F&S Strategic Plan: A Strategy for Service & Stewardship – 2025-2030

The final F&S Strategic Plan (2025-2030) was conceptualized, researched, and written to enact comprehensive tactics that guide the unit’s direction throughout the remainder of the decade for facilities, utilities, and infrastructure management. The primary objectives align with Boldly Illinois 2030 and strive to address the intrinsic and emerging challenges of providing essential service delivery and superior support to the Urbana campus.

Purpose: To identify the focus areas for the next strategic plan by reviewing the current plan, survey information, and strategic discussions.

Agenda:

Next steps and how to move forward.

Status of the current strategic plan.

Insights from surveys and strategic discussions.

Review of Mission, Vision, Values, and Guiding Principles.

Consideration of other initiatives impacting the new strategic plan.

Key Themes:

• People: Staff development, diversity and inclusion, workplace culture, talent acquisition, and employee engagement.
• Project Management: Timely communication, project completion, risk management, workflow simplification, and standardized reporting.
• Customer & Stakeholder Relations and Communication: Stakeholder identification, vendor participation, relationship enhancement, feedback opportunities, and campus-wide communication.
• Financial Accounting: Budget development, rate structure analysis, key performance indicators, grant opportunities, and cost-saving partnerships.
• Safety & Environmental Protection: Employee training, safety manual adherence, compliance with regulations, injury reduction, and safe culture promotion.
• Deferred & Preventive Maintenance: Facility conditions assessment, asset management planning, and comprehensive preventive maintenance.
• Accessibility: Building accessibility barriers, ADA compliance, and campus walkway improvement.
• Academic Collaboration: Contribution to research and teaching, data availability for research, and campus facilities as Living Labs.
• Space Management: Space utilization optimization, space allocation matrix development, and underutilized space improvement.
• Energy Management & Sustainability: Energy conservation plan, energy and water consumption reduction, renewable energy increase, vehicle emissions reduction, and sustainable landscape enhancement.

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Survey & Strategic Discussions:

• Employees: Focus on staffing, vision, professional development, accountability, workplace culture, and systems.
• Stakeholders: Aligning services with future needs, transparency, customer experience improvement, staffing and resources, maintenance, new technologies, and project management.

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Executive Summary:

Vision and Accountability: Promote sustainability initiatives, secure funding for carbon-neutral projects, define accountability measures, and foster an inclusive workplace culture.

Service Alignment and Coordination: Enhance coordination with academic programs and improve communication.

Future Resource Needs: Better project management resources and updated payroll system.

Improving Customer Experience: Strengthen communication skills and prioritize customer-facing services.

Operational Efficiency: Invest in professional development and efficient resource allocation.

Actions:

• Develop Agenda:
  • Identified key strategic themes including People Staffing, Customers/Stakeholders, Diversity Equity Inclusion & Belonging, Resource Stewardship, and Innovation/Collaboration.
  • Integrated Accountability and Communication into each theme.
  • Reviewed and considered improvements to the mission, vision, and values statements.
• Set Strategic Priorities:
  • Drafted specific goal statements and definitions for each strategic theme.
  • Evaluated the current mission and vision statements, considering a more focused Purpose Statement.
• Prepare Materials:
  • Consolidated and summarized survey results from customers and employees.
  • Prepared detailed notes, draft statements, and SWOT analysis results.
  • Organized logistics for the retreat, including venue, schedule, and necessary equipment.

Results:

Prepared Materials: Summarized survey findings and supporting documents ready for informed discussions.

Comprehensive Agenda: Developed a well-structured agenda to ensure productive discussions on critical topics.

Clear Strategic Themes: Defined focus areas to guide planning and decision-making.

Goal Statements and Objectives: Draft clear goals for each strategic theme.

Improved Statements: Reviewed and will potentially revise mission and vision statements for alignment with organizational goals.

Actions:

• Conduct Surveys: Performed stakeholder and employee satisfaction surveys.
• Focus Groups and Interviews: Gathered detailed insights through discussions and one-on-one interviews.
• SWOT Analysis: Assessed strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Results:

Strategic Insights: Derived data-driven insights to guide future planning and decision-making.

Comprehensive Data Collection: Gathered a wealth of information on current satisfaction levels and areas for improvement.

Identification of Key Issues: Gained a clear understanding of internal capabilities and external challenges.

Actions:

• Form Steering Committee: Selected members from various units to represent a diverse group.
• Determine Strategic Planning Process: Defined the steps, timeline, and methods for the planning process.
• Communicate the Plan: Shared initial plans with employees and invited their feedback in an organized manner.

Results:

Employee Engagement: Received early feedback from employees to help shape the planning process.

Established Steering Committee: Created a well-rounded group ready to lead the planning efforts.

Clear Planning Framework: Defined processes and timelines to ensure organized and efficient planning