Strategic planning is an organizational management activity to set priorities, focus energy and resources, strengthen operations, ensure that employees and other stakeholders are working toward common goals, establish agreement around intended outcomes/results, and assess and adjust the organization’s direction in response to a changing environment. It is a disciplined effort that produces fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, who it serves, what it does, and why it does it, with a focus on the future. Effective strategic planning articulates not only where an organization is going and the actions needed to make progress, but also how it will know if it is successful.

A strategic plan is the tool that keeps the team and the entire organization headed in the same direction and serves as a blueprint for the long-term sustainability of the City, its programming and services, its operations, its infrastructure and government in general. A strategic plan prioritizes mission-critical activities and how to align the City's budget with these priorities to increase efficiency and effectiveness. If the City does not think strategically and make the effort to plan for the future, we may struggle to maintain our focus and make progress toward the outcomes that are most important for the residents and businesses in our community.

The City plans for broad engagement of residents, businesses, community stakeholders, nonprofits and community-based organizations, elected officials, advisory board and committee leadership, City leadership and staff. Everyone in the City will have the opportunity to be involved in the process and provide input in several ways and at different project milestones.

Elected officials, City leadership and staff, advisory board and committee representatives and representatives of various community groups will be invited to participate in group and individual interviews. Residents will be able to post comments and ideas on the City's community engagement platform designed specifically to support the strategic planning project. A community forum will also allow residents to provide a vision for the future.

Our consultant is BerryDunn, a national consulting firm dedicated to serving local government agencies. BerryDunn believes effective government helps make lives better for all and ensures our City is competitive in the world economy. The firm was chosen through a competitive procurement process.

BerryDunn’s team members have decades of local government experience. They bring in-depth knowledge and involvement with strategic planning, change management, relationship building, strong communication, leadership, and project management skills.

The City selected BerryDunn through a competitive RFP process. The City looked for a qualified consultant to assist in the creation of a high-quality, efficient, and timely City of Capitola Strategic Plan that furthers its mission. This Strategic Plan will be the City’s first and a unique opportunity for the City to look at who it is and who it wants to be.

The strategic plan is a living document that we will use to define the future vision for the City. Having a strategic plan allows us to:

• Communicate our priorities within a credible, forward-thinking and well-understood framework so we can make effective budget and policy decisions and secure the resources we need to sustain the City into the future.
• Maintain a guiding “north star,” providing stability and more certainty in the face of election cycles, changes in leadership, economic fluctuations and changes to the state and federal regulatory environments. This gives the City greater ability to influence and steer its future direction and make better decisions during turbulent times.
• Make decisions and evaluate our policies, plans, programs, and service delivery for all City residents.