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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-06-040 - Community Services Department Strategic Plan ) ~ Community Services ~ Report To: Date of Meeting: Subm itted By: Prepared By: Ward(s) Involved: Date of Report: Report No.: Subject: Community Services Committee April 10, 2006 Ann Pappert, General Manager, CSD Kathleen Woodcock, Special Projects Officer, ext. 2597 Kathryn Dever, Organizational Change Facilitator, ext. 2370 All March 29, 2006 RECOMMENDATION: CSD-06-040 COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT STRATEGIC PLAN For information and discussion. BACKGROUND: Since 2002 the City has been working toward a 'different future for City government and public service' as outlined in the vision of the Corporate Plan. In concert with the Corporation's ongoing strategic community planning and subsequent to corporate restructuring in 2001, the Community Services Department is initiating the creation of its first Department Strategic Plan proposed to span the years of 2008-2010. The purpose of this report is to provide Council with highlights of the Departmental process being considered by its Senior Management and to gain Council's input. REPORT: Need for a Deoartmental Strateaic Plan The most recent comprehensive plan to address the management of the wide range of programs and services currently provided by the Community Services Department was the Parks & Recreation Operational Review (2000); a review which included key initiatives and defined a five year 'positioning plan' for the level and nature of its services and programs. A review of this 'positioning plan' was anticipated in 2006. However, subsequent to the Parks & Recreation Operational Review (2000) the Corporation underwent a major restructuring (2001) and the nature of some of the organizational elements inherent to the Parks & Recreation Operational Review (2000) was altered. Report No. CSD-06-040 Since 2001, the Department of Community Services has been exemplary in focusing on responding to external community needs while operating without the benefit of a process for strategically aligning its internal resources to a broadly shared, Departmental work plan. The Department benefits from the strategic direction of Council through the City's Corporate Plan and finds further guidance through the work of Compass Kitchener and many specific project consultations. For example, the Leisure Facilities Master plan and Cultureplan II provide significant recommendations for implementation and the Department has a current library of 26 documents reflecting broad community consultations and site specific plans that identify a range of community opinions, ideas, needs and desires. I To date, each Division within the Department develoP2 work plans to address the outcomes desired by Council. It is however, under increasing pressure to provide for need within both existing and new growth communities. It is timely that the Department now seeks an inclusive process developed with and by its own staff which will serve to further evolve the Department by aligning resources to clearly defined shared goals and work priorities in order to achieve the most efficient and effective use of its human resources. It anticipates that a Strategic Plan, once approved by Council, would make explicit to the community, colleagues and internal staff, how the Department is approaching shared work priorities to achieve defined goals while linking priorities to resources and defining expected, measurable outcomes. It is also timely that the Department embarks on this strategic positioning as it will need to I respond and balance current information arising from the EnvironicsIWho Are You Kitchenerl research and ongoing Healthy Communities Plan with existing external research and individual studies. Benefits Strategic planning can benefit the Department in a variety of ways, namely: clearly defines the purpose of the organization and establishes realistic goals and strategies consistent with its mission communicates goals and strategy to citizens instills a sense of ownership by management and employees in the plan ensures effective use of the Corporation's resources focused on key priorities provides a baseline from which progress can be measured builds consensus as to where the Department is going with everyone's best intention and contribution increases productivity by increasing effectiveness and efficiency in is initiating the creation of the Goals The Community Services Department strategic planning process will create a shared vision, mission and detailed work plan for the department by building on achievements, addressing outstanding internal issues and incorporating best practices in strategic planning and community development. Specifically, the planning exercise will be designed to encourage: 1. internal issue identification and a process for issue resolution Report No. CSD-06-040 2. financial and human resource planning and long term management 3. departmental, divisional and cross - unit team building 4. living the Leadership Agreements, focusing on 'Together We Are Better' in 2006, and 'Results Matter' and 'Inspire Creativity, Change and Success' in 2007 5. sharing of staff skills, knowledge and abilities along with providing opportunities for creativity and innovation in the efficient and effective delivery of services and programs 6. aligning departmental and divisional goals with those of the Corporation 7. supporting a 'diagonal' rather then hierarchical or siloed staff involvement process, with involvement of staff from all sections and all 'levels' of the department Aooroach & Process in June 2007. process beginning in April, in the approach for regular In order to engage as many internal staff as possible, a 'diagonal' process will be used to collect I information from a broad cross-section of participants. Specifically, a selection of staff from all ranges and levels of positions and all divisions of the department will be included together in focus meetings and will input into the outcomes of the strategic plan. Opportunities for input and feedback from the public and other departments have been incorporated into the planned process. Phase 1 -April 2006 to January 2007 Phase 1 is focused on determining existing key themes - recurring issues and priorities brought forth through previous community engagement processes - from an extensive literature review of past work which had community input, corporate-wide or departmental impacts. This phase will also include interviews with staff from other departments and leads of other processes, a series of five (5) invitational 'rolling' meetings with CSD staff on a 'diagonal' representation basis (involvement of all levels and all sections of the department), three (3) open staff group meetings and two (2) public meetings. The Project Team will analyse the results and draft the key themes and issues, with regular feedback from the Steering Committee. Those draft key themes will be taken back to CSD staff through two (2) department-wide strategic planning sessions as well as divisional staff meetings. Additionally, a progress report focusing on the themes will be presented in a public forum to obtain community input. After receiving further feedback from CSD staff, the public and the Steering Committee, the Project Team will prepare the outcomes of Phase 1. Those outcomes will be reviewed by the Steering Committee, reviewed by Corporate Management Team and presented to Council in January 2007. Phase 2 - February to June 2007 During this phase CSD staff will develop work plans, determine resource allocations, and design project planning. The final result, a Community Services Department Strategic Plan 2008-2010, will be launched in July 2007. Report No. CSD-06-040 Attachment A which follows this report provides a schematic of the phases of the strategic planning process for CSD. It also shows three other major corporate/community initiatives that will inform the CSD strategic plan - the Healthy Communities Plan, EnvironicsIWho Are You Kitchener? and the Financial Planning Process - and the points at which each intersects with the CSD planning process. Staff Involvement A Steerina Committee will provide overall direction regarding the process of the project. This group consists of: · Ann Pappert, General Manager, CSD · Keith Baulk, Director, Enterprise · Ken Currier, Director, Operations · Mark Hildebrand, Interim Director, Community Programs & Services · Denise Keelan, Interim Director, Aquatics & Athletics · Renate Willms, Supervisor of Administration · Shelley Adams, Director of Community & Corporate Planning This project is being led bv Co-facilitators Kathryn Dever, Organizational Change Facilitator, HR and Kathleen Woodcock, Special Projects Officer, CSD. The co-facilitators are responsible for planning and designing the process, collaborating with the team to create and fulfill the project plan, facilitating the team process, acting as liaison between the Steering Committee and the Project Team, and ensuring the completion of the project and sub-projects. A Proiect Team will perform research, analyse information, facilitate staff sessions, act as liaison with staff/peers and supervisors, and receive and implement direction from the Steering Committee. The proposed composition of the team includes: . A representative from Enterprise · A representative from Operations · A representative from Community Programs & Services · A representative from Aquatics & Athletics . A representative from GM & Administration · A representative from Communications (to be determined) FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: I Current budgets will be used to absorb the costs of the staff resources involved in this projectJrl and other COMMUNICATIONS: Appropriate and timely communication of the process and involvement of staff and the public will be incorporated into the overall approach and process. The addition of a Communications representative on the Project Team will provide the professional input required to achieve our goal of transparency, inclusion and clarity. Deleted: Specitic costs related to the staff time involved in this project are yet to be determined. Report No. CSD-06-040 CONCLUSION: A strategic plan for the Community Services Department will create a shared vision of the future of the department by building on achievements to date, and incorporating best practices in strategic planning and community development. Using a transparent process that includes many staff and the public will ensure that the resulting plan is comprehensive and clear. Kathryn Dever Organizational Change Consultant Human Resources Kathleen Woodcock Special Projects Officer Community Services Department AP E ~h t! ~ In ~ ~~ E => E.8 III o '<t o <D o 6 Cf) <.J ci Z o 0. Q.l 0: N E Li e-~ rn~t5 illi It ; ~ 1 ~ jiljj