SECTION FIVE: DEVELOPING A STRATEGY FOR AN AQUATIC SPORT FRIENDLY POOL |
5.02 MUNICIPAL STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESSES |
In preparation for a new municipal term of office (every four years), Council and senior staff develop a community driven strategic plan. These plans typically articulate a vision, mission, priorities and timelines and in some cases performance measures to aptly measure the effectiveness of the strategies. Staff and Council make efforts to garner the priorities of the community through surveys, focus groups and public meetings. Senior department heads are then directed to align the work of their departments with the stated priorities of the plan. Often priorities centre on quality of life, or healthy and active communities thus making the development of an aquatic plan easily aligned with the stated priorities of the community. It would serve the group well to anticipate the consultation phase in the development of the four year strategic plan in order to let the needs of the planning group be known. Further a draft strategic plan is typically offered to the community for refinement and this will provide another opportunity to ensure that the aquatic needs of the community are studied.
The planning cycle of Committees of Council must be understood; each committee of council has a mandate and any work to discuss sport friendly pools must align with the mandate and priorities of that respective committee of council. Each four year term of Council office brings with it a list of priorities that are aligned with the community and council strategic plans, getting the consideration for a sport friendly pool on the agenda early in the four year term is the best way to ensure consideration of the initiative sees progress over the term of office.