Strategic Plan

1. Mission Statement

• The APA Technology Division advocates for the responsible and best use of technology in support of planning.
  
  
• Vision Statement: Our vision is to be a leading voice in the planning community for technology in support of planning. To become the preferred forum for debate about technology and e-government as it applies to planning.

• Purpose: Our purpose is to exchange information about planning applications that incorporate technology, to explore potential applications that may have benefit to the profession, and to inform all members of the association about solutions that work.

2. Annual Work Plan

The Division has embarked on an ambitious 10-point work program for 2005-6. This 10-point plan will published in the Division's newsletter and on the Division's new website.

1. Enhance opportunities for members to author articles in the division newsletter by being able to submit them via the division's website.

2. Ensure the Division is properly represented at the National APA Conference (by-right meetings, division exhibit booth, and business meeting/reception).

3. Engage and add value to division membership by creating Special Interest Groups.

4. Enhance member participation by adding a member volunteer and suggestion areas to the division's website along with defined website goals, roles and responsibilities for members maintaining the division's website.

5. Create a calendar of events for members to post and respond to related conferences, legislative/policy activities and program developments.

6. Develop ongoing surveys to allow member input and prioritizing of division initiatives.

7. Build a closer relationship with APA divisions and other related organizations with common interests.

8. Aggressively seek grants and sponsorships to support division initiatives.

9. Partner with planning schools and publish technology curriculums and skills sets that today's planners should be proficient in.

10. Partner with other APA divisions and continue to benchmark use of technology in planning agencies spearheaded by Research Chair David Simpson.

3. Communications

• Newsletter: InfoTEXT — The division will continue quarterly publication of the InfoTEXT newsletter, under the director of Ken Snyder, the current IT Division Chair. Each issue of the newsletter is mailed to all members and posted on the website. In order to increase the submission of original articles, the Division has selected themes for future issues of the newsletter.

• Website: The Division will establish a website using a content management system (CMS) that allows Division leadership members to publish content on the website regularly.
  
  
• Listserv: The Division will establish a listserv for use by Division leadership in distributing information to members.

• Member Surveys: The Division will conduct a membership survey every other year.

4. Conference Sessions

• 2005 Conference: The Division has combined its two by-right sessions into an innovative "clinic" format presentation, and will deliver this session at the 2005 conference.

• The Division will work with national APA staff to plan two by-right sessions for the 2006 conference.

• The Division will collaborate with national APA staff to assist in the selection and planning of hands-on technology sessions for the 2006 conference.

5. Annual Meeting

• The Division will hold its annual Business Meeting at the 2005 APA conference.

6. Membership

• The Division hopes to increase membership by 10% during 2005-2006 by demonstrating the value of the Division.

7. Elections

• The next election will take place in December 2006 in time for the new leadership to take office at the national conference in April 2007.

8. Financial Reporting & Responsibility

• The Division will continue use its funds responsibly, not depleting all of the Division's resources at any given time or maintaining a large uncommitted balances in its treasury.

9. Bylaws

• Bylaws: The Division bylaws are current. However, a review of the Division's bylaws to enhance the Division's ability to conduct elections via email is anticipated in 2005/06.

10. Divisions Council Meeting

• Leadership Meetings at 2005 APA Conference: The Division will be represented at the 2005 Divisions council and leadership meeting by the new Division Chair and outgoing Division Chair.
  
  
• 2005 Fall Leadership Meeting: The Division will be represented at the 2005 Fall Leadership meeting by the Division Chair.

11. Annual Report

• The Division's Annual Report will be published and made available to the Division membership via the listserv and on the website and shall be provided to the Divisions Council, APA Board of Directors

12. Governance

• Division Decisions: Division decisions will be made by consensus of the elected board members.

13. Policy Issues

• The Division will appoint a Policy Chair, Education Chair and Conference Chair to efficiently respond to requests for advice or assistance from the APA staff on policy matters relating to the Division's sector of interest and expertise.

• Provide advice, ideas, and authors for articles that appear in the annual technology issue (July) of APA's Planning magazine.

14. Research

• The Technology Division has organized the first national survey regarding the use of Internet technologies in planning agencies. The American Planning Association, Technology Division, in partnership with the University of Louisville, and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), is conducting this first-ever national survey regarding the use of Internet technologies in planning agencies of U.S. cities with a population of 25,000 or greater (N=1,247). Through the development of a new methodological instrument and a systematic approach to analyzing the use of technology, the research will have implications for a wide range of government activity that is conducted online. The results are being used to "benchmark" the state of technology utilization in planning agencies in the U.S., something that has not yet been done. The information collected and the ensuing research will be invaluable in helping other practitioners and researchers gain a clearer understanding of the role and impact of the Web on planning practice. The survey will be repeated every other year.

Respectfully Submitted,

Mike Gritz, Incoming Chair
Technology Division
American Planning Association
February 3, 2005 / edited July 2006