2023 Strategic Plan Update

Your voice matters

Welcome to BWSR’s strategic planning process! We are committed to an inclusive, participatory strategic planning process involving BWSR staff and board members along with partners around the state.

• Performance assessment, March-early May 2023: Assess performance against the current strategic plan; share results 
• Engagement round 1, May-July 2023: Gather input from key partners around the state; compile, analyze, and share results
• Analyses and planning, August-October 2023: Conduct analyses and use those results along with input from round 1 engagement to refine BWSR’s vision and mission and prepare draft goals and strategies
• Engagement round 2, November 2023-February 2024: Gather feedback on draft vision, mission, goals, and strategies, and use results to finalize Strategic Plan

Engagement commitments

BWSR commits to the following to guide our strategic planning engagement:

Engagement Values

Partner engagement is based on the belief that those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process. It includes the promise that partner contributions will influence the decision. 

• Promotes sustainable decisions by recognizing and communicating the needs and interests of all participants, including decision-makers. 
• Seeks out and facilitates the involvement of those potentially affected by or interested in a decision. 
• Seeks input from participants in designing how they participate. 
• Provides participants with the information they need to participate in a meaningful way. 
• Communicates to participants how their input affected the decision.

© Adapted from the International Association for Public Participation, https://www.iap2.org/page/pillars  

Engagement Code of Ethics

1. Purpose. We support public participation as a process to make better decisions that incorporate the interests and concerns of all affected partners and meet the needs of the decision-making body.
2. Role of Practitioner. We will enhance the public's participation in the decision-making process and assist decision-makers in being responsive to the public's concerns and suggestions. 
3. Trust. We will undertake and encourage actions that build trust and credibility for the process among all the participants.
4. Defining the Public’s Role. We will carefully consider and accurately portray the public's role in the decision-making process.
5. Openness. We will encourage the disclosure of all information relevant to the public's understanding and evaluation of a decision.
6. Access to the Process. We will ensure that stakeholders and rights holders have fair and equitable access to the public participation process and the opportunity to influence decisions.
7. Respect for Communities. We will avoid strategies that risk polarizing community interests or that appear to "divide and conquer."
8. Advocacy. We will advocate for the public participation process and will not advocate for interest, party, or project outcome.
9. Commitments. We ensure that all commitments made to the public, including those by the decision-maker, are made in good faith. 
10. Support of the Practice. We will guide and mentor new practitioners, decision-makers, and the public about the value and use of public participation.

© Adapted from the International Association for Public Participation, https://www.iap2.org/page/pillars 

Engagement Objectives

• Gather input from across the state and from the full spectrum of key partners.
• Understand issues critical to all key partners and BWSR.
• Center equity throughout this strategic planning process.
• Provide context by sharing essential information about BWSR’s work.
• Strengthen and build positive relationships, trust, and connections with key stakeholders and rights holders to build common understanding.
• Ensure that participants perceive the process as inclusive, open-minded, and valuable.
• Build trust in the strategic planning process and, as a result, in how it will be used to shape long-term decisions.

Level of Engagement

BWSR is committed to involving key partners in this strategic planning process, per the engagement goal and promise below:

Involve

Engagement Goal: To work directly with key partners throughout the process to ensure that their issues and perspectives are consistently understood and considered.

Our Promise: We will ensure that key partners' issues and perspectives help shape our strategic plan, and provide feedback on how that input influenced our decisions. 

 

 

© Adapted from the International Association for Public Participation, https://www.iap2.org/page/pillars  

 

We will be updating this page throughout the process, so please check back regularly for up-to-date information.