Strategic Planning

Those of you who read Aimee Wehmeier’s article “A Time for Change” published in SIL’s January newsletter know that we are engaged in a comprehensive strategic planning process. Some of the questions we’re attempting to answer are:

 
§ Are we reaching all the people that can be reached? And if not, why not?

§ Are we providing the types of services in the right mix and to the ex­tent needed, and how can we improve our services?

§ Which services are being duplicated by other service providers, and where are the gaps in services? How can we partner better with other service providers?

§ What changes need to happen in our organizational infrastructure, processes and procedures in order to sustain growth and support the changes we ultimately decide to pursue?
 
While the consulting firms, executive advantage and Tre, LLC, are guiding us through the strategic planning process, ultimately we, the Services for Independent Living community, must play the major role in creating the strategic plan. To this end, we’ve posted a strategic planning website  to help collect information and brainstorm ideas.
 

The strategic planning process begins with the assumption that we as an organization might have a distorted picture of where we are and equally of where we need to go.   We need the help of the community – SIL consumers, staff, board, vendors, and other interested parties – to gain a multi-faceted “three-dimensional” perspective of our situation.  The strategic planning website gives opportunity for your input through three survey links and a public forum:

§         The SIL consumer needs assessment survey may be completed by any person living with a disability, whether a SIL consumer or not.

§         The SIL general public survey may be completed by any adult in SIL’s seven county service area who isn’t necessarily a SIL consumer.

§         The SIL service provider survey should be completed by any not for profit or government organization in SIL’s seven county service area  that serves, if only in part, persons with disabilities.

§         The Public forum is your place to allow your voice to be heard for issues relating to this project.


Once we know where we are as an organization and have a picture of our destination, we can plot a course to serve as a guide for our next three years of growth.  The beginning of May, major issues to be included in the strategic plan will be posted on the strategic planning website forum.  At that time, we’ll encourage you to post your ideas about goals and/or considerations – no matter how inane or off the wall! –that you believe should be considered under those broad issues. 

SIL’s strategic planning website is a great opportunity for you to voice your opinion so necessary for the development of the very best strategic plan.  Often the best idea is the one an individual almost didn’t share because he/she thought it was too obvious, too insignificant, or too fanciful.  We’d like to encourage you to give voice to your ideas by interacting with us through the strategic planning website.