agreed to as a community.

At all steps in the planning process it is necessary to plan how you are going to accomplish a desired result. In defining short term goals, this strategizing is also necessary. The short term goal should solve some problem, or produce some result that is desired by the community. It should be possible, but challenging within resources available or obtainable. It is usually more specific and measurable than the long term goals. There is usually a result by a particular time in a short term goal. All short term goals must be consistent with the vision and mission in true strategic planning. Short term goals are often projects.

B. IDENTIFY GOALS OR RESULTS DESIRED

1. Identify ongoing or planned projects

Clearly, there is usually a reason that you started projects currently being completed in the community. Likewise, those that are already planned had a reason for existing. If you have previous plans with goals that are not yet completed, these should also be considered again at this stage of the planning process. All of these are reviewed, status determined, and any strategies, changes, or explanations discussed. Then these are placed on a list of potential goals.

2. Review unmet needs

All Needs Assessments, community feedback, survey responses, participant identified needs and other unmet needs of the community are then identified. Some of these needs are far in the future and not necessary in the next five years and can be delayed (but not forgotten). Goals are developed to meet all of the needs that should be met during the next five years if the community is going to stay on track to accomplish its mission and vision. These goals are added to the list of potential goals.

3. Review problems and potential solutions

Known problems existing in the community is another way of looking at needs (the problem needs resolution). If not thought of in the review of unmet needs, the problem should be discussed and some strategies for solution developed. Then one or more goals should be written to solve all the problems identified. These goals are then added to the list of potential goals.

4. Council member and participant goals

Some Council members, community participants, or other community residents may have their own goals for the community. These should be flushed out at the planning session and discussed. To the extent they need to be accomplished in the next five years to keep the community moving towards its ultimate vision, they should be written up. These goals are then also added to the list of potential goals.

5. Staff or other recommendations

Often staff of the municipality, or of other organizations in the community have developed some ideas of projects, results, or goals they desire to see happen in the community. All of these and any other potential goals necessary to help the community reach its destiny should be considered and added to the list of potential goals.

C. CONSOLIDATE, MODIFY, AND AGREE ON DEFINITIONS

Once the long list of goals discussed above is identified and all of the results desired have been carefully reviewed, there may be duplication, supplemental or complemental goals, or other ideas goals identified. This clarification discussion process is very important. Often something was classified as a goal and it is just one activity or step toward a larger goal. Sometimes many of the "goals" listed can be merged into one five year goal, with separately identified tasks or objectives. Some goals or results will need to be rewritten, and definitions for terms and goals agreed to by all planning participants.

D. PRIORITIZE ALL SHORT TERM GOALS

Once the clean list of all short term goals is completed as discussed above, it is time to decide which goals have the highest priority. Sometimes, there may be some that must be delayed beyond the five year time frame. Others may have a high priority for starting, with the recognition that they take a long time to complete. Some will be tempting to put high on the list simply because they are already started or are the easiest.

An organized method of ranking these goals should be developed. One of the simplest ways is to list all the goals (usually using a one or two word descriptive phrase to identify the goal), and have all the participants rank them 1, 2, 3, etc. Then the scores are added together from all participants and the lowest score is the highest priority. The priorities can then be reviewed and verified. Sometimes, the entire group can agree on a low, medium, and high priority, then rank the goals in each group.

Any mechanism that treats all participant's priorities equally is acceptable. Some participants may wish to argue for their favorite before the prioritization, during it and afterward. It is best if time is provided for discussion and advocacy before any prioritizing takes place. Then only clarification should be allowed during the process and only verification afterward. This helps to avoid wasting time when only one or a few people are emotionally dedicated to one or more favorite goals.

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V. DEVELOPING OBJECTIVES TO ACCOMPLISH ALL SHORT TERM GOALS

Objectives are specific required actions or steps which must be completed before the goal can be completed, and before other objectives can be done. The objectives are the building blocks of the goal. A short term goal might have only one objective or many that are necessary to complete the goal. Once all of the goals are agreed to and prioritized, the necessary objectives (milestones or tasks) must be developed. If an objective is complex, it can be an actual project itself.

The use of the differing terms is not intended to confuse, but some granting or contracting agencies, and some consultants and facilitators use different ones. The main thing to remember is that an objective is a logical and necessary breakdown of the goal so it is less complex, and can be accomplished. The objective must be a necessary milestone, bridge, or path toward the goal. Objectives are specific, measurable results oriented statements of what is to be done, by whom, and by when.

There are many guidelines for writing objectives, but the following is the most comprehensive and understandable listing:

A good objective should:

1.) be a necessary step toward accomplishing a goal;

2.) state result, outcome, benefit, accomplishment, or product expected upon completion;

3.) have a time limit or deadline for performance;

4.) hold someone accountable for performance;

5.) answer what, when and who, but not why or how;

6.) be flexible and adaptable without loss of accountability;

7.) focus on solving a single problem, or yielding one result or outcome;

8.) include a base line against which to measure progress;

9.) be measurable or quantifiable so achievement can be monitored;

10.) be realistic, practical, & obtainable, but not easy;

11.) fit within overall vision, mission, and long term goals;

12.) be consistent with available resources;

13.) be positive (accomplish, rather than prevent).

A simple formula for writing objectives is as follows:

_______________(Who) does/ensures/completes/writes (an action verb)

____________________________________________________________ (What)

by _______________________________ (when).

For example: The assessor does all the assessments in the new subdivision by the end of August 1996.

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VI. COMPLETING IMPLEMENTATION/ACTION PLANS FOR OBJECTIVES

Most of the time, the development of the action steps for the objectives can be assigned to the person held accountable for the completion of the objective. Sometimes, it is necessary for the Council to actually complete an implementation plan or action plan for the objective. Sometimes this is the job of the supervisor, City Manager, Executive Director, or Mayor, depending on your community's governing structure. Regardless of who does it, the Council and planning participants should understand and include the concept if not the actual plans in their overall strategic plan. These action steps are the ultimate strategies or how to steps in accomplishing goals.

The following simplified format will help organize your objective accomplishment by showing how the activities or action steps will be accomplished and by whom. The activities can be broken down into painstaking detail if necessary. Sometimes, it is easiest to list all of the activities related to accomplishing the objective and then putting them into a sequence and logical order and numbering them for future follow up.

Activities______!_____ Assigned To:___!___ Deadlines______!______ Help Needed


This can also include a starting time as well as a completion deadline. You may also wish to have a column for total time commitments of different people, positions, organizations, expertise, or outside help. Some people also prefer to have a column for remarks or agreements necessary. The implementation or action plans should be made a part of the completed strategic plan for your community.

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VII. EVALUATION, MONITORING, AND MODIFICATION

The last (but definitely not the least) important item to worry about in a strategic plan is the evaluation, monitoring, and modification of the plan. Monitoring of the plan is most often assigned to the operating manager of the municipality. Usually, a set reporting period for status reports is agreed to and a statement to that effect is incorporated into the plan. For example, the City Manager will provide a quarterly status report on progress on the strategic plan. These status or progress reports should include the problems, obstacles or constraints encountered, solutions found, or policy decisions needed.

Likewise, if some objectives or goals are unworkable, already completed, or in need of modification, these should be formally presented as action items to the Council or Assembly. Usually, the plan provides that a recommendation for action for an modification will accompany the request to modify. Some organizations wish to have alternatives or options placed before them prior to modification. Some will want to obtain public review and planning participant input if the modification is significant, or a major change in direction for the municipality is intended. These type of considerations should be discussed and included in a section of the plan before it is finally adopted.

It is also a good idea if a formal evaluation is provided for on an annual basis in the plan. This can be in the form of an annual report to the citizens, or in a performance evaluation of the City Manager, or both. Whatever is planned should be put in the plan and followed thereafter. The final evaluation is usually at the end or near the end of the five year period, when another five year strategic planning session takes place.

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VIII. ADOPTION

When a strategic plan for your community is completed, it should be adopted by your governing body of the municipality. It should have received lots of public review and scrutiny throughout the process and in the final draft. There may be advantages to obtain commitments, agreements, or resolutions and letters of support from Tribal Councils, Resident Councils, and community groups also. This session is not about community outreach, community involvement, public relations, or politics. Each of you is an expert in that already. It is sufficient to state that the completion of a strategic plan is a community-wide event which should involve the entire community from inception through implementation. Your job is then simply to provide the leadership to ensure that it happens.

If you have comments or suggestions, email me at jdonahue@alaska.net

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