Strategic Planning for NY Soil and Water Conservation Districts

Thank you for attending the Strategic Planning Class at the 2025 Water Quality Symposium in Rochester, NY. If you have any questions or feedback, please reach out to Karen at karen@strongoutcomes.com or call 518.227.0124.

Strategic Planning Worksheet (Strong Outcomes) Handout from the class that follows the slide deck.

Strategic Planning Definitions (Strong Outcomes) Handout from the class that describes the Strong Outcomes approach to strategic plans and strategic planning.

Sample Strategic Planning Services Request for Proposals (River Network) Note: This is the example I shared in the class. I like this example because it is clear what they are looking for, have defined their budget and timeline, and haven’t made the process too prescriptive.

MacMillan Matrix Decision-making Tool (as a decision tree) Note: I went over the MacMillan Matrix briefly in the class. This handout provides more context and guidance.

DIY Strategic Planning Guidance (Montana Association of Conservation Districts) Note: I like the process they recommend, though I would suggest including the WHY in the priorities. Notice they use different language for the elements of the strategic plan than I do. Rough Translation: Strategic Vision Statements = Goals, Strategy Statements = Objectives, Goals = Actions

DIY Strategic Planning Worksheet (Montana Association of Conservation Districts) Note: They use different language for the elements of the strategic plan than I do. Rough Translation: Strategic Vision Statements = Goals, Strategy Statements = Objectives, Goals = Actions