The Role of the Strategic Plan
The goal of a strategic plan is to create a vision for the future and then follow through on achieving that vision. The City of Vaughan has a strategic plan in place, Vaughan Vision 2020, and we can now look to the future with great confidence as we design and build a city of choice.
A city’s success lies in the strength of its foundation. We have a solid foundation with our strategic plan. Our successes lie in the existence of this plan that has identified priorities in planning, budgeting, transportation, economic development and accountability and transparency, to name a few.
The strategic plan has played a key role in the recent budget process. This is an important step towards aligning budgets with the Vaughan Vision strategic goals, objectives and priorities. Business plans were integrated as part of the 2010 Operating Budget process to help establish and reinforce connections between the strategic priorities and resource allocation. This complements the budget process and plays an important role in evaluating the efficiency, effectiveness and productivity of each department’s base budget through the use of performance measures.
March 25, 2010 Update |
Business Plans also help Senior Management and the Budget Committee by providing a platform to better understand department objectives, pressures and the basis for additional resource requests. A great deal of consideration has been given as to where we want to be as a city in the future.
A great deal of planning has taken place and continues to take place in order for us to reach our goals. It is the strategic plan and its initiatives that provide the framework for the City’s success.
Reporting back to the community has been identified as an important part of the process. The City will soon publish its 2009 Successes Report. This provides an opportunity to report back on the City’s successes and provide an update on the progress being made on key initiatives and programs.
The structures and processes of the City are evolving to meet the demands of a rapidly growing population. It is important that the City’s governance model, which includes the roles and responsibilities of Members of Council, senior staff, and the Council/Committee structure itself, are appropriate to meet those demands
The strategic plan is a living document and we will continue to reach out to our residents and businesses for their input. Public engagement is the key to the success of this process and will ensure that the direction in which the City is going remains current and relevant.