Planning to plan – some key questions to ask when developing plans
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Written by Damon Meadows, Senior Advisor, Consulting Team
Considerable effort goes into planning, but how do we ensure all our plans align and the community understands the journey.
Review and align your strategic documents
By now, the majority of councils in Queensland have adopted their Annual Budget. The budget process may commence as early as September in the previous year and can be stressful for both elected members and council officers.
We understand the effort and consideration that goes into this process - there are the constraints of limited revenue, a broad range of projects and programs desired by competing sectors of the community and an ever-increasing asset management program.
Generally, the media attention and what most ratepayers see is - increasing rates, increasing councillor remuneration and some big-ticket infrastructure projects. There is often a ‘what’s in it for me’ attitude.
Engaging with the community and guiding them to identify and understand any potential issues and how these may impact the community, should be an important starting position for councils in the strategic planning prcoess.1
“One of the most important roles for councils in the strategic planning process is to guide the community in identifying major issues, understanding how these issues may impact on the community and how these issues might be addressed.” 1
The budget should be informed by the council’s strategic planning. All councils invest time and expense to engage with the community and develop the strategic documents that shape the planning and delivery of services, programs and infrastructure.
While most councils diligently review and update their plans, this may be done in isolation and not feed into higher level or broader plans. Some plans eventually ‘sit on the shelf ‘.
Loss of staff and changeover at a local government election means intimate knowledge of the plans can be lost. As such, proactive management of your strategic planning is essential.
“Local government strategic planning is complemented by operational plans, corporate plans, governance plans, master plans and so on, that require an integrated framework to ensure each plan is working toward a unified outcome.”2
Our Senior Advisor, (Procurement Office & Grant Program Office) Michelle Lacey, has been working with Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council, to identify priority projects in preparation for funding applications and ensure they align with corporate plans, and understands the importance of 'bringing the community on the journey'.
Mayor, Robbie Sands, and Councillors, along with the Acting CEO, Kevin Bell, hold frequent community meetings to discuss the issues facing the community and come together to work out ways to overcome the challenges they face. Engaging with community, at a grass roots level ensures that the community members are heard and actions are taken towards a collaborative, engaged approach, which, in turn, further informs the councils priorities and planning documents.
Has your council done the most with your community engagement and alignment of your plans? Can you answer the following questions:
- Can the community see the ‘line of sight’ between the engagement, your broader plans and budget decisions?
- Have you considered whether your plans are current, relevant and aligned?
- Does your council undertake a robust review of these plans?
- How do you manage the risk of corporate knowledge?
Some things to consider are:
- Review and identify any gaps in your planning – eg a Tourism Action Plan to support the Economic Development Plan?
- Collate and track all plan objectives – have an action list rather than having to search back through each plan
- Manage interrelated actions – where one action will need to be updated in other plans
- Keep the plans current – ensure plans are updated to reflect changing environments (COVID, natural disasters, economy etc)
- Have a prioritised ‘pipeline of projects’ – for budget preparation, discussion with funding agencies or visiting delegates
- Identify projects that require funding to proceed – communicate and seek partnerships with the community
- Develop the ‘next stage’ plans for priority projects – eg business case, project plan or concept plan
- Prepare documents to inform government and support lobbying activities – fact sheet or project brief
If you need any assistance to review your council’s strategic plans, we're here to help. Email Damon Meadows dmeadows@wearepeak.com.au to discuss your requirements or find out more information.
2 GovernmentFrameworks.com https://governmentframeworks.com/blog/local-government-strategic-planning/