Strategic Plan 2024 – Amendments submitted by Barry Wolfe, Baden
Title Page . updated for date
Executive Summary
Wilmot Township is located in one of the fastest growing areas in Canada, and needs to continuously adapt to continuous change. One of the strategies to address citizens’ aspirations, goals, interests and needs, is a Strategic Planning process. A formal review and update to this process occurs usually at the beginning of each new term of Council. This version of a Strategic Plan is like a roadmap providing guidance at this point in time, but better than a roadmap it includes strategies that allow it to be like a GPS system that gives continuous opportunities for staff, the Council and citizens to confirm that we are on the right course, or whether we need to make a change and get back on the best path to achieving our goals together.
Our Strategic Plan continues to offer a roadmap for the future, in providing a guide for decision-making across all Township service areas as we understand our present position to be, at this date of publication. However, a roadmap is a fixed document that does not change. A roadmap provides alternatives and some specific guidance, but does not quickly tell you if you’re off track, or wandering into trouble. It does not immediately suggest a better alternative to take. That’s what a GPS system on a vehicle does. A GPS system is more efficient and more effective because it uses satellites, improved communication opportunities, that “keep an eye” constantly on how we all are doing.
The most critical phase of this Strategic Planning process will be its implementation and accountability. This Strategic Plan includes increased methods by which staff, senior administrative staff and Council regularly report to each other, and to Wilmot citizens, not only what they have achieved each month for each action they are tasked with, but also describe what they plan to do next. This will be accomplished by the implementation of a new “Progress Tracker” computer software system which facilitates internal communication among all employees and the Council. There also will be revised reporting methods to Wilmot citizens that provide increased transparency and fulsomeness of monthly progress, for each action item in all work plans. Refer to Section 7 for more details.
This Strategic Plan is essential toward enabling Wilmot to remain a “cohesive, vibrant and welcoming countryside community”.
Contents
Message from Senior Administration Team (SAT)
As the Township’s Senior Administration Team, we understand the role we play in implementing Council’s decisions and establishing administrative practices and procedures to carry out those decisions and directions. We are responsible for undertaking comprehensive research and providing advice to Council that considers all alternatives on the policies and programs of the Township. We are honoured to have the opportunity to support our organization in meeting the needs of this growing community.
The Strategic Plan helps to effectively articulate the desires and needs of Wilmot’s residents and businesses. As an administration team, we are commited to being accountable to the residents of Wilmot and maintaining focus on the core values, while achieving the corporation’s goals.
We are encouraged that through this update, the community identified improved communication with the citizens, increased access to Council and thus participation in the decision-making process, improved accountability strategies by staff to the Council and Wilmot citizens. The section 7, titled Implementation, Accountability and Evaluation, will directly impact all staff. It is our responsibility to establish and implement administrative practices and procedures to carry out Council’s decisions and directions. In providing efficient services, active communications, and infrastructure investments in a fiscally responsible manner, we will show value for the community’s investment.
We recognize the importance of effective community engagement in the corporation’s decision-making processes. Responsiveness to feedback from the community will be an ongoing part of our implementation of the Implementation, Accountability and Evaluation section of this Strategic Plan.
As the Senior Administration Team for the Township, we are responsible for the success of all staff in achieving all components of this Plan. We are confident in the innovation skills, and talent of our staff. We look forward to working in support of Council and the community as we expand on the successes of previous Strategic Plans, ensuring that our shared vision for Wilmot is realized.
Message from the CEO, Mayor Salonen
Introduction to Wilmot’s Strategic Plan
How the Strategic Plan is Structured
VISION: as is
MISSION STATEMENT: as is
GOALS: Goals describe high-level aspirations, objectives, desired results or targets that Wilmot is aiming to achieve.
STRATEGIES: Strategies are descriptive plans of action or policies that provide direction on how to achieve a goal.
ACTIONS: Actions describe the specific acts, tasks, processes of doing something to achieve a goal. Actions are descriptive, observable and measurable over time toward achieving a goal.
WORK PROGRAMS: Work programs are descriptive compilations of all the actions that are to be undertaken and successfully completed by staff in implementing strategies. They are effective communication and accountability tools for tracking progress, within specific timelines, toward successful implementation of strategies and achieving goals.
IMPLEMENTATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Further outlined in Section 7. This section describes the specific means for tracking progress toward successful achievement of actions, strategies and goals. It provides the mechanisms necessary to monitor progress and to fulfill the duty, under the Ontario Municipal Act, for the Council to “ensure the accountability and transparency of the operations of the municipality, including the activities of the senior management of the municipality”, and to “maintain the financial integrity of the municipality”.
Community Overview > as is revised to reflect current events
Vision, Mission and Values > as is revised by citizens
Goals and Strategies > as is revised by citizens
Actions > as is revised by citizens
Implementation, Accountability and Evaluation
Service Areas’ Mission Statements
With the guidance of the Strategic Plan, all departments will establish and/or update Service Areas’ Mission Statements that are aligned with Wilmot’s overall Strategic Plan. These staff-built statements will attempt to answer four (4) essential questions:
- What do we do?
- How do we do it?
- Whom do we do it for?
- What value are we bringing?
It is critical that the Service Areas’ Mission Statements, as approved by the Director of each Service Area, and Council, are aligned with Wilmot’s Mission “to evolve and grow as a community of caring people, working together to build upon a sure foundation”. All Service Areas’ Mission Statements will be published on the Wilmot Township’s website for easy citizen consultation.
Annual Work Program
The Actions identified in the Strategic Plan will be incorporated into the annual work programs developed by the Senior Administration Team of Directors and submitted to Council for their approval and confirmation prior to being presented online for the information of the Wilmot community.
When developing potential Actions for every work program, these are key questions that willbe answered:
- How does it move us forward towards our Vision?
- How is it consistent with our Mission and Core Values?
- Is it a steppingstone within the Strategy to achieve the stated goal?
- If it is a new action, how does it add more specificity, efficiency and effectiveness within the Strategy to achieve the stated goal?
The answers to these questions will allow the Council to provide direction to the Senior Administration Team to develop a range of potential priority actions within the annual work programs. Project leads will be assigned overall responsibility for overseeing ensuring the implementation of specific actions.
Engagement and Awareness
The development of the Strategic Plan was based on significant consultation with the Senior Administration Team, Council, staff and the community. Many of Wilmot’s residents took the time to share their ideas and contribute to the Plan’s development. As such, keeping them appraised of and involved in the Plan’s implementation is critical to maintaining both interest and transparency. This will be implemented through the publication of all Service Areas’ Mission Statements, Annual Work Plans, Monthly Work Plan Reports, using the “Progress Tracker” tool.
There will be Summative Annual Reporting by the CAO, Reports to Council upon request, the cyclical review of the Plan itself, and alignment of other activities of the corporation as follows.
The “Rules of Procedure” used by the corporation in conducting meetings of Council will provide for improved citizen access to Council and participation in the decision-making progress. These “Rules” can be amended/updated at the will of Council.
Council Agendas will be published, in Draft form, at least 15 business days prior to any meeting. The “Manager of Communications” will be responsible for publishing, in a weekly insert in a local newspaper, a summary of the topics, as known, coming before the Council in the next 3 meetings, so that citizens can become aware of and prepare to participate in Council’s deliberations and decision-making if they choose.
Council has a designated location within the corporation’s offices where individual Councillors can meet with constituents. Appointments can be made by contacting the Councillor directly or via the “Executive Officer to the Mayor and Council”.
The Wilmot Budget, in addition to its six distinct balanced budget categories, and the Operating Budget and the Capital Budget, will describe the roles of the six service areas in alignment with their prescribed roles in the Ontario Municipal Act for clarity to citizens about who to contact.
Monthly Work Program Reports
The implementation of “Progress Tracker” computer software will facilitate internal communication among all employees of the Corporation. This “Progress Tracker” software will enable all staff to organize and input all the information about goals, strategies, ‘general’ actions, and ‘specifically detailed’ actions that were taken that month, what specifically was completed, and what action(s) will be taken next within that strategy. These monthly work program reports will provide a higher level of specificity and detail regarding what was done and what is pending. The Senior Administration Team, Council, and Wilmot citizens will be able to more efficiently and effectively track work progress in real time. The Wilmot community’s frustration with check marks, beside an action for only 6 of the 12 months of the year, that do not provide transparent, fulsome information about what staff is accomplishing has been recognized and is being replaced with improved administrative practices and procedures that are more detailed.
Annual Reporting
In conjunction with addition to the monthly work program reports, each year the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) will provide a comprehensive, summative report updating Council and the community on the progress of staff in meeting all actions within this Strategic Plan.
Reports to Council
To maintain momentum in implementation and to keep the Strategic Plan top-of-mind, all Staff Reports to Council shall demonstrate alignment with the Strategic Plan. As such, an alignment checklist has been prepared and is included as Appendix B of this document. This checklist has been updated to include current specific actions that the Report has considered.
Online “Progress Tracker” Reporting Tool
The “Progress Tracker” tool, a computer software program will be used for all staff, Council and citizens to communicate and identify the status of each Action, as scheduled above.
Strategic Plan Review
The Plan will be reviewed and updated within the first six months of each new term of Council.
Appendices