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MIFFS Council engages in strategic planning session

By Susan Smalley
MIFFS Council Member

March 30, 2006: Just one week after 2006 Family Farm Conference, nine MIFFS council members and four MIFFS staff members committed another weekend to MIFFS’ work as they engaged in strategic planning led by Dr. Chris Peterson, Director of the Product Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University.

Dr. Peterson, who regularly leads strategic planning sessions for food and agriculture businesses across the U.S., generously contributed his time and energy to MIFFS as an indication of his membership commitment. MIFFS’ has also done critical work to help initiate and support the Product Center. The strategic planning retreat was held at the Ralph A. McMullen Center at Higgins Lake, March 24 th and 25th.

Performance Assessment

Prior to the retreat, council and staff members were asked to assess MIFFS’ performance in customer satisfaction, competitiveness, cooperativeness, productivity and access to resources. The group collectively rated MIFFS’ competitiveness (ability to do at least as well as other similar service providers in doing what we do) and cooperativeness (ability to partner with other providers and stakeholders to jointly deliver needed services) 4.1 on a 5-point scale. Productivity was rated 3.6, customer satisfaction 3.2, and access to resources 3.1. All are relatively high ratings. The group discussed each aspect and reasons for their relative ratings. This initial assessment helped to focus further discussion and planning.

Each person was asked to evaluate MIFFS in a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis. This exercise and subsequent discussion indicated that council and staff see MIFFS generally in the offensive quadrant, with many opportunities and more strengths than weaknesses. MIFFS needs no dramatic strategy changes but must more aggressively implement existing strategies.

Strategic Issues

After identifying strategic issues that MIFFS must address, the group selected as most critical:

* How will we position MIFFS and create awareness that we are the go-to source/leader in our mission, values and strategies?
* How will we diversify, stabilize and grow our funding base?
* How will we strengthen, sustain and utilize the Council/Board more effectively?
* How will we dramatically grow membership?
* How will we leverage and increase partnerships?

With these issues as background, participants examined and reaffirmed the MIFFS Vision, Mission, Principles and Core Strategies, recommending several minor editorial changes. To see these changes, follow the preceding links.

Remaining time was spent developing initial action plans to address each of the five priority critical issues. Staff was asked to review current activities and complete a gap analysis of what strategic activities are currently being addressed and what remains to be addressed. This planning will form the basis for more complete plans and work through the year to come. Watch the MIFFS Memo and Web site for additional information.

In addition to reaffirming and fine-tuning MIFFS strategy, this retreat provided an opportunity for council and staff members to engage in thoughtful dialogue, to explore differences in perspective, and to come to know one another in a deeper way. The strengthened relationships will be as important to MIFFS as the words on the planning documents.