4 key goals from OSPE’s strategic plan “Engage, Amplify, Excel”

Ontario Society of Professional Engineers: OSPE 2015 Strategic Plan On May 5, our CEO Sandro Perruzza and outgoing chair Danny Young released a new Strategic Plan for OSPE. It defines what the organization must do to meet the needs of members today and in the future.

Over the next five years, OSPE plans to better represent the entire community of engineers in Ontario so that the public, media, government and industry know who OSPE is, and why the contributions of engineers are critical to a healthy economy.

OSPE’s Strategic Goals

1. Create Member Value – meet the needs of the engineer at all stages of his or her career

  • Increase awareness of programs/services and build professional development curriculum
  • Provide mentoring/networking opportunities and collaborate with other STEM organizations
  • Support career development with relevant research and data
  • Success Measure: Increase member satisfaction rate from 76% to 85% over 5 years

2. Raise Public Awareness – elevate the understanding and appreciation of the engineering profession in Ontario and its contribution to the public interest

  • Establish our voice in the media and develop stronger relationships with journalists
  • Heighten the profile of engineering experts and their achievements in OSPE publications
  • Engage non-traditional audiences on social media and collaborate with partners on issues of common interest for greater exposure
  • Success Measure: Increase subject matter expert impressions in the media by 20% over 5 years

3. Focus on Public Policy – ensure engineers are viewed as trusted experts to influence government and promote policies that benefit the public and the profession

  • More than half of OSPE’s professional members cite advocacy and promoting the profession as their primary reason for joining the association
  • OSPE will ensure engineers are viewed as trusted experts to influence government and promote policies that benefit the public and the profession
  • With greater member involvement, our influence will grow
  • Success Measure: Increase the number of published reports, policy papers, position submissions and consultation invitations by 20% over 5 years

4. Focus on Community Engagement – build strong, connected and engaged communities for engineers

  • OSPE is already strengthening relationships with our partners, including trade associations outside of engineering that are highly influential, such as the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Ontario Environment Industry Association,  and Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters
  • Extend reach in STEM sectors and create more networking and collaboration with PEO
  • Foster stronger relationships with engineering societies/non-engineering organizations
  • Establish online communities – through our blog Society Notes, for example!
  • Success Measure: Increase community initiatives and partnerships by 50% over 5 years
Overall Key Success Measure: Membership Growth

In order to meet these goals, over the next 4 years, OSPE will continue to grow its membership base so that we can increase our reach and reputation.

Click here to view OSPE’s full Strategic Plan document.

How can you help OSPE reach these goals? What do you think about the Strategic Plan? Give us your feedback in the comments section below! 

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This Post Has 5 Comments

  1. Bill Goodings

    I would like to comment upon OSPE’s 4 goals…

    I would make your #1v last. and achieve successes in #2, #3, and #4. to prove to members and potential new members that OSPE is truly an advocate organization to be reckoned and worth joining….all of the personal benefits notwithstanding.

    I would set out a position statement defining what is OSPE’s core business.

    I found in a business magazine this definition of ‘core business’…

    Business functions that are critical, and closely related, to a firm’s strategy expressed in customer service, marketing, product design, etc. Routine administrative and maintenance tasks are not a part of core activities.

    Some examples of company ‘core business’ that I know are:

    Beer companies..’…Their core business is selling fun and enjoyment’ When they advertise beer, they only stress that ‘fun and enjoyment’ which will be possible but only through the drinking their beer.

    Automobile manufacturers…. Their core business is ‘to move things on wheels’. When they advertise their products they only stress that ‘to move people and things with ease’ which is only possible but only through using their product.

    Appliance manufacturers… Their core business is ‘making our life more convenient’. When they advertise their products they only stress ‘how much more your life can be’ which is possible only when you use their products.

    Governments….Former Alberta Premier Lockheed said Alberta’s Government’s core business is helping people. Smart man Jim Prentice forgot this.

    OSPE…. OSPE;s core business is to be the ‘go to’ organization for all things the public regards as being related to engineering.

    1. To do so, and to stay within the bounds of OSPE budgets, will require liaisons with all of Ontario’s engineering organizations, both professional and not professional. We can be the organization to create study teams to do research and report writing by calling on and cooperating with the appropriate engineering body. This will avoid duplications of other’s efforts and produce unified, more complete and balanced engineering community statements on current engineering related issues of concern in the public domain.

    2. OSPE should make all of this known to recognized media publications (some are listed in our daily news report). These publications are always looking for help and so we should be the first one they call upon.

    Bill Goodings

  2. Bill Goodings

    Your #1 goal is self serving…OSPE is an advocacy organ and not intended to primarily be a marketer and provider of services to its members. I recognize that for some that is all they are interested in, and hence is important but the provision of these ‘to member only’ services do not qualify as an Advocacy Activity which is what we advertise is OSPE’s primary function.

    That is why your #1 should be #4……Your #1 describes private or in house matters (i.e. what OSPE can do for you) and hence of interest only to members and would be members…not of interest to our larger quarry…the Public… who we want to recognize OSPE as a powerful advocate on engineering matters that affect the public ….and always is ahead of the wave (like Paul’s energy committee is…quoted now by many in government and others in that industry)
    Again, respectfully submitted,
    Bill Goodings

  3. Bill Goodings

    Bill Goodings
    Your #1 goal is self serving…OSPE is an advocacy organ and not intended to primarily be a marketer and provider of services to its members. I recognize that for some that is all they are interested in, and hence is important but the provision of these ‘to member only’ services do not qualify as an Advocacy Activity which is what we advertise is OSPE’s primary function.

    That is why your #1 should be #4……Your #1 describes private or in house matters (i.e. what OSPE can do for you) and hence of interest only to members and would be members…not of interest to our larger quarry…the Public… who we want to recognize OSPE as a powerful advocate on engineering matters that affect the public ….and always is ahead of the wave (like Paul’s energy committee is…quoted now by many in government and others in that industry)
    Again, respectfully submitted,
    Bill Goodings

  4. Staff

    Thank you for your comments Bill.
      
    Our first goal is “Create Member Value” because in order to be successful in our advocacy efforts, we need more engineers in Ontario to become members of OSPE. Our voice is stronger and more representative of the engineering community when we have more members. In order to get more members, we must create and show our value as an organization. We are focused on advocacy, but we also offer career services, professional development, mentoring, networking and affinity programs which are attractive reasons for engineering professionals to join OSPE.
      
    With our new blog Society Notes, OSPE will focus on a monthly theme – a timely subject that is impacting engineers as well as all Ontarians. Through data we’re collecting, subject matter experts we’re speaking with and events we’re hosting, we will invite media to cover and participate in our activities in order to get more exposure. We are also focused on partnering with our sister organizations in the engineering space, as well as other professional associations in other sectors. We will be sharing information about how we’re working together on the blog.
      
    Thanks again for your comments Bill – we hope you keep reading and starting discussions on the blog. We look forward to analyzing our results in relation to the Strategic Plan goals at next year’s Annual General Meeting.

  5. Bill Goodings

    You say “We look forward to analyzing our results in relation to the Strategic Plan goals at next year’s Annual General Meeting”

    1. In my oral observation from the floor I asked that the attendees at the next AGM hear more about our accomplishments. We want to be proud about what we have done and hear less about ‘what we are going to do’. Along with OSPE members attending the AGM, we have several people from other organizations at and speaking to us., and they also would be interested in our accomplishments. (a good time to brag)
    2. I believe that the number of OSPE members is important when OSPE speaks for Engineers in the media and with politicians and decision makers BUT my hope is that when we speak we also can say that what we say also has the the support ‘XXXX engineering colleagues in the other ‘engineering’ associations that have collaborated with us in preparing ‘ this report” and ‘these points of views’ etc..
    3. I suggest that you develop a statement that clearly defines what is OSPE’s core business. I made a stab at it in my last.
    4. I hope that OSPE will develop strong(er) relations with Ontario’s media and become the first source of information for them to turn to on all ‘engineer and engineering’ matters’.

    Thank you for your response.
    Bill Goodings

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