The Community-Centered Strategic Planning (CCSP) process assures community and organizational participation. The process concentrates on community needs, and is driven by the central theme of: “What is in the best interest of the citizens served?” Unlike traditional planning processes, CCSP is designed to focus on internal and external customers, evaluate needs, and identify issues from the citizen up rather than from the mission statement down.

This process has been adopted and used by the following:

  • International Association of Fire Chiefs
  • Fallen Firefighters Memorial Foundation
  • National Volunteer Firefighters Association
  • Washington Firefighters Association
  • Oregon Fire Chiefs’ Association
  • Oregon Fire District Directors’ Association

The CCSP:

  • Encourages participants to develop the skills that will enable them to continue the strategic planning process in succeeding years.
  • Identifies market niches.
  • Matches resources with needs.
  • Helps service providers concentrate effort while reducing risk and wasted resources.

The CCSP process includes the following components:

  • Development of Mission Statement
  • Describe the Vision(s) of the Future
  • Identify Membership Values
  • Identify Critical Organizational Issues
  • Identify Organizational Strengths
  • Develop Goals and Objectives
  • Identify Critical Customer Needs
  • Prioritize Customer Needs
  • Identify Areas of Needed Enhancement
  • Identify Functions/Services
  • Identify Tools to Meet Needs
  • Develop Implementation Strategies

Emergency services have entered into a very competitive evolutionary cycle. Public demands increase while dollars and other resources shrink. This trend places even more pressure on today’s managers, public policy officials, and organization members to come up with ways to become more efficient. The CCSP process helps you guide your organization’s future to meet the community’s needs.

The CCSP process has proven very effective in all types and sizes of organizations, providing a model for the present as well as the future. The process adapts well to a changing and unpredictable environment.