2030 Strategic Plan Implementation: Status, Timeline & Impact

Guest Post by Kathy Off, SAME National Office

In January 2025, the Society will officially introduce the 2030 SAME Strategic Plan, outlining the mission, vision, goals, and objectives that will drive the efforts of members, partners, and stakeholders over the next five years.

However, while a new strategic plan is an important milestone in SAME’s trajectory, the plan rollout is only part of what has been a year-long effort to identify the successes of the Society’s existing strategic plan, the priorities that SAME should be supporting moving forward as they relate to national security and the needs of our warfighters, and any related governance matters that should be looked at in order to best implement the 2030 SAME Strategic Plan. 

The Implementation Team is being led by Immediate Past President, Col. Charlie Perham, F.SAME, USAF (Ret.), and Appointed Director, Col. Brian Duffy, USAF (Ret.).   

The SAME Board of Direction, on May 13, 2024, approved the 2030 SAME Strategic Plan, to take effect January 2025. The 2030 Strategic Plan Development Team, led by Sharon Krock, F.SAME, Col. Brian Duffy, USAF (Ret.), and Albert Romano, F.SAME, also was chartered to provide recommendations for implementation. The team presented some examples of governance proposals for the board to consider, initiating the discussion of reorganizing the governance, which was part of their initial charter to review. Then, as Krock stepped into the role of Society President, she formed the 2030 Strategic Plan Implementation Team to focus on those proposals and to provide recommendations for implementation to the board at the fall meeting (to be held during the Federal Small Business Conference, Nov. 20-22 in New Orleans, La.). The Implementation Team is being led by Immediate Past President, Col. Charlie Perham, F.SAME, USAF (Ret.), and Appointed Director, Col. Brian Duffy, USAF (Ret.).   

Strategic Plan Implementation Survey  

Perham and Duffy have built their Implementation Team with current and former board members that represent a cross-section of the Society. Initial governance recommendation examples were divided into three groups: Organizational Efficiency, Operational Effectiveness, and Administrative Improvements.   

A survey was sent to board members and other leaders such as past presidents to prioritize actions within those groups by need and impact. The findings indicated the need for better evaluation and realignment in several areas: 

• Organizational Efficiency: There is a need to evaluate COIs, the Board of Direction, and the Executive Committee to enhance their effectiveness and alignment with strategic goals. 

• Operational Effectiveness: The Executive Committee should review existing partnerships, establish a mentoring program for posts facing challenges, and consider a Strategic Partner policy. 

• Administrative Improvements: There is a call for enhanced collaboration between Regional Vice Presidents (RVPs) and COIs, and a greater focus on reaching 100 percent submission of streamer reports by all Posts. 

Recommendations and Timeline 

The team has been meeting at least weekly to determine actionable recommendations that will set up the Society for multi-year success in achieving its strategic goals. Some of the recommendations can be instituted by January 2026; some by May of 2026 to coincide with the SAME governance year; and some may be a multi-year effort.   

In summary, the recommendations will: 

• Realign Governance Structures: Evaluate and realign the Board of Direction to ensure the leaders are effectively guiding the organization. COIs also should be assessed for their efficiency and effectiveness, with consideration given to aligning similar COIs to reduce duplication of efforts and increase cross-communication. 

• Enhance COI Collaboration: COIs should focus on fostering strategic partnerships and providing updates on these relationships. Additionally, there should be a stronger emphasis on compliance with existing bylaws to review COI performance. 

• Increase Accountability: Posts must be incentivized to submit their annual streamer reports as part of compliance with governance requirements.  Additionally, COIs may be asked to provide annual reports similar to Posts with a focus on constant communication versus end-of-year “scrambles.”  

2030 Strategic Plan Implementation Steps

The team will continue to prepare recommendations for presentation to the National Leadership Team beginning in October 2024. A final draft is anticipated to be shared with the board on Nov. 1, 2024. The group will hold four virtual Feedback Sessions for board members to join and provide feedback on the recommendations prior to the board meeting on Nov. 19, 2024.   

A final report will be incorporated into the minutes of that board meeting; all board minutes can be found on the SAME governance webpage.   

Kathy Off, SAME Strategic & Stakeholder Relations, serves as the staff lead for governance matters and oversees coordination with the Board of Direction and National Leadership Team; koff@same.org.