WHEREAS the Alberta Association of Municipal District and Counties (AAMDC) is a member-driven organization; and

 WHEREAS setting strategic direction is an important process in establishing a clear picture of organizational expectations in serving members and clients; and

WHEREAS a member approved strategic direction will guide the AAMDC Board of Directors and staff in developing a strategic plan in which association activities will align with strategic priorities; and

WHEREAS the AAMDC’s previous strategic plan, Mapping Success: The AAMDC’s Strategic Plan, expired in March 2014;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties adopts the Strategic Direction as presented at the Spring 2015 Convention to guide the planning and activities for the organization;

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties  review the strategic directions document in four years. 

N/A

The AAMDC last underwent a strategic direction setting process in 2010 to revise or re-affirm the mission and vision, and create a tool to guide the AAMDC’s activities from November 2010 to March 2014. The AAMDC membership endorsed Mapping Success: The AAMDC’s Strategic Plan at the Fall 2010 Convention which has guided the association to date.

To obtain member input to refresh the AAMDC’s strategic direction, members were invited to participate in strategic planning sessions at the Fall 2014 Convention. Similar opportunities were provided for the AAMDC board and staff. These strategic planning sessions invited valuable input from members and resulted in the development of a proposed strategic direction to guide the planning and activities of the  AAMDC. 

The AAMDC’s draft strategic direction was distributed to the membership for feedback in early February 2015. The purpose of the strategic direction is to establish an updated vision and mission for the association, as well as values, roles, and strategic priorities that will best position the AAMDC to continue to serve the needs of its members in the future. It is intended to reflect the AAMDC’s diverse member offerings and its role as a provider of advocacy and aggregated business services.

The draft strategic direction is included in this resolution background. As the deadline for member input on the draft strategic direction takes place after the convention print deadline, input will be incorporated into a revised copy which will be presented to the membership during a plenary session and will be available on tables for the resolution session. Copies of the revised draft can also be found at www.aamdc.com. 

Draft Strategic Direction

The following vision, mission, values, roles and strategic priorities will guide the planning and activities for the AAMDC.

Vision – Strong, vibrant and resilient rural communities

Mission – AAMDC empowers its members through proactive leadership, strategic partnerships, effective advocacy and collective business services

Values – The AAMDC is committed to the following values:

• Lead in a proactive, responsive and collaborative manner
• Operate with integrity and honesty
• Accountable and transparent in our actions
• Connected with and trusted by our members
• Be stewards of the environment

Roles – The AAMDC performs the following roles for our members:

• Act as a municipal and rural advocate
• Assure the rural voice is at the table for active participation and decision making
• Work collaboratively and partner with organizations
• Provide education on current issues and developments
• Provide timely two-way communication
• Facilitate networking and information sharing
• Research and share best practices
• Provide quality business services
• Create joint ventures for business expansion
• Operate as an innovative, responsive and learning organization
• Monitor our performance regularly to ensure continuous improvement

Strategic Priorities –The AAMDC’s strategic priorities are:

• Preserve and promote rural municipalities and rural way of life
• Provide proactive leadership and effective advocacy
• Increase two way communication and build member relationships
• Provide education, research and best practices
• Expand aggregated business services and member utilization
• Achieve sustainable funding for members and association

The AAMDC has adopted the Strategic Direction as presented at the Spring 2015 Convention. Therefore this resolution is deemed Accepted.