We/PBI are honored to be leading the facilitation of Prince William County’s (PWC) 2025–28 Strategic Plan.

Not only is this the second largest County in Virginia, it’s also where I live.

Strategic planning done well is a very inclusive, aspirational, and thorough process. It is a trusted partnership between the local government and the expert vendor assisting them. In this case, the County brings history, context, and access to all the voices that need to contribute. PBI brings passion and expertise related to best practices in structuring the process, limiting excessive wording, and ensuring measurable outcomes.

Since April, we have achieved the following:

We/PBI are honored to be leading the facilitation of Prince William County’s 2025–28 Strategic Plan.

Not only is this the second largest County in Virginia, it’s also where I live.

So far, the project has been wonderful.

• I have a talented, experienced, and passionate (PBI) team
• The County employees are nice people and have been very collaborative and enjoyable to work with
• We have used a number of best practices from previous successful engagements
• The process is very inclusive – gathering input from employees, residents, the elected officials, the business community, the cities and towns that are part of the County, etc.
• We are committed to defining 4 year goals that are aspirational, measurable, and outcome-based
• The process will ensure that the Objectives support the Goals … and that the Strategies support the Objectives
• The key audiences will have an opportunity to review and comment on the (nearly final) Draft Plan
• Departmental Workplans will be created to operationalize the finalized Strategies
• A new dashboard will facilitate ongoing measurement and conversations

This is why PBI works with local governments. Yes, there are conflicting voices and needs, but the mission is almost always the same – to provide services  (Police, Fire & Rescue, Schools, Public Works, Social and Family Services, Parks & Recreation, Economic Development, and more) in an effective and fiscally responsible manner.

We believe in Organizational Excellence. Our commitment is to lead both the development of a plan that accomplishes the jurisdiction’s unique context and situation, but also prepares them to achieve it over time  via a culture of Organizational Excellence.

The finalized plan will serve as a guiding document for resourcing decisions, focusing collaboration toward community outcomes, a communication vehicle about where the County is going and its’ progress, and to stimulate engagement to make the County a great place to live, work, and play.

This is MY passion. I’d enjoy talking with anyone who is interested or involved in strategic planning work.

The month of April includes Earth Day on the 22^nd.

But why can’t it be every day in the month?  Every day in the year?

Climate change … Global warming … whatever moniker you want to use … is real.

The examples are all around us.

• More intense natural disasters (hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, droughts, etc.)
• Rising sea levels. Rising sea temperatures (and the impact on marine life)
• More and more seriously endangered species of animals

It’s January !!  That means that most everyone (organizations, teams, and individuals) talk about their plans (professional and personal) for the new year.  For this article, I’ll focus on a different kind of planning – Mega Planning.

MEGA PLANNING: Dr. Roger Kaufmann (a dear friend and mentor to me and many of my Coast Guard brethren) coined the term. It refers to taking Macro and Micro Strategic Planning up a level to make meaningful contributions to society and the planet.

The vision is our picture of success for 3 – 5 years downstream and the strategic plan is the path to get there with outcomes, strategies, timeframes/deadlines, and sometimes responsible parties.