Strategic Business Planning Policy and Procedure
The following is a simplified version of the Strategic Business Planning Policy and Procedure. If in doubt, please consult the full policy or reach out to SBPP.
Why do we have a Strategic Business Planning Policy and Procedure?
- Ensures strategic initiatives are aligned, prioritized and resourced
- Supports informed and consistent decision-making through a corporate-wide standardized process
- Improves efficiency of existing and new project/programs
- Helps existing projects/programs reduce risks, monitor status, achieve results and report on outcomes
Terms you need to know
BIT: Business Intelligence Tool / CPR: Centralized Planning and Reporting. TRCA’s corporate platform through which users input and track all identified project/program information needed for decision-making.
SBPP Workflow: the procedure that guides the implementation of the SBPP Policy
SOI: Statement of Interest
Unfunded Priorities: A list of business needs without allocated funding approved through SLT and TRCA Board.
Who Does What?
Directors, SLT, CFOO, CEO, BOD – please see the policy directly.
- SLT Members have sole discretion to advance initiatives within the Workflow.
Account Leads – the individual responsible for the information submitted to the Workflow.
Duties:
- Content Development
- Collaboration with business units to ensure requirements are met
- Ensure accounts and inputs are accurate
- Confirm that ongoing work meets strategic alignments
- Timelines and approvals are met and secured
Associate Directors / Senior Managers / Managers
Duties:
- Project/program direction and innovation
- Oversight of business unit project/program planning, outputs, deliverables and desired outcomes
- Monitor departmental implementation of Strategic Business Planning Policy and Procedure
SBPP Support for Account Leads
- Provide advice, guidance and review of implementation feasibility
- Collaborate to determine if any project/program changes trigger a policy procedure. When in doubt, consult with us.
- Collaborate to verify business plans
- Collaborate to establish appropriate outputs and desired outcomes
- Update budgetary documents and create CPR account records for all new unfunded priorities once funding is secured
- Provide ongoing training, leadership, direction in strategic business planning, including securing funding and advise on all BIT inputs.
SBPP Support for Senior Directors / Directors, SLT, CFOO, CEO, BOD
- Prepare summary reports for new business development SOI and Business Plans
- Provide analysis and recommendations to support SLT decision-making
- Prepare reports for SOI/Business plans for review and/or approval
- Present recommendations to the Board of Directors following internal approvals
- Align corporate strategy and vision through professional advice and recommendations on new/modified business plan submissions
When does the Workflow apply?
- Applies to all new projects/programs
- Applies to proposed modifications to existing project/programs
- New or modified project/programs require:
- an approved Statement of Interest (SOI).
- a Business Plan (which includes a sustainable Financial Plan) for initiatives over a certain risk, as determined by SBPP, SLT and/or BOD.
- documentation in the Business Intelligence Tool (BIT) / CPR
What is considered a project/program modification?
Changes to project/program that affects:
- the risk
- financial commitments
- internal capacity, and/or
- external audience
- If in doubt, ask SBPP
What is the SBPP Workflow?
- Our mechanism to implement and action the Strategic Business Planning Policy
- At the most basic level, the policy seeks to ensure ideas are sound and well-aligned before proceeding beyond an exploratory phase.
- There are three initial approval stages in the Workflow.
SBPP Simplified Workflow Overview
If successful in all of the above, the initiative proceeds with continued SPBB support to identify potential funding.
*** Please consult the full workflow in the full policy for comprehensive details.
