Strategic Plan 2023 - 2027 and Beyond

Purpose of Strategic Planning:
Every newly elected Council has the opportunity to come together to create a guiding document for senior staff and Council which clearly articulates the community’s vision and key priorities over the Council term.

The Town of Cobourg’s Strategic Plan 2023 – 2027 and Beyond will guide the Town’s decision-making processes. The primary purpose of the Strategic Plan is to communicate the community priorities and to focus the Corporation of the Town of Cobourg’s resources.

Strategic Priorities:
In June, Council along with senior Town of Cobourg staff, held a two-day strategic planning session, lead by project consultants, Capital Park Consulting. During these sessions, Council offered feedback and insights they have received from members of the community regarding current strengths and gaps in service.

Collectively, Council and senior staff conducted a SWOT Analysis and SOAR Analysis as an opportunity to analyze where the organization currently lies and how we can use our strengths and opportunities to achieve our goals. It was agreed to modernize the strategic plan for 2023 – 2027 to include clear and achievable strategic priorities that the community can endorse, and staff can champion.

The draft Strategic Priorities developed at the June planning sessions were confirmed as:

• Thriving Community

• Service Excellence

• Sustainability

Each of these priorities was expanded to include Strategic Actions and Strategic Questions. The Strategic Questions were designed to assist staff, and Council, to evaluate projects to ensure that they are consistent with the direction set out in the Strategic Plan.

Creating Further Opportunities for Community Input:
This Strategic Plan is a living document and will provide the framework for decision-making. It will be integrated into all Town activities and through the development of an annual operational plan that will identify projects and initiatives that align with and support the Strategic Plan.

Cobourg’s Senior Management Team will be responsible for developing the operational plan each year. The operational plan will be brought to Council for approval and will form the basis for regular reports to Council, and the public, on the progress that is being achieved. Through clear reporting and future community engagement, we will build on Council’s vision for Cobourg, while continuing to collaborate with residents on key initiatives that meet the current and future needs of our community.

Supporting Documents:

• Strategic Plan 2023 - 2027 - Final Report
• Presentation to Council made by Capital Park Consulting
• Draft Strategic Plan 2023 - 2027 and Beyond

Thank you For your Feedback:
Thank you to everyone who submitted their feedback to the survey or attended one of our in person pop-up sessions.

Next Steps:
Resident feedback was reported back to Council at the November 6^th Committee of the Whole meeting, and at the November 13^th Regular Council Meeting the Strategic Plan was approved. Thank you to everyone who took the time to learn about the strategic plan and share your feedback.

Stay tuned to learn more about Town operating plans based on these three strategic pillars.