SJC Strategic Plan
Our Vision
St. Johns County is a historic community with a thriving population and economy, offering world-class cultural and recreational opportunities and an exceptional quality of life.
Our Mission
We serve and invest in our community through innovation leadership, high-quality services, and preserving the County’s history and natural beauty while enhancing economic vitality.
Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is strategic planning and why is it important?
Strategic planning is an organizational management activity to set priorities, focus energy and resources, strengthen operations, ensure that employees and other stakeholders are working toward common goals, establish agreement around intended outcomes/results, and assess and adjust the organization’s direction in response to a changing environment.
It is a disciplined effort that produces fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, who it serves, what it does, and why it does it, with a focus on the future.
Effective strategic planning articulates not only where an organization is going and the actions needed to make progress, but also how it will know if it is successful.
What is a comprehensive plan and how is it different than the strategic plan?
A comprehensive plan is state-required document designed to guide the future actions of the County. The Comprehensive Plan will provide guidance to landowners and developers, assist community members with future growth and development, and coordinate local decision making.
Why does St. Johns County need a strategic plan?
A strategic plan is the tool that keeps the team and the entire organization headed in the same direction and serves as a blueprint for the long-term sustainability of the County, its programming and services, its operations, its infrastructure and County government in general.
A strategic plan prioritizes mission-critical activities and how to align the County’s budget with these priorities to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
If the County does not think strategically and make the effort to plan for the future, we may struggle to maintain our focus and make progress toward the outcomes that are most important for the residents and businesses in our community.
What will we do with the strategic plan once it is complete?
The strategic plan is a living document that we will use to define the future vision for the County. Having a strategic plan allows us to:
- Communicate our priorities within a credible, forward-thinking and well-understood framework so we can make effective budget and policy decisions and secure the resources we need to sustain the County into the future.
- Maintain a guiding “north star,” providing stability and more certainty in the face of election cycles, changes in leadership, economic fluctuations and changes to the state and federal regulatory environments. This gives the County greater ability to influence and steer its future direction and make better decisions during turbulent times.
- Make decisions and evaluate our policies, plans, programs, and service delivery for all County residents.
