Vaughan recognized for first-of-its-kind approach to strategic planning

Municipalinfonet.com
June 28, 2021

The following statement was issued by Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua after a special virtual presentation during the June 22 Council meeting:

“I am pleased to announce the City of Vaughan has received the 2021 Richard Goodman Strategic Planning Award from the Association of Strategic Planning in the Local Governmental Organization category. This marks a unique first in our history in that it is the City’s first-ever award for strategic planning.

“The Association of Strategic Planning is the leading global not-for-profit professional association dedicated to advancing strategy development and deployment for business, non-profit and government organizations. The Richard Goodman Strategic Planning Award recognizes individuals and organizations that make extraordinary contributions to the strategy field.

“Vaughan’s 2018-2022 Term of Council Service Excellence Strategic Plan is the road map that guides our city-building efforts. It reinforces the City’s mission, vision, values and strategic priorities. Our Strategic Plan directs the work undertaken by the administration to successfully go above and beyond to implement Council-approved city-building initiatives throughout this Term of Council. The Strategic Plan includes a focus on nine key areas: transportation and mobility; city-building; environmental stewardship; active, safe and diverse communities; economic prosperity, investment and social capital; good governance; citizen experience; operational performance; and staff engagement.

“Our organization has taken a unique and first-of-its-kind approach to strategic planning. Vaughan’s Office of Transformation and Strategy has implemented a new Senior Leadership Team Governance Model, Strategic Priority Oversight Teams (SPOTs), and the Objective and Key Result (OKR) methodology to ensure we realize and deliver on our strategic priorities. Vaughan is one of the first municipalities in Ontario to implement the OKR methodology. This has empowered the administration to be strategic and agile while delivering essential services and making progress on Council-approved priorities outlined in the Strategic Plan.

“I want to extend my gratitude and appreciation to the Transformation and Strategy team for their efforts to ensure our organization continues to deliver Service Excellence. Through innovation, dedication and strategic thinking, this team has helped position Vaughan as a city of choice.”