Why, When & How Why, When & How Refuges & Friends Refuges & Friends

should should Plan our Moves Plan our Moves

Together Together

Larry WilliamsDivision of Budget, Performance &

Workforce

Friends!

What is “strategic What is “strategic planning?”planning?”

It’s simply a process to determine:It’s simply a process to determine:

1.1. What we’ll try to accomplish (What we’ll try to accomplish (Plan & Plan & Set GoalsSet Goals) )

2.2. How we’ll get there (How we’ll get there (ImplementImplement))

3.3. How we’ll know if we met our goals How we’ll know if we met our goals ((AssessAssess))

FRIENDS Fit Into All Parts of

the Cycle !

Why all the talk about Why all the talk about “strategic planning?” “strategic planning?”

Trend toward improved performance Trend toward improved performance & better accountability in federal & better accountability in federal governmentgovernment

Part of President Clinton & Bush Part of President Clinton & Bush agendas, but especially emphasized agendas, but especially emphasized by Pres. Obama by Pres. Obama

Friends already help Friends already help Refuges tremendously…Refuges tremendously…

Support for CARE’s national advocacy effortsSupport for CARE’s national advocacy efforts Local advocacy for your refugeLocal advocacy for your refuge Visitor services: staffing visitor centers; book stores; Visitor services: staffing visitor centers; book stores;

leading refuge tours, etc.leading refuge tours, etc. Habitat improvement projects: remove invasives, Habitat improvement projects: remove invasives,

etc. etc. Biological monitoring: nest boxes, bird surveys, etc.Biological monitoring: nest boxes, bird surveys, etc.

……And there’s another way, too. By planning And there’s another way, too. By planning Friends activities that support Refuge Friends activities that support Refuge “performance goals”“performance goals”

Assessing & Improving Assessing & Improving PerformancePerformance is a big part of is a big part of

Strategic PlanningStrategic Planning

Watching the gas gauge and Watching the gas gauge and speedometerspeedometer

Counting the calories, then counting Counting the calories, then counting the miles or minutesthe miles or minutes

Going to school, taking tests, getting Going to school, taking tests, getting a report carda report card

Federal Agencies get a Federal Agencies get a Report Card that Grades Report Card that Grades

PerformancePerformance

Our Report Card is Our Report Card is Compared to Other Compared to Other

Agencies Agencies Hey, I

deserve an A

plus!!!

Why all the tussle over Why all the tussle over good grades?good grades?

Competition for Limited Competition for Limited DollarsDollars

Good Grades (i.e., better Good Grades (i.e., better PerformancePerformance) = More Funding ) = More Funding for Refuge System!for Refuge System!

To get the funding needed to To get the funding needed to meet our mission, the Refuge meet our mission, the Refuge System must:System must:

1.1. Demonstrate NeedDemonstrate Need

2.2. Demonstrate Good Performance Demonstrate Good Performance (appropriate spending of (appropriate spending of taxpayer dollars, with tangible taxpayer dollars, with tangible results demonstrated)results demonstrated)

Friends groups, by supporting Friends groups, by supporting CARE, are already involved in CARE, are already involved in #1, but could get more #1, but could get more involved in #2involved in #2

What’s on the Refuge What’s on the Refuge System’s Report Card?System’s Report Card?

……Grades measuring how well we Grades measuring how well we meet the 12 Goals in the meet the 12 Goals in the National National Wildlife Refuge System Wildlife Refuge System Strategic Strategic

PlanPlan

Goal 1 Goal 1 - Conserve, - Conserve, manage and restore fish, manage and restore fish, wildlife, plants and their wildlife, plants and their habitatshabitats

Friends!

Goal 2 Goal 2 - Provide quality - Provide quality environments with adequate environments with adequate water quality & quantity, water quality & quantity, clean air and soilsclean air and soils

Friends!

Goal 3 Goal 3 - Protect unique - Protect unique values of Wilderness, other values of Wilderness, other special designation areas, special designation areas, and cultural resourcesand cultural resources

Friends!

Goal 4 Goal 4 – Welcome and – Welcome and orient visitorsorient visitors

Friends!

Goal 5 Goal 5 - - Provide Provide quality wildlife-quality wildlife-dependent dependent recreationrecreation

Friends!

Goal 6 Goal 6 – Facilitate – Facilitate partnerships and partnerships and cooperative projects to cooperative projects to engage others in the engage others in the mission of the Refuge mission of the Refuge SystemSystem

Friends!

Goal 7 Goal 7 – Protect resources – Protect resources and visitors through Law and visitors through Law EnforcementEnforcement

Goal 8 Goal 8 – Provide & Maintain – Provide & Maintain infrastructure/equipment infrastructure/equipment adequate to support the adequate to support the Refuge System missionRefuge System mission

Friends!

Goal 9 Goal 9 – Complete quality – Complete quality CComprehensive omprehensive CConservation onservation PPlans (CCPs) lans (CCPs) on schedule & with full on schedule & with full engagement of partnersengagement of partners

Friends!

Goal 10 Goal 10 – Strategically grow – Strategically grow the Refuge System the Refuge System

California Black Rail

Friends!

Goal 11 Goal 11 – Reduce wildfire – Reduce wildfire risks and improve habitatsrisks and improve habitats

This refers to unwanted

fires only

Goal 12 Goal 12 – Promote and – Promote and enhance organizational enhance organizational excellenceexcellence

•Good morale and work environmentGood morale and work environment

•Continuing Education for employeesContinuing Education for employees

•Efficient business practicesEfficient business practices

•Consistent application of policy Consistent application of policy across regionsacross regions

How Are We Doing?How Are We Doing?

Evaluation of the Evaluation of the Refuge System, Refuge System, by by independent contractor independent contractor Management Systems Management Systems International International (MSI)(MSI)

Assesses if Refuge System Assesses if Refuge System is meeting its 12 Strategic is meeting its 12 Strategic Goals and …Goals and …if not, then if not, then why notwhy not

www.fws.gov/refuges/www.fws.gov/refuges/policiesandbudget/policiesandbudget/budget.htmlbudget.html

MSI Report’s ConclusionsMSI Report’s Conclusions

Refuges were “partially to Refuges were “partially to highly effective” for 9 of 12 highly effective” for 9 of 12 Goals Goals

““Highly effective” at Highly effective” at Facilitating Partnerships & Facilitating Partnerships & Coop. ProjectsCoop. Projects

““Ineffective” at 1. Ineffective” at 1. Protection Protection thru Law Enforcementthru Law Enforcement, and , and 2. 2. Growing the Refuge Growing the Refuge SystemSystem

MSI’s MSI’s Findings/RecommendationsFindings/Recommendations

Budget shortfalls from 2003-2008 forced NWRS to cut services and staff, and hindered our ability to fully meet many goals

Law Enforcement program, especially, needs increased

funding

Biological Inventory & Monitoring needs to be increased, with a consistent System-wide approach…must hire more biologists to make this happen

Review Needs/Hire additional biologists – or balance priorities

The Refuge System should strive to increase policy and program consistency across administrative Regions and Refuges

MSI’s MSI’s Findings/RecommendationsFindings/Recommendations

Develop a Water Strategy to secure adequate quantity & quality

Reduce administrative and reporting requirements

Develop consistent and improved refuge websites

Prioritize visitor services – develop a strategy, e.g. percent of resources, identify which services fit where

Strategically grow the Refuge System; develop Land Acquisition policy

Redesign the RAPP reporting system

Develop a “knowledge management” program to better share information and promote learning

What we’ve Covered so far:What we’ve Covered so far:

1. Strategic Planning: what it is & why it’s important

2. Assessing & improving Performance is a big part of Strategic Planning

3. Strong Performance means healthier habitat for wildlife, better visitor services, and justifies higher funding levels

4. We demonstrate Performance to Congress and DOI in context of our 12 strategic goals

5. MSI Report gave recommendations to improve Performance in our 12 strategic goals

…Now let’s talk about how Friends might help Refuges improve Performance!

Review the Refuge Annual Review the Refuge Annual Performance Plan (RAPP) Performance Plan (RAPP) with your Refuge Managerwith your Refuge Manager

Get to know their Get to know their priorities and areas of priorities and areas of under-performance under-performance

Design Friends projects to Design Friends projects to help the Refuge boost help the Refuge boost performance in these performance in these areasareas

Friends!

Example of RAPP Data Example of RAPP Data

Too Many!!!

None!!!

Friends!

You Already Saw this Slide.You Already Saw this Slide. But after learning But after learning about RAPP, the 12 Strategic Goals, and the about RAPP, the 12 Strategic Goals, and the

many benefits of improving many benefits of improving PerformancePerformance, maybe , maybe you now see Friends work in a new light?! you now see Friends work in a new light?!

What Else Can Friends Do? What Else Can Friends Do?

Think in terms of the 12 strategic goals; Think in terms of the 12 strategic goals; know if your projects will boost your know if your projects will boost your refuge’s refuge’s Performance Performance

Think Ahead: Refuges will soon have to Think Ahead: Refuges will soon have to showshow Performance Performance in addressing Climate in addressing Climate Change. So do relevant projects, such as Change. So do relevant projects, such as climate-smart species monitoring or climate-smart species monitoring or reducing non-climate stressors such as reducing non-climate stressors such as invasive species & fragmentation invasive species & fragmentation

Strategic Planning in Strategic Planning in SummarySummary

If we mind the If we mind the InputsInputs ( (gallons of gas, gallons of gas, calories, or dollarscalories, or dollars) ) and the and the Outputs Outputs ((miles, minutes, miles, minutes, acres, visitorsacres, visitors) ) together, we all together, we all become a little wiser become a little wiser at what we’re trying at what we’re trying to do to do

Questions? Questions?

HighlyHighlyEffectiEffecti

veve

SOG 6: Facilitate Partnerships and SOG 6: Facilitate Partnerships and Cooperative Projects…Cooperative Projects…

EffectiEffectiveve

SOG 5: Provide Quality Wildlife-SOG 5: Provide Quality Wildlife-Dependent Recreation and Dependent Recreation and EducationEducation

SOG 8: Provide Infrastructure and SOG 8: Provide Infrastructure and EquipmentEquipment

SOG 9: Complete Quality/Useful SOG 9: Complete Quality/Useful CCPs…with Partners & on ScheduleCCPs…with Partners & on Schedule

SOG 11: Reduce Wildfire Risks and SOG 11: Reduce Wildfire Risks and Improve HabitatsImprove Habitats

Strategic Goals Effectiveness Ratings

PartiallyPartiallyEffectiveEffective

SOG1: Conserve Manage, and Restore Wildlife and SOG1: Conserve Manage, and Restore Wildlife and Habitats Habitats

SOG 3: Ensure that Unique Values of Wilderness are SOG 3: Ensure that Unique Values of Wilderness are protectedprotected

SOG 4: Welcome and Orient VisitorsSOG 4: Welcome and Orient Visitors

SOG 12: Promote and Enhance Organizational SOG 12: Promote and Enhance Organizational Excellence.Excellence.

IneffectiIneffectiveve

SOG 7: Protect Resources and Visitors through Law SOG 7: Protect Resources and Visitors through Law EnforcementEnforcement

SOG 10: Strategically Grow the SystemSOG 10: Strategically Grow the System

Unable Unable totoEvaluateEvaluate

SOG 2: Provide Quality Environments with Adequate SOG 2: Provide Quality Environments with Adequate WaterWater

Strategic Goals Effectiveness Ratings