From Paper to Progress: Utility Leaders on Strategic Planning with AWWA's M5 Manual

As water sector agencies, we’re accustomed to planning across nearly every facet of operations—from long-term master plans guiding facility and supply decisions decades ahead, to detailed strategies for managing information, assets, and finances. Although we are planners by nature, strategic planning presents a uniquely complex challenge. Unlike operational or technical planning, it centers on priorities, positioning, and long-term direction—not just logistics.

This webinar will begin with a review of Chapter 3: Strategic Planning from the AWWA M5 Utility Management Manual, presented by the chapter’s lead author. Building on that foundation, a panel of utility executives will share their firsthand experiences, insights, lessons learned, and the value they've gained from using a structured approach to developing and implementing strategic plans within their organizations.

Strategic planning—originally rooted in military and corporate contexts—emphasizes positioning and long-term direction, which doesn’t always align with the service-driven mission of public utilities. For these organizations, effective strategic plans must be thoughtfully developed, actively implemented, and continuously refined. This process typically includes three key components: (1) a foundation of organizational understanding through assessment, (2) development of vision, mission, values, and priorities, and (3) an implementation roadmap to guide future action.

Presenters will walk through essential elements of their strategic planning processes, including:
Organizational Assessment Tools: How tools like Effective Utility Management (EUM) and PESTELO were used to build a strong planning foundation by identifying internal and external drivers shaping their utilities’ futures.
Scenario Planning: How formal scenario planning helped improve decision-making by encouraging thoughtful consideration of possible future outcomes and their implications—enabling organizations to be more responsive, resilient, and forward-thinking.
Strategic Plan Development & Implementation: A breakdown of the practical steps taken, including:
• Developing and prioritizing strategic actions
• Identifying performance indicators to track progress
• Executing the plan’s initiatives
• Communicating progress internally and externally
• Regularly reviewing and updating the plan

DISCLAIMER: The mention of specific products or services in AWWA webinars does not represent AWWA endorsement, nor do the opinions expressed in such webinars reflect the views of AWWA. AWWA does not endorse or approve products or services.

Webinar registration priced per person. Each registrant will be granted live and on-demand access for one person, on a single computer. Link sharing is strictly prohibited.

HOW TO ACCESS YOUR WEBINAR LINK:
Please watch your inbox. Once your checkout is complete, you’ll receive an AWWA order confirmation email from service@awwa.org. Shortly after, your personalized On24 access link will be sent from do_not_reply@on24event.com. (This link will open the live webinar OR the recording, if the webinar already aired. To ensure smooth delivery, please add both email addresses to your safe senders list. If you need assistance, please email us at educationservices@awwa.org.
Are you a subscriber? Annual webinar subscribers should NOT register through awwa.org or they will be prompted for payment. Review subscriber steps here.

By registering for this webinar, you submit your personal contact data such as name, address, and email address to the sponsors who will use it to communicate with you regarding this event and their services. If you do not wish to receive any emails from our webinar sponsors, you may follow the sponsors opt out or unsubscribe instructions following receipt of an email from them. You will not be able to opt out prior to receiving an initial email from our webinar sponsors.