Barrier 3: Agency lacks capacity to develop and implement plans that engage and serve broader constituencies

Many agencies lack the capacity (time, expertise, and resources) to design and implement high-level, longer-term comprehensive plans that focus on identifying and prioritizing activities and resources that will result in increasing and improving engagement with, and service to, broader constituencies. These plans are not agency-level strategic plans, but a step down from those to guide agency focus, staffing and resource allocation.

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Strategy 1: Develop the capacity (time, expertise, funding) to design and implement action plans to engage and serve broader constituencies

The ability for agencies to develop plans that will support and encourage staff to increase engagement and better serve broader constituencies is critical. Developing and using these plans will demonstrate the agency’s commitment to engage and serve broader constituencies.

Step 1: Assess staff skills, commitment, and capacity for planning.

Tactic 1: Assess the current agency culture and commitment to planning.

Not all agency staff will have the same commitment or capacity for planning. An agency should assess staff to see if there is alignment with the vision of the agency and its leaders. Additional resources (e.g., time, funding, staff) may be needed to shift the agency culture and commitment to support planning.

Tactic 2: Communicate and demonstrate the importance of planning.

Agency leadership can communicate and demonstrate the importance of planning by setting expectations that plans will be developed collaboratively and by allocating resources based on approved plans.

Tactic 3: Identify staff planning skills.

Many agency staff have not been trained to develop effective high-level-focused plans. Current and needed skills to develop quality strategic-level plans that involve systems thinking should be assessed.

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Agency capacity success story: relevancy working group

The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife developed an agency relevancy working group to create a state-level relevancy roadmap. The state roadmap will focus on addressing the key barriers of agency capacity and agency culture. The working group comprises staff from diverse sections of the agency. They have held meetings at all district offices to introduce all staff to the concepts of relevancy.

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Step 2: Identify and prioritize planning efforts that are needed to engage and serve broader constituencies.

Tactic 1: Identify the types of plans that are strategic and will increase engagement with and serve broader constituencies.

Strategic-level plans could include stakeholder engagement plans, communications plans, agenda planning for Commission or Board meetings, agency-level financial plans, staff recruitment and retention plans, and agency-level business operations plans. Staff participation in local or regional planning or zoning efforts to ensure conservation and outdoor recreation perspectives are included will increase and improve agency engagement with broader constituencies.

Tactic 2: Prioritize planning efforts.

Planning efforts that focus on increasing engagement with, and service to, broader constituencies should be prioritized.

Step 3: Acquire or redirect resources to secure needed capacity to develop and implement strategic-level plans.

Tactic 1: Provide resources for planning.

Commitment to strategic-level planning can be shown by providing the needed resources for effective planning. This could include training to improve skills in strategic and systems thinking, facilitation, and effective communication techniques.

Step 4: Develop and implement plans.

Tactic 1: Implement the prioritized plans.

There should be a commitment by agency leadership to implement the prioritized plans. Timelines should be established, and accountability goals should be set.

Tactic 2: Evaluate implementation of plans.

Implementation of strategic-level plans should be routinely monitored for progress and to determine whether outcomes are being met relative to increasing and improving engagement with, and serving, broader constituencies.

© Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

Agencies must develop the capacity to design and implement action plans to engage broader constituencies with wildlife conservation.

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