5.6 EMRUSR 10-11-2022UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
TO:FROM:
ERMU Commission Theresa Slominski - GeneralManager
MEETING DATE: AGENDA ITEM NUMBER:
October 11, 20225.6
SUBJECT:
Strategic Plan & Dashboard Update
ACTION REQUESTED:
Consensus on high level strategic themes and annual business plan budgeting/rates direction
BACKGROUND:
In August 2017, the Commission adopted a comprehensive manual of governance policies
based on the Carver Model of governance. Included in those governance policies is Governance
Policy G.2c Agenda Planning. This policy notes that in the first quarter “The Commission and
Management will review ERMU’s current Strategic Plan along with the results of the Annual
Business Plan for the preceding fiscal year.” This annual review was confirmed andscheduled
through the Commission’s adoption of the 2022 Governance Agenda, which is included in the
monthly commission meeting materials, and is available to the public. This annual review was
conducted during the February commission meeting. Feedback from the Commission was
noted by staff.
Per the Governance Policy G4.c Strategic and Business Planningand consistent with Policy G.2c
Agenda Planning and with the 2022 Governance Agenda adopted by the Commission, the
Commission and management began their annual update of the strategic plan and financial
plan for the succeeding five-year period in June. Typically, the final strategic plan and
dashboard would be presented in July but this year the process wasn’t completed until
September and so we are presenting this month.
Per policy, the strategic plan shall provide “strategic direction for a period of not less than five
(5) future fiscal years intermsof high-level elements such as vision, core purpose, core values,
mission, key result areas and broadlystated strategic objectives that are intended to achieve
the organizational outcomes contained in the commission’s Authority and Purpose Policies.”
Included in the Commission’s Authority and Purpose Policies are the bylaws, organizational core
purpose, mission, vision, values, fundamentals, and planning themes. These policies are
summarized on the attached mission, vision, fundamentals, values, andplanning themes
document.
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DISCUSSION:
The purpose for the Strategic Plan is to establish long term direction and goals for an
organization and develop the plan to get there. A good strategic planning process incorporates
assessing risks and developing contingency plans based on risk mitigation in the journey toward
the long-term direction and goals.
The leadership team underwent a process to identify new initiatives for go/no-go evaluation for
consideration in the annual business plan/budgeting process. These newly identified initiatives,
along with ongoing and incomplete initiatives, then undergo priority ranking.
All policies, decisions, initiatives, and tasks by ERMU on behalf of our consumer owners should
be in direct line to the ERMU Mission, Vision, and Values. All planning is conducted through a
process which categorizes initiatives under commission-adopted planning themes aligned with
our mission, vision, fundamentals, and values. This framework clearly defines how ERMU is
expected to operate. This process is intentionally transparent to our consumer owners.
The attached dashboard includes the 2022 initiatives in progress that have already run through
the budgeting process, and newly identified 2023 initiatives. In prior years, the dashboard has
been larger and encompassing more work than perhaps was achievable, and so the dashboard
is pared down this year. As before, the initiatives are organized in the dashboard by the six
planning themes which the Commission adopted into policy. Staff is looking for the Commission
to discuss high-level strategic themes and initiatives and is looking for the commission to have
consensus on these themes leading into the budgeting process. Staff is looking for commission
discussion on the initiatives and how these priorities align with the Commission’s intended
strategic direction for the organization.
ATTACHMENTS:
ERMU Dashboard 2022-2023
ERMU Mission, Vision, Fundamentals, Values, and Themes
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