My library has an existing strategic plan, but I learned a tremendous amount about its implementation during the program. Creating a vision for your library is one thing, but actually identifying the necessary steps to make it happen, while getting staff on board in the process, can be difficult. Boot Camp gave me specific tools and strategies to help refine my library’s goals and put them into action.

Perhaps the information that stuck out to me most was the importance of acclimating staff to change and helping them see the benefits of the library’s goals and objectives. The costs associated with change do not merely deal with money or facilities; there is an emotional component to it as well. By taking the time to understand how employees are feeling and address any questions or concerns they may have, a manager can help ensure his or her plan’s success.

Another rewarding aspect of Boot Camp was the small group format. This year’s class was the largest to date, featuring eighty librarians from throughout the country. Because the group was not unwieldy, participants were able to get to know each other and collaborate throughout the week. While it is very easy to become insulated in your own county or state, this setup forced us out of that habit, helping us to see how libraries operate in different areas.

For more information about strategic planning, I highly recommend instructor Sandra Nelson’s book Strategic Planning for Results, available through the ALA Store. This information contained in this work, part of the PLA Results series, mirrors much of the content covered in Boot Camp and is a necessity for any public library working towards a strategic plan.

Have questions about PLA’s other continuing education and professional development offerings? Visit http://www.ala.org/pla/education.

The post Results are What Matters: PLA Bootcamp 2015 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

New approaches, like priority-based and outcome-based budgeting, could help align a library budget with its services and dollars received. These methods can provide enhanced accountability and transparency to the budgeting process. They both have the potential to better communicate the goals and intended outcomes of new and existing programs. Outcomes, outputs, inputs, strategies, and performance are aligned and regularly evaluated. Governmental units, like libraries, can align more strongly with their city’s or county’s priorities.

A priority-driven budget is in some ways the opposite of a traditional line-item budget approach. The budget process begins with a review of the organization’s priorities rather than the dollars spent on activities the previous year. Each program or activity is evaluated based on predetermined performance indicators. The focus moves from dollars spent to effectiveness of programs and services in relation to the value of those services.

Creating priorities prior to funding considerations helps to focus on the mission and role of the organization. The process can also help to weight the value of one program over another. In cases where a program may be ranked at a lower value for results achieved, stakeholders and program participants have the opportunity to take on more responsibility for the success or support of the service. San Jose, Calif., is an example of how a city has applied this process.

Outcome-based budgeting is a specific form of priority-based budgeting. It is an approach that government entities have successfully implemented and is now moving to the non-profit sector.  It is interesting to see how some government agencies have used this method to incorporate their strategic plan initiatives directly into their budget process. An example is Newton, Massachusetts, a city that has used an outcome-based approach throughout their city, including their library budget.

The four principles of outcome-based budgeting include:

1. Establishing outcomes
2. Developing approaches to achieve outcomes
3. Developing a budget with approaches to achieve outcomes
4. Evaluating performance and making adjustments

These four principles allow the organization to align its budget tightly with its strategic plan.

Traditional library metrics and performance indicators need a tune-up. This is an opportunity for library leaders to adjust indicators to demonstrate long-term strategic priorities. By aligning them with the budgeting process, libraries will be in a better position to communicate value to financial stakeholders.

Resources

Stanz, C., Backes, S., Fokerts, N. “Budgeting for Results: Outcomes Based Budgeting.” Presentation of Nonprofit Financial Roundtable Series, Waite Park, MN, August 26, 2014. Powerpoint slides from the presentation.

Kavanagh, S.C., Johnson, J., Fabian, C. Anatomy of a Priority-Driven Budget Process, Government Finance Officers Association, 2011.

Outcomes Based Budget Overview,  City of Newton, Mass., 2014.

The post New Budget Processes for the “New Normal” first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

• Continuing the conversation. The first thing we did after the Compass was approved in November 2011 was celebrate. The second thing we did was go right back out to the community and continue the conversation. Using the same roundtable model that helped us gather significant community input during the planning phases, we discussed each of the eight principles in the Compass with our users. The roundtables are interactive in nature and provide an in-the-moment view of the projects that relate to the principle being discussed. At an average pace of every other month, we have spent the past sixteen months updating people on and, at times, introducing them to our strategic plan. At the most recent roundtable, colleagues discussed the Community Gathering principle from the plan and provided updates on a variety of capital projects, including a new wayfinding system at the Central Library in Copley Square.
• Embedding the plan in operations. Perhaps less visible to our users, but no less important, is the fact that our strategic plan has been embedded into job descriptions, performance expectations, and project summaries. When new projects are proposed, they are presented and discussed through the lens of how closely they support the Compass, even to the level of having specific principles and outcomes cited in proposals. Using the strategic plan as the framework when planning initiatives immediately focuses the discussion and ensures we’re all referring to the Compass as we work.
• Keeping the plan visible. Boston Public Library launched the Compass blog in conjunction with the strategic planning process. It was a gathering place for meeting announcements, research findings, and conversation. Rather than retire the blog when the planning process was complete, we opted to keep the blog going and convert it into the place to find the latest news on major projects taking place across the system. The projects discussed on the Compass blog come directly from the strategic plan. Another take on keeping the Compass alive and visible is a bit more literal: several departments have framed versions of the Compass principles hanging on office walls, and a trio of selected artwork from the plan greets all visitors to the Boston Public Library’s administrative offices.

The power of the BPL Compass is the community-identified priorities it contains. Intentional, continuous conversation about the plan is helping generate momentum and bringing those priorities to life.

The post Strategic Planning: Staying Alive first appeared on Public Libraries Online.