Strategic planning toolkit Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Strategic planning toolkit For local economic development

WhO WE ARE Marc von der Gonna Kathy Lachman

What is Strategic Planning? A process in which a community looks at its current situation and compares that situation to where it would like to be within a certain period of time. - International Economic Development Council

Why undertake strategic planning? 75% of communities who have a plan agree it is effective Allows communities to be responsive to funding opportunities Coordinates efforts and creates connections and partnerships Markets your community and attracts investment Gets past the talking Helps keep track of what you are doing and if it is making a difference

DOES this describe your community? Plan with no action Action with no plan

What Does the Toolkit provide? Empowerment of local leaders Achievable process regardless of your stage in economic development Break-down of strategic planning process into manageable pieces Self-guided and customizable step-by-step approach Initial self-assessment tailors process to your community’s needs Delivers a manageable 8 to 12 page plan Web-based and downloadable Local government’s role and responsibilities

Three approaches to the toolkit Community leads own process with existing staff (e.g. EDO or CAO) REO Regional Managers assists in facilitating the planning process Community hires a consultant to facilitate the process (potentially by accessing Rural Dividend Funds - $10K)

ToolKIT Structure 1 Step 1 Start with the self-assessment which is the key to the process. Building project team Develop high-level workplan that will guide the planning stages.  Step2 Assessing available resources, constraints and opportunities Identify and engage stakeholders and partners Step 3 Setting clear shared vision Developing achievable goals Step 4 Developing and implementing action plan Step 5 Keeping track of your activities and progress through monitoring, measurement and evaluation 1

What the webpage looks like Linear layout of the tools in the toolkit >>> Launch the Strategic Planning Toolkit

Getting started Self-assessment Setting the Stage Keys to Success Building the Project Team Laying a solid foundation ensures that your consultation, planning and implementation occur with minimal hiccups. Go through the following stages to make sure you have a strong foundation in place.  Workplan 1

Where are we now? Info and asset inventory Stakeholder and partner identification Where are we now? Stakeholder Pull-out Strategic Assessment 2

Where do we want to go? Visioning Identifying Strategic Areas This is where the planning begins in earnest, based on your early consultations and brainstorming. Strategic Area Goals 3

How are we going to get there? Action Development Prioritizing Activities How are we going to get there? Strategic Plan Implementation Plan After defining your vision and goals, choose specific activities to reach those goals and develop your implementation plan.  Activating Your Plan Pull-out 4

Are we getting there? Monitoring and Measurement Evaluation 5 Keeping track of your activities and progress through monitoring, measurement and evaluation is a very important aspect of your plan. Done well, tracking progress and staying flexible ensures that your efforts are targeted, streamlined and high-impact. 5

THANK YOU! Questions?