San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization (SJVCEO) Strategic Planning Session June 24, 2011 Visalia Conference Center
Summary Report Confidential
Information provided this Summary Report is for the exclusive benefit of the leadership of the San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization (SJVCEO) and is intended to provide a summary together with candid reflections derived from the Strategic Planning Session held on June 24, 2011. Unauthorized distribution of this document in hard copy or electronic form is expressly prohibited.
Submitted: July 28, 2011 Submitted by: The Eaton Cummings Group William M. Craft, Ed.D., CFRE Kathleen E. Guy, Ph.D., CFRE
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Introduction
The SJVCEO Strategic Planning Session held on June 24, 2011 involved SJVCEO staff, board members and representatives of various key SJVCEO constituencies including: jurisdictions, energy providers, agriculture, California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, private industry and the educational community. See Attachment C for a list of planning session participants. The planning session represented another important step in SJVCEO’s continuing effort to promote vigorous and effective advocacy for clean, efficient, renewable energy in the San Joaquin Valley. The San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization has established a solid reputation and track record through its work with cities, counties and public and private organizations. Through its many collaborative efforts, SJVCEO has demonstrated the benefits of energy efficiency and the long-‐term value of renewable energy. SJVCEO has worked successfully with some 44 jurisdictions and helped to save more than 16,000,000 kWh of energy. These efforts have not gone unnoticed. SJVCEO has received numerous awards and recognition for its work and has led the way in attracting more than $6,000,000 in clean energy project funding for the Valley. The June 24th planning session provided an opportunity for SJVCEO staff, board members and constituent representatives to: • Review the SJVCEO mission and accomplishments, • Assess the current state of advocacy for clean, efficient, renewable energy in the San Joaquin Valley, and • Think forward and reach preliminary consensus about SJVCEO’s immediate and longer-‐term role and priorities.
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Strategic Planning Session Goals and Agenda and SJVCEO Mission Goals
Provide overview of Green Movement and impact on the local economy Review SJVCEO mission, partnerships and achievements to date Facilitate communication among SJVCEO constituent groups Identify strengths, areas for improvement and opportunities in the Green Movement – emphasis on the San Joaquin Valley • Critique and recommend priorities for SJVCEO’s proposed work plan – 1 to 3 years • Identify key messages and outline future communications plan • • • •
Agenda
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Welcome Overview of Green Movement Review of SJVCEO Movement Introductions—6 Word Stories Strengths-‐Areas for Improvement-‐Opportunities for the Green Movement in the Valley SJVCEO Proposed Projects Prioritizing the Work Plan Next steps Communication Plan-‐Key Messages
SJVCEO Mission
The SJVCEO is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving our region’s quality of life by increasing its production and use of clean and alternative energy.
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Summary report – structure and intent The SJVCEO strategic planning session involved energy experts, energy providers, government representatives, educators, and social visionaries. See Attachment C for Participant List. The report that follows describes the work of planning session participants and summarizes participants’ insights regarding the future of SJVCEO including future Vision, priority expectations, and immediate next steps. Participants were the planning team; considered SJVCEO experts, for the purpose of this planning session, it was assumed that participants are most aware of and sensitive to SJVCEO’s role in the community.
Working in task groups that were reconfigured at intervals throughout the planning session, participants were given an opportunity to benefit from the full range of participant experience and expertise. The process was driven by a sequence of focused, interactive discussions with frequent prioritization of participant input. The process encouraged and benefited from different points of view. During the planning session no effort was made to fully confirm facts or evidence presented. The content of this Summary Report is presented with minimal editing into order to retain the flavor of the dialogue that took place during the planning session. This report’s conclusions and recommendations are considered preliminary and will require further examination and testing by SJVCEO staff and Board to determine which initiatives (together with additional other initiatives that may subsequently emerge) are most strategically valuable in promoting the SJVCEO mission and are judged feasible in light of SJVCEO resources and Board support. Planning results should be further refined following a comment period involving planning session participants and others essential to the future success of SJVCEO.
The strategic planning session provides the groundwork for ongoing implementation planning that must follow. Implementation plans should outline specific, measurable project goals and objectives together with staff and volunteer assignments and a delineation of resources required for success. Implementation plans should also address such structural goals as Board development and plans for annual and major gifts campaigns designed to strengthen SJVCEO’s capacity to plan, design and respond to future clean energy challenges as they arise in the San Joaquin Valley. Drs. Kathleen Guy and William Craft of the Eaton Cummings Group, consultants specializing in strategic planning and fund raising, facilitated the planning session.
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SJVCEO: Financial Overview and Power of the SJVCEO Story
SJVCEO relies exclusively on collaboration with partners and success in acquiring project-‐by-‐project funding to carry out its mission. To date, dollar resources have come mostly in the form of grants or contracts that provide little opportunity to build long-‐term financial stability and program flexibility for SJVCEO as an organization. Given the current economic uncertainty at both the state and national levels, SJVCEO’s historic reliance on government and industry-‐related funding for special projects will not be sufficient to keep SJVCEO viable over the long term. If SJVCEO is to maintain its leadership role in clean energy advocacy, funding for special projects will need to be augmented by new revenue streams that contribute to long-‐term support and capacity building for planning, management and day-‐to-‐day administrative functions. As SJVCEO continues its efforts to establish and gain support for the: • 3 to 5 year SJVCEO vision, • List of priority initiatives, and • Implementation steps involving staff, Board and constituents the overall SJVCEO story must stimulate and reflect the vigorous commitment and support of the SJVCEO Board. The SJVCEO story must provide the basis for a case for support that can be used in cultivating and soliciting additional public and private investment.
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Future Board Role
The SJVCEO Board is at a crossroad. Compared to the Board’s role is the past, more and more will be asked and expected of the Board. For SJVCEO to succeed, the Board must be willing and able to become an effective catalyst for encouraging and soliciting new investment in the work of SJVCEO. The Board must develop its fundraising muscle in order to meet the critical financial needs required to strengthen the organization for the long term. The SJVCEO staff and Board must address two related, but operationally distinct objectives concurrently. They must succeed with the SJVCEO mission as the leading advocate for clean energy in the San Joaquin Valley, evangelizing the clean energy concept, encouraging converts and managing projects. At the same time staff and Board must concentrate on building and nurturing a critical mass of influential and affluent individuals and organizations, both in and outside of the Valley, who are willing to invest in SJVCEO’s mission and provide overhead funding enabling SJVCEO to survive as an organization with talented staff and other necessary material resources. As a result of the June 24th strategic planning session, it is clear that SJVCEO and what it stands for have never been more important. SJVCEO’s preeminent role in promoting clean, efficient, renewable energy is essential to the future social and economic well-‐being of the San Joaquin Valley. The Board’s evolving role as the major fundraising arm of SJVCEO is a logical consequence of SJVCEO’s success and the waning role of public support. The organization is well established in the Valley. It has a track record of success. Years of pubic and private support for SJVCEO encouraged by public policy initiatives has established SJVCEO as a formidable voice for clean energy. Now is the time to capitalize on SJVCEO’s reputation, diversify funding, and cultivate new investors. This important new role may take some getting used to on the part of some Board members, but the cause is heroic, success will pay economic and environmental dividends for the people of the Valley and beyond, and numerous opportunities exist for SJVCEO to help quickly qualify the San Joaquin Valley as California’s leader in the new green economy.
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Strengths, Areas for Improvement and Opportunities Using a modified SWOT analysis approach, planning session participants were asked to identify the most prominent Strengths, Areas for Improvement and Opportunities of the SJVCEO. The following are the results from these table group discussions.
Strengths • Movement toward integrating sustainable agriculture with renewable energy generation • Abundant solar resources • Growing affordability and acceptance of energy efficiency • Growing public awareness and support for clean energy • Ample resources locally for clean energy (people, natural resources, policy) • Clean energy can help with resolving our threats and weaknesses Areas for Improvement • Packaging the message—What’s in it for me? • Economically viable investment • Innovation • Singular, consistent permitting process throughout the Valley • Balancing disconnect between environmental and business concerns • Alleviate narrow-‐mindedness of green movement Opportunities • Human capital • Public-‐private partnerships; integrated government engagement • Renewable energy resources
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SJVCEO Vision for the Future of the Clean Energy Movement in the San Joaquin Valley Planning session participants were asked to create six-‐word stories to describe their future aspirations (vision) for clean energy in the San Joaquin Valley through the SJVCEO. The following is a draft Vision statement resulting from an amalgamation of the six-‐word stories. See Attachment A—Six Word Stories in “word cloud” form. Vision • With the success of SJVCEO advocacy, the San Joaquin Valley will emerge as the clean and renewable energy powerhouse for California and beyond. Additional elements to consider • Bioenergy, clean, affordable, sustainable energy, jobs • Renewable focus, financial struggles, plentiful workforce • Integrated green economy maximizing clean energy • I silently stared at the sun
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SJVCEO Projects – proposed by SJVCEO staff for consideration by session participants (See Attachment B for detailed project descriptions) • • • • • •
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Prioritizing Criterion for Projects – points assigned on a 0 to 2 scale with 2 being most desirable With the SJVCEO Mission in mind, an understanding of the work accomplished to date, and using the information gained from the morning’s work, planning participants were asked to prioritize the staff-‐proposed projects that could be undertaken by SJVCEO in the next year. Participants agreed on the following criterion to evaluate each project. Points for each criteria were assigned on a 0-‐2 scale, with 2 points being the most desirable. • Contribution to “Advancing the Vision” of the Valley’s green energy future •
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E-Team (Ag Outreach) Efficieny Ambassadors (Work with High Schools) My Energy Valley (videos highlighting successful clean energy leaders and projects underway in the San Joaquin Valley) Technical Assistance with Local Governments Valley Solar Solutions (cities, counties, schools Uniform Solar Permitting
Potential to attract investment – i.e. likelihood of grant or private funding Time and effort needed to “operationalize” project – i.e. establish “buy-‐in,” create and fund management structure, establish milestones, assign levels of effort and ensure accountability Opportunity to capitalize on “Low Hanging Fruit” – i.e. established broad-‐base of support and capability; high confidence level for ensured success
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10. Team Priorities Each table group evaluated all six of the proposed projects. Total points* were tallied for each project, and the results are as follows:
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Uniform solar Permitting – 23
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E-Team (Ag Outreach) – 14
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Efficiency Ambassadors (Work with high schools) -14
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My Energy Valley (videos) -12
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Valley solar solutions (Cities, counties schools) -12
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Technical Assistance with Local Governments -10
*A detailed breakdown of the points assigned by table groups to each project is available through SJVCEO.
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11. Next Steps
• Conduct further analysis of proposed projects – refer to detailed analyses provided by table groups outlined on flip chart pages from planning session (collected by SJVCEO at the conclusion of the planning session) • Research and determine likelihood of public and/or private funding for various proposed projects – include funding to enhance communications/PR and core administrative SJVCEO functions • Create overall case for support for SJVCEO (heroic vision, projects and implementation strategies for next three to five years - include a proposed business plan that incorporates enhanced private philanthropic fundraising) • Review planning session results and next steps with SJVCEO board at next meeting
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12. Key Messages
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There is work to be done to ensure the Valley establishes clean, renewable energy
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Core of keen interest—commonality of vision
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Well conceived potential projects
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Need to involve more stakeholders-‐get the word out about SJVCEO
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Valley is collaborating to advance the green agenda
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We have successes to build upon-‐making the future more attainable
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We’re creating the future through our plans and determined to see them through
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Need to remain agile with regard to priorities and funding
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Consensus on Strengths, Areas for Improvement and Opportunities
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We have momentum but will need to focus on keeping it
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We’re well-‐positioned (geographically, etc. ) for success
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Be alert to duplication of effort
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Testing feasibility of projects is important
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Need to collaborate to get things done
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Confirms the value of the SJVCEO
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Need to keep our “fire in the belly”
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Keep focus on natural resources—our California origins
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Attachment A
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Attachment B Proposed SJVCEO Projects
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Attachment C Participant List
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