Strategic Plan 2022-2025
In fall 2021, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiatives started a strategic planning process. The Cities Initiative engaged in planning not to solve a particular problem but to make sure the organization continues to evolve to meet members’ changing needs while maintaining its focus on the issues critical to the restoration and protection of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin.
Between November 2021 and January 2022, staff participated in a series of in-person and virtual meetings to draft a framework for a three-year strategic plan. The conversations focused on articulating a vision – What does the Cities Initiative look like in the future, and what impact will we be having? – and identifying what actions need to be taken to achieve that vision – Where must we focus our energy, and what must we do to achieve the vision? On February 8, 2022, the board of directors reviewed and refined the plan to ensure the final product reflected the needs and interests of Cities Initiative members. The result of this work is an actionable plan that can guide decisions around when and where to allocate resources and energy to achieve the desired outcomes.