As you may remember, in June 2022 the Strategic Visioning Workgroup (“SVC”) published its first
Annual Progress Report for The Arc New York’s Strategic Plan. The
Plan was approved by the Board of Governors in April 2021 after more than two years of development, which began in early 2019 with the solicitation of proposals from consultants to assist the organization. Shortly after the selection of Mahoney Performance Institute to shepherd The Arc New York’s newly formed SVC, several tasks were completed to shape our priorities, including:
- Detailed analysis of the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
- Analysis of the impact and difficulty of identified opportunities
- Data gathering to test assumptions
- Defining (1) characteristics of our “best” customers, (2) value discipline, (3) positioning statement about our place in the market, (4) distinctive competitive advantage, (5) vision statement, and (6) internal “big” strategic goal that ultimately would guide the development and socialization of strategic focus areas
These decisions were made following significant socialization outside of the SVC, including with the Board of Governors, focus groups, Executive Directors Association, and more. The final Plan included the selection of “Service Leadership” as the organization’s emphasis and focus, which means that The Arc New York provides the best products and services and uses innovation to push the boundaries to deliver great products and performance to the individuals we support, their families, and our staff.
The Plan identified that our strategy to set The Arc New York apart is to “leverage our size, financial strength, high quality, individualized services, and 70 years of family leadership to be the innovators in our field.” It also spells out The Arc New York's eight guiding principles:
- Trust
- Transparency
- Respect
- Collaboration
- Engagement
- Leadership
- Innovation
- Family Focus
After the Governors approved the Plan in April 2021, six workgroups were immediately formed to forward the goals set forward in the Plan, including:
- Governance
- Financial Sustainability
- Innovative Supports & Services
- Staffing
- Diversity, equity & inclusion
- Advocacy
Each workgroup has been led by a combination of Governors, State Office staff, and Executive Directors. Members were selected as broadly as possible based upon needed expertise. Each workgroup began by preparing a guide identifying its purpose, success measures, resource needs, interdependencies, initial timelines, and key constraints and assumptions. The SVC has held regular meetings to monitor progress, select priorities, create collaboration between workgroups, recommend budget allocations, and learn from one another. Regular touchpoints along the way in the form of presentations to the Governors and other stakeholders have provided continuous guidance and feedback.
Most importantly, this work has brought all of us together in constructive ways and has immensely improved trust and relationships across the organization. It has been a success to date!
The Arc New York’s Strategic Plan is entering a new phase and its execution is constantly evolving. Projects have been completed (tool kits, advocacy framework, staffing accomplishments, board training manuals and dashboards, etc.) and discussions about our next priorities have begun. The organization engaged Globe North in June 2022 to assist it in accelerating the work so that outputs can be delivered to the Chapters for use sooner, and clarifying measurable outcomes and a shared vision for where the work of the strategic plan will take The Arc New York in the coming years.
What has not changed is our commitment to our shared vision, and the main tenets of our strategy: Leadership and Innovation. For more information about our work, click here.
As always, our collaboration to strengthen The Arc New York for the future demonstrates that we are STRONGER TOGETHER!
