Strategic Plan Review

Context (Why?) Matters: As we move forward in the planning process over the next couple of years, maintaining proper context in vision, mission, and programming will be critical, lest we become distracted by the inclinations, political and otherwise, that tend to distract organizations from their main purpose. In this regard, the value of certainty – for the regulated community, stakeholders, and the region in general – cannot be overstated in its importance as an overarching goal of everything we undertake as an organization. This speaks to managing expectations, limiting exposure to undue risk and liability, and maintaining fiscal stability within some reasonable level of predictability. The idea of proper context for our work then prompts continual self-reflection as an organization. As an organization, we must then intentionally change the dialogue about planning and program structure around the idea of self-examination by contemplating the “why” of what we do so that we establish the proper context to our work. More to the point, asking ourselves “why?” helps to clarify …. Our vision: The Edwards Aquifer Authority is a regional water management agency that regulates with integrity, transparency, respect, and commitment to sustainability of the Aquifer. Our mission: Manage, enhance and protect the Edwards Aquifer system. Our purpose: As I’ve communicated it to our staff, our purpose should be service to others. Our responsibility: Fairness and equity in everything we do. Asking ourselves “why?” can also serve as a reality check on expectations. Accepting that we cannot be all things to all people, helps mitigate against the tendency of bureaucratic operations such as ours to take on more than they’re capable of successfully completing; it guards against mission creep into areas that potentially create needless expenditures (both in financial terms and political capital); and provides greater clarity in overall operational planning and execution. Our Success Will Be Measured by Legacy: For the EAA, the “why?” question compels us to take a self-reflective assessment of ourselves with a longer view of the planning horizon. Moving beyond a five-year planning process to, perhaps, a 10-year cycle or longer provides context to any success we might have. This is because our success will be measured in the long term, not the so much the short term. Focusing on our legacy also brings with it an inherent sense of greater reliability, sustainability and predictability in the direction of our organization, and should translate into greater certainty, which in the end provides the broad context for our work. The program priorities presented were thus identified within the context of these ideas and the desired outcome of a legacy of certainty around our mission for the good of the natural resource we manage for the people we serve.

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