Strategic Plan 2010-2015
STRATEGIC PLAN 2010-2015
Updated May 24, 2014
MESSAGE FROM CO-CHAIRS
The broad strategic aim of the Pacific NorthWest Border Health Alliance is to ensure that the region is operationally ready to respond to and recover from a health emergency or disaster.This is captured in our mission statement, and all of our activities must ultimately be directed toward this end.
To accomplish our mission we must work in close concert with regional public and private health sector entitiesand other government agencies to facilitate the development, evaluation and validation of effective health emergency plans and programs.
The Alliance is also responsible for providing leadership in comprehensive emergency management. To this end, we must develop strategic best practice guidelines, standards and protocols and communicate these to the cross jurisdictionally health sector. We must also fully support the jurisdictions in acquiring the resources necessary to meet their future needs.
None of this is possible without a clear and comprehensive framework that contains achievable objectives and the means to measure their attainment. This is the purpose of this Strategic Plan; all jurisdictionsand private health sector entities are encouraged to become familiar with its content and commit to its objectives.
This plan is a key program document and will be the overarching guide for our activities over the next five-year period. It will be updated annually to reflect any changes to the situation, our objectives or our priorities.
Garnet Matchett Mike Harryman
Co-Chair (CA) Co-Chair (US)
CONTENTS
Vision and Mission ………………………………………….. / 3Strategic Objectives 2010-2015 …………………………… / 4
Conclusion ……………………………………………………. / 7
Annexes:
A. Ends, Ways and Means ………………………………
B. Performance Measurement …………………………. / 9
10
VISION
A seamless cross border and cross jurisdictional public health preparedness and response network in the Pacific Northwest.
MISSION
To provide a forum for inter-jurisdictional collaboration in the identification and promotion of “best practices” in addressing the capability of Parties to prepare for, respond to and recover from the impacts of any public health or other emergencies or disasters.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES 2010-2015Strategic Objective 1:
To formalize relationships between the member jurisdictions and other related organizations with respect to public health preparedness.
Enabling Objectives:
Objective / Action Required1.1 / A formal relationship between participating Pacific North West jurisdictions embracing cross border public health collaboration / a)Complete sign-off process of PNWBHA Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
b)Distribute original signed copy of MOU to all signatories
1.2 / A public-private partnership encompassing regional public health and health services entities. / a)Identify potential private sector partners
b)Develop discussion paper for Joint Coordination Committee(JCC) review and guidance.
1.3 / Sustainable cross jurisdictional agreements/arrangements, including operational plans and guidelines / a)Inventory and review all existing agreements/ arrangements.
b)Evaluate/validate arrangements through training and exercises.
Current Status:The Alliance has grown to nine jurisdictions with the potential to add North Dakota. The Northwest Center for Public Health Policy and Health Emergency Management BC have come onboard as a supporting partners the Alliance continues to reach out to other public or private sector entities. Work continues on the operationalization of existing agreements and extension to all Alliance jurisdictions
Strategic Objective 2:
To establish a sustainable funding module
Enabling Objectives:
Objective / Action Required2.1 / A dynamic operating budget / a)Determine both short and long(er) term funding requirements
b)Develop an operating budget
c)Implement an effective financial management program
2.2 / A sustainable funding source / a)Identify potential funding sources
b)Secure funding
c)Formalize commitments
Current Status:While an annual operating budget has been developed, securing sustainable funding continues to be the biggest challenge facing the Alliance. A request has gone forward to the PHAC and US HSS but no response to date. WA DOH and BC MOH continue to provide both financially and in-kind support. HEMBC provided a significant financial contribution in FY 2013/14.
Strategic Objective 3:
To pursue Alliance-wide information sharing and protection arrangements
Enabling Objectives:
Objective / Action Required3.1 / A Memorandum of Understanding on information sharing and protection / a)Development of a strawman open[1] Memorandum of Understanding on information sharing and protection
b)Legal review by potential signatories
Current Status:A revised MOU, developed to extend the provisions of the existing WA –BC MOU to all interested PNWBHA jurisdictions currently signatory to the PNEMA, is now pending final review and distribution for signature.General guidelines on information sharing and protection are posted on the PNWBHA website.
Strategic Objective 4:
To develop and implementan integrated mutual assistance exercise program
Enabling Objectives
Objective / Action Required4.1 / An Exercise Committee under the Emergency Management Working Group / a)Establish exercise committee
b)Develop terms of Reference
c)Inventory regional exercise needs
4.2 / A five year exercise schedule / a)Develop exercise schedule
Current Status:The Health Emergency Management Working Group(HEM WG) has undertaken toconduct an annual Duty Office Call Out and facilitates and/or coordinates evaluator and observer participation in cross jurisdiction exercises. Due to funding issues it is not feasible at this time to develop a long-term exercise plan.
Strategic Objective 5
Increase awareness of Public Health Emergency Management Staff of the practices of other PNWBHA partners through job shadowing, job sharing and sharing exercise evaluators.
Enabling Objectives
Objective / Action Required5.1 / A cross border operational awareness and professional development program / a)Confirm appetite for program
b)Inventory potential opportunities
c)Clarify legal and workforce
d)Develop guidelines for program
Status:Professional development is currently beingeffectedunder the aegis of HEM WG through exercise planning and participation.Guidelines for professional development and capacity building are posted on the PNWBHA website.
Strategic Objective 6:
To strengthen the region-wide effectiveness of public health preparedness by promoting emergency management and business continuity considerations as an integral part of corporate and executive decision-making.
Enabling Objectives:
Objective / Action Required6.1 / A greater executive-level awareness of the Alliance role in region-wide consultation, collaboration and cooperation / a)Develop an executive-level briefing package on the Alliance
6.2 / A greater awareness of the benefits of region-wide collaboration in enhancing public health preparedness. / a)Develop an executive-level emergency management and business continuity briefing package
Current Status:Plans are underway to reschedule the deferred high level consultation via tele/video conference.
Strategic Objective 7:
To implement a comprehensive health emergency resource management strategy for the region
Enabling Objectives:
Objective / Action Required7.1 / Alliance-wide awareness of jurisdictional response capabilities / a)Develop inventory of health emergency response resources, identifying type and location
Current Status:Considerable work has been undertaken by the EMS Working Groups, including development of a Cross Border EMS Resources Matrix which is posted on the PNWBHA website.
Strategic Objective 8:
To extend the provisions of the Operational Plan for the Cross Border Movement of Emergency Medical Services staff and resources Alliance-wide.
Enabling Objectives:
Objective / Action Required8.1 / Extend provisions of cross border movement plan to Alaska and Yukon as announced interested jurisdictions / a)Develop generic operational plan for cross border movement of EMS staff and resources
8.2 / Extend provisions of cross border movement plan to all other interested Alliance jurisdictions
8.3 / Obtain permission to use existing interoperable emergency communications frequency. / a)Develop MOU
b)Coordinate with Industry Canada and FCC to use MOU
Current Status:The WA – BC Operational Plan for the movement of EMS resourceshas been briefed to a number of border jurisdiction and agencies and is gaining wide acceptance. EMS cross border movement guidelines based on the WA-BC plan are posted on the PNWBHA website.
Strategic Objective 9:
To promote integrated comprehensive community bio-event resilience and critical infrastructure/interdependency protection
Enabling Objectives:
Objective / Action Required9.1 / A collaborative approach to bio-event and critical infrastructure/interdependency protection programs / a)Participate in regional bio-event and critical infrastructure programs
b)Develop regional guidelines for achieving community bio-event resilience
Current Status:While little activity has been undertaken on this objective PNWBHA is participating in the US DHS Community Health Resilience Initiative. It is proposed that a plenary session on health sector critical infrastructure protection has been include on the 2015 Cross border Workshop agenda.
Strategic Objective 10:
To promote a collaborative approach to Indigenous Health in the Pacific NorthWest
Enabling Objectives:
Objective / Action Required10.1 / An Indigenous Health Working Group, including both government and non-government representation / a)Determine if there is an appetite for cross border/jurisdictional collaboration.
b)Determine if there is and what would be the Alliance role
c)Initiate a dialogue (focus group) to establish aa working group
Current Status:Indigenous Health Working Group is attracting wide attention, including participation in the PAHO Hemispheric Consultation on Indigenous People and Disaster Risk Reduction scheduled for BC inn 2014.
Strategic Objective 11:
To promoterelationship building and communication between the PNWBHA member jurisdiction’s health, food and agriculture organizations which are critical in the event of a cross-border food borne illness outbreak.
Enabling Objectives:
Objective / Action Required11.1 / An Alliance Food Protection Working Group or Epidemiology Working Group Committee / a)Determine if there is an appetite for cross border/jurisdictional collaboration.
b)Determine if there is and what would be the Alliance role
c)Initiate a dialogue (focus group) to establish a working group
Current Status:As no significant progress has been made on this objective it will be a priority over the next two years.
CONCLUSION
The five-year period covered by this plan offers unprecedented opportunities to enhance operational readiness and achieve measurable excellence in public health preparedness in the Pacific Northwest.
The Pacific NorthWest Border Health Alliance has a clear vision and a realistic mission. It has the capacity to achieve all of the identified strategic objectives without significant difficulty. It will, however, be necessary to remain committed to the objectives and to maintain a highly focused approach.
It is essential that the steps set out in the Action Required sections of the plan are used to guide priorities. The plan must be reviewed annually to ensure that the goals and objectives remain valid and attainable.
Performance indicators are identified at Annex B. They should be used to monitor and measure progress, and should be updated regularly.
Annex A
Ends, Ways and Means
This strategic plan identifies objectives and provides broad guidance on how to achieve them. It is essential, however, to keep in mind the underlying framework for strategic planning, which is made up of ends, ways and means:
Ends / Ways / MeansThe identification of a clear and unambiguous objective, or end-state, is the core issue in strategic planning. / The plan is developed to make the best use of the organization’s capabilities, given the resources available. / The means are those resources or capabilities available or provided. This is a limiting factor.
This is where the organization is going. Ask yourself: / This is how you are going to get there. Ask yourself: / This identifies what you need for the journey. Ask yourself:
Are we doing the right thing? / Does our approach provide the best chance for success? / Are the resources essential to success available?
To be effective, a plan must be updated regularly to ensure that the means remain available, the ways realistic and the ends worth the journey.
Annex B
Performance Measurement
Strategic Objective / Performance Indicators1 / Define and formalize relationships between the member jurisdictions and other related organizations with respect to public health preparedness. / Active participation of all four Canadian and six US Pacific Northwest jurisdictions
2 / Establish a sustainable funding module / Sustainable funding in place
3 / Pursue Alliance-wide information sharing and protection arrangements. / All member jurisdictions signatory to MOU or observing operational guideline
4 / Develop and implement an integrated mutual assistance exercise program / Annual exercise program in place
5 / Increase awareness of Public Health Emergency Management Staff of the practices of other PNWBHA partners through job shadowing, job sharing and sharing exercise evaluators. / Ongoing active participation in cross jurisdictional exercises.
6 / Strengthen the effectiveness of health emergency management by promoting the need to make emergency preparedness and business continuity considerations an integral part of corporate and executive decision-making at all levels of government / All jurisdictions have health emergency management plans that acknowledge cross border collaboration and mutual assistance.
7 / Implement a comprehensive health emergency resource management strategy for the region / All jurisdictions embrace Alliance-wide mutual assistance guidelines
8 / Extend the provisions of the Operational Plan for the cross border movement of Emergency Medical Services staff and resources Alliance-wide. / All jurisdictions embrace the provision set forth in the operational guidelines
9 / Promote integrated comprehensive community bio-event resilience and critical infrastructure protection / All jurisdiction embrace an integrated approach to bio-resilience and critical infrastructure protection
10 / Promote collaborative approach to Indigenous Health in Pacific NorthWest / Sustained collaboration on Indigenous health
11 / Promote relationship building communication between the PNWBHA member jurisdiction’s health, food and agriculture organizations which are critical in the event of a cross-border food borne illness outbreak. / Leadership in the establishment of a pan border food protection initiative under the CA-US Pan Border Public Health Preparedness Council.
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[1]Open format permits jurisdictions to participate on signature with being specifically in body text