“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” Theodore Roosevelt
The other day, I was reading Sahil Bloom’s weekly newsletter. It was about the importance of action – even tiniest action – to make your life better than it was the day before. Bloom recounted a few stories about how individuals can break though difficult situations by shifting from information gathering to doing something. “Action doesn’t have to be perfect to be right” jumped off the page and got me thinking about my experience with municipal government …
Local Governments Love Planning
Since 1999, I have worked with government organizations across Canada. Between 2010-2022, I was also a member of council, including eight years as mayor and four years as a county warden (an old-fashioned term for head of council). One of the things I learned is local governments love planning! Strategic plans, financial plans, master plans, asset management plans, recreation and culture plans, space optimization plans, succession plans … and the list goes on and on. And many of these plans are done every 3-5 years!
Planning is Good, But …
I do strategic planning with municipalities. I know it is vital for local leaders to pull themselves away from the day-to-day operations to set long-term goals and priorities. Municipalities without strategic plans tend to meander aimlessly defaulting to Squeaky Wheel Leadership.
However, sometimes enough is enough. There is a point when you know enough. You have surveyed enough. You have enough data. You have analyzed this data enough. And now it is time to act. It is time to jump off the treadmill of continuous planning and move on to doing something.
I’ve come up with three considerations to encourage local leaders to transition from planning to doing: space plans out, include practical recommendations, and use pilot projects.
Three Ways to Transition from Planning to Doing
1. Space Plans Out
We all know that planning is important. But do you really need another brand new study just a few years after the last one was completed? I know of a municipality, for example, that is doing its second economic development plan in four years. Really? Unless there has been a major event that has rocked the community (nope) or everything from the previous plan has been accomplished (it hasn’t), why are tax dollars being used for yet another plan?
Planning is easier than doing. And there is a sense of satisfaction that comes from building a shiny new plan. It almost feels like you are doing something. But you are not. Except for municipal strategic plans (which I think should be done for every term of Council), my advice is to space plans out more. Think about 8-10 years for most plans rather than 4-6 years. Your taxpayers will thank you.
2. Practical Recommendations
Every plan needs to include practical recommendations where implementation is possible. I have seen study after study where it appears that consultants are trying to justify their rates by producing as many recommendations as humanly possible! And in many cases, the client municipality doesn’t have the staff or financial resources to implement half of them! The end result is frustratingly unrealistic expectations.
Local leaders must work with their consulting partners to develop practical recommendations prioritized based on degree of positive impact. These recommendations must have realistic implementation timelines and an appreciation for staffing and budgetary limitations. Recommendations should be limited to what is necessary and doable.
3. Pilot Projects
I have found that the best way to help my municipal clients transition from planning to doing is to integrate pilot projects into recommendations. Building support for change is easier when the risk of failure is limited to a “pilot project”. This provides an opportunity for municipality to do something; evaluate what worked and what didn’t; and make required modifications for the next time.
I have enjoyed working with progressive local leaders to build pilot projects into strategic action plans. For the Town of Goderich, for example, we established an action to “explore cost effective, practical solutions to reduce organic materials ending up in landfill sites. Implement two pilot projects and evaluate level of success.” For the Township of Howick, we established an action to “partner with Huron County on a pilot project to provide Township-owned land to the County to build more affordable housing’.
Integrating pilot projects into plans is excellent way to bridge the gap between planning and action. It allows local leaders to move forward with a proof of concept by effectively managing risk.
Conclusion
I know that good planning is vital to good government. But getting things done is even more important. Too often local governments marinate in the gathering data planning phase. There comes a time when you have enough information. As a local leader, consider spacing plans out a bit more. Ensure that your consulting partner works with the management team to drive towards practical, implementable recommendations. And build pilot projects into every plan.
Developing shiny new plans is fun. But I encourage you to get energy from taking real action to make your community an even better place to live.
Without action there are no results, no real progress, no real impact – action brings the plan to life, makes it real.
