VSD_Strategic_Plan_Update_Scope_of_Work.pdf

Valley Sanitary District | Strategic Plan Update Consulting Services | 1

SCOPE OF WORK

Strategic Plan Update Consulting Services

Valley Sanitary District

The Consultant shall provide all professional services necessary to complete the Strategic Plan Update. The anticipated scope includes, but is not limited to, the following tasks.

Task 1 - Project Initiation and Work Plan

The Consultant shall meet with designated District representatives to establish project expectations, communication protocols, roles and responsibilities, stakeholder engagement methods, project milestones, and the overall strategic planning process.

• Conduct a project kickoff meeting with District leadership.

• Develop a detailed project work plan and schedule.

• Identify key milestones, meetings, workshops, presentations, and deliverables.

• Establish a communication and coordination process with the District's designated Project Manager.

• Recommend an engagement strategy appropriate for the District's Board, staff, and stakeholders.

Deliverable: Project Work Plan and Schedule.

Task 2 - Review and Organizational Assessment

The Consultant shall conduct a comprehensive review of existing District plans, policies, programs, organizational information, and other relevant materials to establish a baseline understanding of the District's current strategic position. The review may include, as applicable:

• Existing or previous strategic planning documents;

• Annual budgets and financial planning documents;

• Capital Improvement Program and infrastructure planning documents;

• Asset management information;

• Organizational structure and staffing information;

• Workforce and succession planning;

• Regulatory and compliance requirements;

• Operational and performance information;

• Existing goals, initiatives, policies, and programs; and

• Other documents identified by the District.

The Consultant shall assess the District's organizational strengths, weaknesses/challenges, opportunities, and risks, including internal and external factors that could affect the District's ability to accomplish its mission and long-term objectives. The assessment should consider emerging issues and trends affecting wastewater agencies, including infrastructure needs, regulatory requirements, financial sustainability, workforce availability and development, technology, environmental stewardship, emergency preparedness, and changing customer and community expectations.

Deliverable: Organizational Assessment and Environmental Scan Summary.

Task 3 - Stakeholder Engagement

The Consultant shall develop and facilitate a meaningful stakeholder engagement process designed to gather input regarding the District's mission, vision, values, priorities, challenges, opportunities, and desired

Valley Sanitary District | Strategic Plan Update Consulting Services | 2 outcomes. Engagement may include individual or small-group interviews, surveys, focus groups, facilitated meetings, workshops, and/or other engagement methods recommended by the Consultant.

• Board of Directors;

• General Manager;

• Executive and management staff;

• District employees;

• Ratepayers and community representatives;

• Partner agencies; and

• Other stakeholders identified by the District.

Deliverable: Stakeholder Engagement Summary.

The Consultant shall summarize the results of the engagement process, identify recurring themes and priorities, and use the information to inform development of the Strategic Plan.

Task 4 - Board and Leadership Strategic Planning Workshops

The Consultant shall design and facilitate strategic planning workshops with the Board of Directors, General Manager, and appropriate District leadership and staff. The workshops shall be structured to:

• Review findings from the organizational assessment and stakeholder engagement process;

• Evaluate and refine the District's mission, vision, and core values;

• Identify and prioritize critical strategic issues;

• Establish or confirm strategic priorities and goals;

• Develop supporting objectives and initiatives;

• Consider infrastructure and capital investment priorities;

• Address organizational capacity and workforce needs;

• Consider financial sustainability and resource requirements;

• Identify desired outcomes and performance measures; and

• Build consensus regarding the District's strategic direction.

Deliverable: Workshop Materials and Strategic Framework Summary.

The Consultant shall provide all necessary workshop planning, facilitation materials, presentations, exercises, and meeting summaries.

Task 5 - Strategic Framework Development

Based on information gathered through Tasks 1-4, the Consultant shall develop a strategic framework for the District's five-year planning horizon. At a minimum, the framework shall address:

• Vision;

• Mission;

• Core Values;

• Strategic Priorities/Goal Areas;

• Strategic Goals;

• Objectives;

• Key Initiatives/Strategies;

• Desired Outcomes; and

• Performance Measures/Key Performance Indicators.

Deliverable: Draft Strategic Framework.

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Strategic goals and objectives shall be sufficiently specific and measurable to allow the District to evaluate progress throughout the life of the plan. The strategic framework should also establish appropriate connections between the Strategic Plan and the District's annual budget, Capital Improvement Program, infrastructure and asset management needs, workforce planning, and annual departmental work planning.

Task 6 - Draft Strategic Plan

The Consultant shall prepare a comprehensive Draft Five-Year Strategic Plan incorporating the findings and recommendations developed through the strategic planning process. The Draft Strategic Plan should be concise, accessible, visually appealing, and suitable for use by both District officials and the public. At a minimum, the document should include:

• Executive Summary;

• District overview and planning context;

• Strategic planning process;

• Mission, vision, and core values;

• Strategic priorities and goals;

• Objectives and key initiatives;

• Performance measures or key indicators;

• Implementation framework; and

• Process for monitoring and reporting progress.

Deliverable: Draft Five-Year Strategic Plan.

The Consultant shall present the Draft Strategic Plan to District leadership and the Board of Directors and incorporate comments and revisions as directed by the District.

Task 7 - Implementation and Performance Measurement Framework

The Consultant shall develop a practical implementation framework that enables the District to translate strategic goals into measurable actions. The framework shall, at minimum:

• Identify strategic initiatives and action items;

• Identify responsible departments or organizational leads;

• Establish anticipated timelines and milestones;

• Identify measurable outcomes and performance indicators;

• Establish a method for tracking implementation;

• Provide a framework for periodic progress reporting to the Board of Directors;

• Support integration of strategic priorities into annual budgeting and work planning; and

• Provide a process for periodically reviewing and updating priorities as circumstances change.

Deliverable: Strategic Plan Implementation and Performance Measurement Framework/Dashboard.

The Consultant should recommend a practical Strategic Plan dashboard, scorecard, or similar reporting tool that District staff can maintain following completion of the engagement.

Task 8 - Final Strategic Plan and Board Presentation

Following review and comment by the District, the Consultant shall prepare the Final Five-Year Strategic Plan and associated implementation materials. The Consultant shall:

• Incorporate District and Board comments into the final document;

• Prepare a professionally designed and publication-ready Strategic Plan;

• Provide an executive-level presentation summarizing the final Strategic Plan;

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• Present the final plan to the Board of Directors for consideration and adoption; and

• Provide all final documents and implementation tools to the District.

Deliverable: Final Five-Year Strategic Plan, Board presentation materials, and implementation toolkit.

Final Deliverables At a minimum, the Consultant shall provide the following:

1. Project Work Plan and Schedule;

2. Organizational Assessment and Environmental Scan Summary;

3. Stakeholder Engagement Plan and Summary;

4. Board/Leadership Workshop Materials and Summaries;

5. Draft Strategic Framework;

6. Draft Five-Year Strategic Plan;

7. Implementation Roadmap/Action Plan;

8. Performance Measurement Framework and Dashboard/Scorecard;

9. Final Five-Year Strategic Plan;

10. Board presentation materials; and

11. All supporting materials, templates, graphics, presentations, and implementation tools developed during the engagement.

The Final Strategic Plan shall be provided in both editable electronic format and professionally formatted, publication-ready PDF format.

Desired Outcome Upon completion of the project, Valley Sanitary District shall have a clear, concise, measurable, and actionable five-year Strategic Plan that:

• Establishes a shared vision and organizational direction;

• Aligns Board priorities with District operations and resources;

• Connects strategic priorities to budgeting and capital investment decisions;

• Strengthens organizational accountability;

• Provides measurable indicators for evaluating progress;

• Supports workforce and organizational resiliency;

• Addresses infrastructure, regulatory, financial, and operational priorities; and

• Provides the Board and staff with a practical framework for annual decision-making and long-term planning.