Immediately following its first meeting of the year, the OAA’s governing Council moved directly into its annual planning session at the Association’s headquarters in Toronto. The one-and-a-half day event took place on January 18 and 19, and included the members of the OAA staff management team.
With Year 2 of the five-year Strategic Plan now complete, the session focused on a review of the accomplishments in 2023 toward the goals and objectives of the Plan, including the over-arching themes of Climate Action and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Through group presentations, OAA staff provided insight into the Association’s core activities based on service area and in relation to the pillars of the Strategic Plan.
In keeping with good governance best practices, the Council and staff also participated in annual governance training, delivered by consultant Susan Kushneryk (Kushneryk Morgan LLP). To round out the commitment to ongoing education for OAA leadership, there was also a brief overview of financials for not-for-profits, as well as a tutorial/reminder on using the OAA Website resources.
OAA Council also received a report and update from Executive Director Kristi Doyle regarding the status of the 2021 OAA Operational Review recommendations—a key strategic objective under the pillar of Governance & Operations.
This first day provided the opportunity for new members of Council to become well-acquainted with the Strategic Plan and for returning Council members to review and refresh.
Day 2 included a group exercise that focused on reconfirming the goal statements and objectives of the Strategic Plan, and considering minor revisions to ensure it remains evergreen. The group work concluded with feedback regarding priorities for 2024, which will help inform the work of Council, staff, and OAA Committees this year as the development of operational and Committee work plans is underway. The session closed with a review and confirmation of the activities currently approved or planned for 2024.
When asked to rank the progress to date regarding the Strategic Plan, responses were positive with feedback ranging between good to very good. Entering Year 3, work will continue.