Penn State Extension Educator Jim Ladlee led five Ferguson Township elected municipal officials and five department heads/professional staff through the core components of a strategic plan. The group spent a day and a half at Raystown Resort working through each step and began the process by generating a list of 140 opportunities and threats to their organization. Through a SWAT analysis, they narrowed those down to 20 strengths and 20 weaknesses. From those, they focused on 32 goals, which were then narrowed down to 5 specific goals.  They developed a draft mission statement, vision statement, organizational goals, objectives, action steps and a timeline. Ladlee stated that what struck him was the organization’s level of commitment to the process. Another element that made the session successful was the ability of the group to focus the priorities of the officials with those of the professional staff. The results of the efforts will impact the township and the region.

Follow-up evaluations were completed 3-months after the retreat. The respondents revealed 100% indicated they planned to use the information and knowledge gained for their organizations. The benefits of the strategic planning process for their organization were described as: “Getting away from the status quo to look at a new approach to direct the organization,” “Easy step by step path …,” “…The process gives you a greater understanding of the concerns of the stake holders around the table. It’s a building block or a roadmap for the future.”

For more information on the Ferguson Township Strategic Planning Session, contact Jim Ladlee. For information on bringing the program to your community, contact your local extension office.

February 2007