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Employee, section input important components
of developing ITD Strategic Plan

How do you fit into the transportation department’s mission, vision and strategic plan?

An extensive strategic planning process that began a year ago will incorporate action items at the working level – from employees and the sections in which they work. Leadership teams have been coordinating input that relates to the department’s four focus areas (see details on right).

Strategic Plan Focus Areas

Leading through agency performance. How will each section identify and use performance measures and related data to: prioritize work efforts to increase mobility, increase efficiency of operations; improve project selection and decision-making; increase accountability and visibility to stakeholders manage delivery of the best products and services within practical investment levels…

Improving our customer service culture. How will each section improve customer service to: ensure public trust and confidence; improve credibility and customer satisfaction; identify needed improvements and how they should be implemented; clarify expectations for service…

Expanding and enhancing partnerships. What partnerships will each section undertake with other agencies, non-profit and for-profit interests to deliver products or services more efficiently and effectively; stretch ITD’s limited resources further; demonstrate industry leadership in innovative approaches and solutions…

Investing in our people. What will each section do to: make ITD competitive with other employers; model behaviors to employees to assure continued personal growth and development; invest in workforce development, retention and succession; create and maintain a positive work environment where people thrive…

The foundation of ITD’s strategic planning effort is input and action at all levels of the organization. Section-level staff are able to identify ways to improve their service, product delivery, workplace environment or operational efficiency, explains Matt Moore, Administrator of the Division of Transportation Planning.

Action items provide the “what” we plan to do, and performance measures provide the “how” we will measure our success, Moore explains.

ITD Director Pam Lowe recently challenged sections within each division and each district within the Division of Highways to outline specific actions that align with the four focus areas, “actions … that you can perform in the future that will contribute to our mission and vision.”

The intent is to identify new actions that can provide direct benefits under each of the focus areas, that are realistic and that can be accomplished within a specified timeframe. Ongoing actions also can be included if they relate to the focus areas. The deadline for sections to submit their action items to their division administrators is Nov. 1

Division administrators will collect, review and approve the section and district action items by Nov. 14.

Moore said his division will identify performance measures for the action items as they are integrated into the strategic plan.

“This phase of planning provides opportunities at the section level to identify action items that will connect or tie in with the four focus areas,” Moore explains. “The breadth and depth of the process demonstrates the level of commitment by ITD to innovation, industry leadership, service and efficiency. “

As the planning process extends across ITD, it also extends to the employee and section level – a thorough, multi-dimensional approach. The concept is not new, Moore says, but its reach is unprecedented.

The department introduced a strategic planning process in the mid-1990s but the current process, launched in November 2007, is the most extensive.

Ultimately, all of the plan’s components and the four focus areas will support the department’s vision and mission:

Mission: “Our Mission. Your Mobility.”

Vision: “We will be an industry leader in providing transportation systems and services that are safe, efficient, promote economic vitality, and use innovative technology.