Getting this Far-2005-2009 Strategic Plan

Clear Road Ahead

Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation’s (KCDC’s) Five-Year Strategic Plan was rolled out in January 2005. Initial work on the plan started in 2003 with guidance from Genesis Consulting. In 2004, KCDC carefully prepared its itinerary. The plan, “A Clear Road Ahead,” was designed to meet KCDC’s mission.

Our Mission

Improve neighborhoods and communities by:

• Providing Quality Affordable Housing
• Advancing Development Initiatives
• Fostering Self-Sufficiency

At the onset of 2005, KCDC identified nine Critical Success Factors (CSFs) and 27 Performance Measures that would determine whether or not these success factors had been impacted. Each month the Continuous Improvement Team (CI Team), led by KCDC president/CEO Alvin Nance and made up of a team of 13 employees, met to discuss each CSF and the measures associated with it. In the fall of 2005, sensing the importance of continuous planning and the need for still more improvement, KCDC instituted a Strategic Planning Office staffed by two Strategic Program Evaluators reporting to the Chief Operating Officer. This staff has worked to align KCDC’s “A Clear Road Ahead” Plan with the strategic plan and objectives of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the President’s Management Agenda (PMA) and the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART).

Lessons learned in 2005 led KCDC to realize that the foundation of its five-year strategic plan, while solid, lent itself to a better, more straight-forward “Logic Model.” The Logic Model, commonly used in governmental entities, is illustrated below:

At the end of 2005, Strategic Planning staff and KCDC’s CI Team condensed the original CSFs into six strategic objectives (end outcomes) and determined that the focus of KCDC’s plan over the next four years would be on achieving these end outcomes through carefully planned and measured activities, outputs, and intermediate outcomes. Now, half-way through its “Clear Road Ahead” Five-Year Strategic Plan, the company has six strategic objectives which are designed to meet our corporate vision:

Our Vision

To redefine KCDC’s value in the market place by providing competitive housing and services to expanded markets, to drive efficiency and service improvements through enhanced communications and alliances, and to implement financial controls within a team culture that recognizes and rewards high performance.

Are We There Yet?

Those involved in strategic planning can be likened to stereotypical kids on a road trip: “Are we there yet?” is their mantra. KCDC has taken steps to answer this question by identifying performance indicators and measures for the intermediate outcomes related to each of the six strategic objectives. Intermediate outcomes for the strategic objectives may change from year to year or remain the same, as might the measures for each. It is the job of KCDC’s Strategic Planning staff to assist Strategic Objective Owners in identifying the best measures possible for each intermediate outcome, based on established baselines, available data, and reports. Measures should be as quantifiable as possible to ensure the question, “Are we there yet?” is effectively answered.

Each month KCDC’s CI Team continues to meet and look at each of its objectives, associated intermediate outcomes, and performance indicators. Two months out of the quarter are reserved for Strategic Objective Owners to give in-depth reports on the activities being completed under their objectives which will lead to meeting measures. One month each quarter is dedicated to reviewing each performance indicator, discussing its status, and brainstorming how to maintain or step up progress related to meeting the measure. Measures are reported on a “stoplight” scorecard; each indicator is flagged with a rating of green, yellow, or red. This is reflective of the PART developed by the federal government. Currently KCDC measures 17 performance indicators. It is helpful to look at an intermediate outcome and measure for KCDC’s Strategic Objective, “Become the Premier Provider of Affordable Housing” as an example.

The path to effective strategic planning asks these questions:

• Where are we going?– Strategic Objective/End Outcome
• What must change to get there? – Intermediate Outcome
• What actions must be taken? – Activities/Outputs
• How do we know we are on track? – Performance Indicator
• Are we there yet? - Measure

During 2007 and in preparation for 2008, the CI Team further refined its approach, looking at the strategic objectives as KCDC Company Goals, and adding annual strategies to meet these goals. The 2008 annual strategies are:

• Continue the Balanced Budget Process
• Implement Asset Management
• Increase Premier Housing Stock
• Improve Software

These annual strategies are to be achieved through specific action plans, which are made up of tasks and activities which will lead to success in each of these areas. Currently, there are 21 action plans relative to KCDCs four annual strategies. Each of these is facilitated by a CI member and the associated tasks and activities are further broken down to clarify line of sight for all employees.

Click to Download KCDC'S Strategic Plan (.pdf)

Click to Download KCDC'S Strategic Plan Calendar (.pdf)