Intro by Joseph Oldham and Liz Yager
“Active Strategic Planning for Local Energy and Climate Programs” is a collaborative effort between the County of Sonoma Division of Energy and Sustainability and the Local Government Commission. The goal of the video is help staff involved with implementing energy and climate programs understand the value and importance of developing a strategic plan for their programs. Plan your work and work your plan. That is a phrase that has dominated my working life for the past two decades. However, I must admit my planning in the early days was not always strategic; in other words, it did not have a long-term vision behind the plan. The value of developing a long-term vision and planning with that vision in mind is what the video you are about to watch is all about.
What is a strategic plan? A strategic plan is a vital TOOL for making decisions. It is as simple as that.
The strategic planning process focuses the discussion and can clarify the values, priorities and direction of a community. It is an exceptional organizational engagement tool; a chart of the organizations course to the future based on knowledge of the past; awareness of the current situation and a clear vision of the future; the guide for setting and following priorities; the standard for measuring results and tracking performance; an asset when asking for money from the State, Feds, grantors, foundations; and it sets you up for establishing a successful business or operations plan.
We hope you enjoy the video and find it useful. We are always interested in your feedback, so feel free to email us with comments at joldham@lgc.org .