PF&R began an extensive development process for creating a new, five-year Strategic Plan for the period FY 2010-2015 in September, 2009 that continued through June, 2010. Plan development was a collaborative process involving sworn and non-sworn employees, management, labor, and a broad range of customers and stakeholders.

The strategic plan development process was guided by a Steering Committee that reviewed the process and project research, provided input at key stages of plan development, and developed strategic issues from the research findings. Key research tasks in the development process included completion of:  stakeholder interviews, environmental scan, internal & external surveys, internal & external focus groups, and a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges analysis (SWOC).

A task force representing a balanced, diagonal slice of the organization met for a week in May, 2010, and used the strategic issues developed by the Steering Committee and all of the research results to develop the plan’s strategic issues, goals, objectives, performance measures, and strategies.

The work product from the task force was then edited for clarity and consistency, the introductory sections of the plan were written, pictures were added, and the contents organized to create a publishable 2010-2015 Strategic Plan document.   The final step in the 2010-2015 Strategic Plan development process was adoption of the plan by the Portland City Council, which took place at the Council hearing on November 17, 2010.