WRRB Strategic Planning Workshop Jan 2015
A strategic plan describes where an organization is going and how it’s going to get there.
In January, Board Members and Staff participated in a Strategic Planning workshop. It was a good opportunity for the Board to reflect on its accomplishments and challenges over the past three years, and to envision a roadmap for its activities for the next three years. The end result will be an updated Plan that will guide and focus the Board’s work for 2015- 2018.
“As a hunter and trapper, I plan—what area should I harvest, what specific traps do I carry, where can I find wildlife, even where to set up my tent. I have to know how wildlife thinks and its behaviour. If you don’t plan anything, things can happen.”
– WRRB Board member Eddie Chocolate
Participants began by taking stock of the last three years, considering what has changed in the current environment since that time, and identifying what’s important. They recognized that many milestones had been achieved to build the organization, including establishing many internal policies and procedures. They discussed which activities have been completed, what work remains to be done, and what new priorities should be set. An important step in that process involved looking at the Board’s current Vision. A vision is an expression of what an organization wants to create in the future.
Visions “reflect what we care about most and are harmonious with our values and sense of purpose”, Edward de Bono, an education consultant wrote. Participants decided to refine the Board’s Vision to add the concept of resiliency –that in the face of changes, wildlife and wildlife habitat can thrive into the future. This additional focus recognizes the growing challenges to wildlife and wildlife habitat through the impacts of natural and human related disturbances, including forest fires, climate change and development.
Participants reviewed the current environment in which the Board works and considered the key challenges and opportunities in developing this Plan for the future. With the Vision in mind, participants then began the task of reviewing current goals and setting new ones for 2015-2018.
On the second day of the workshop, Board Members and Staff brainstormed in small groups, recording their thoughts on key topics that were posted around the room. Their discussions were brought together to draft the key elements of a strategic plan for the next three years, including its vision, mission, values, goals and objectives, as well as strategies and activities to realize each goal. Participants discussed strategies such as supporting research and other activities to better understand the impacts of natural and human changes in Wek’èezhìı. Performance measures have also been included in the Plan to measure success in achieving the goals set for 2015-2018.
The Plan, once finalized and approved by the Board, will be shared with Tłı̨chǫ communities, governments, partners and members of the public. It will be a good resource to communicate the Board’s priorities over the next three years and to let people know its Mission, Values, and Vision which guide its recommendations and decision-making.
Unlike a Vision, which is dynamic and changing, a Mission rarely changes. A Mission is a statement about why an organization exists. The mission of the WRRB is:
The Wek’èezhìı Renewable Resources Board manages wildlife, plants, forests and protected areas within Wek’èezhìı through the use of available traditional and scientific knowledge on behalf of Tłı̨chǫ citizens and other members of the public.