North American Marine Environment Protection Association

NAMEPA is already recognized as a force for good and effective in meeting its mission. At a relatively “young” age, the organization has had significant outreach and impact. The ultimate objective for this strategic plan is to move the organization forward to a next level of impact. All plans (whether written or not) will require adjustment from time to time, but having no plan means an organization is more likely to fail. Conversely, having a plan does not guarantee success. NAMEPA has certainly had a plan and been implementing it for the past 7 years. But the plan was not written and there was not a great deal of wide process discussion. As a reminder, much of the value of having a strategic plan can be found in the underlying development “process” and discussions centered around the “planning.” And through the process of actually putting one on paper, the organization is involved in self education and analysis that can aid in maturation. It is both the process and the actual plan which yield dividends. By definition, the board of directors of any organizational governance structure should hold the responsibility to develop strategy and sufficiently oversee it in such a way as to ensure it is correctly implemented in the day to day activities. Inherent in a director's job function, is the ability to understand opportunities and challenges and to track and shape the direction of the organization. A document which captures the discussion on problem solving and idea generation process becomes a written strategic plan. The plan becomes a blueprint for the day to day activity which keeps the organization healthy for the long term and which can guide decision making and resource allocation in the day to day administrative efforts for achieving mission. A written strategic plan is also one form of evidence that a board of directors is executing its governance role correctly and seriously. But - only if it is embraced as the guide by which to prioritize and conduct the business of the organization and routinely monitored for implementation.