Last month’s Board Reflections discussed many exciting changes which have taken place within DBIA over the past two years. I addressed how we have restructured the DBIA National organization as well as significant changes that have taken place in virtually every aspect of DBIA operations. In addition, the article addressed organizational and financial risks and challenges, issues of the first order, involved in making that transformation. Faced with these challenges, DBIA leadership recognized our need to respond to an accelerated pace of change and address the shift in our association environment.
The answer to these challenges came in the form of a tight-knit group of visionaries that recently met to chart a new course for the continued growth and development of DBIA. A Strategic Planning Working Group composed of senior DBIA staff and both current and past Board Members, met in Denver to undertake an intensive series of exercises designed to open our minds and spark our creative skills. Our goal was to develop a new DBIA Strategic Plan that would serve as a touchstone for future DBIA development.
Utilizing various group problem-solving techniques, intense reviews were conducted on: the purpose of DBIA, its unique organizational characteristics, and the Working Group’s vision of DBIA as accomplished through a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats). These efforts were backed by both a listing of desired attributes for DBIA in the year 2011 and an analysis of alternative views for DBIA’s future. The ideas began cranking out faster than the erasable markers could capture them and a great deal of ideas and planning resulted for DBIA’s National and Chapter organizations, and most importantly, its Membership.
The group discussed the key Strategic Priority of “Partnerships and Alliances" and the issue of an owner-centric focus. Ultimately, a Strategic Initiative was developed to extend and improve DBIA’s association relationships and to also ensure that DBIA engages owners as a central focus of our efforts. Because owners ultimately so strongly shape the design and construction marketplace, it is essential that we draw them into discussion and make them a large part of the decision-making.
Based on another Strategic Priority of “Increasing Membership," we must continue working to communicate in a compelling manner that DBIA membership is increasingly important in today’s industry and continue our efforts to effectively convey our story of design-build.
For the correlated Strategic Priorities of “Educational Excellence” and “Research and Knowledge Management,” the group discussed how best to integrate the DBIA education program, and the research activities needed to keep that program at the cutting edge, in support of the design and construction industry. Fundamental questions were raised. How do we best accomplish an aggressive research and knowledge management program? How will DBIA and the Educational Foundation (which are separate and independent organizations) continue to improve their functionality, complimenting each other’s efforts and remaining independent yet serving as an effective team? What kinds of research will best build a substantial base of factual data and weave a compelling story on how to accomplish the most effective design and construction? Similarly, how do we utilize the results of such research to support DBIA’s rapidly expanding educational program and to retain our hard-earned reputation for educational excellence? An affirmation was reached that DBIA shouldn’t just advocate for design-build; DBIA should instead always advocate for the very best methodologies to support effective design and construction as those methodologies are revealed by future research. The end results were Strategic Initiatives which will energize our efforts in these key areas.
The final Strategic Priority under discussion was the appropriate “DBIA Role in Advocacy.” The main questions included: what kinds of advocacy, led by whom, and directed toward what end? Our goal is to focus DBIA efforts on the passage of enabling legislation for the federal level and for selected state and selected local organizations. The Strategic Goal anticipates a balanced program of outreach presentations, informational presentations to key organizations and development of both regulatory and legislative initiatives.
The conclusion of these efforts showed that hard work by a dedicated group of highly motivated senior design and construction professionals can produce extraordinary results. The Strategic Planning document is currently undergoing final revisions before distribution to Chapter leaders. DBIA National, as well as the local Chapter organizations, will soon have a seminal document from which to chart the planning and conduct of critical operations for the next few years.
On behalf of DBIA, I thank all the participants who contributed to this effort. This is a fine example of the selfless dedication exhibited every day by DBIA Members across the nation who continue supporting and improving our industry.
INFO: DBIA (www.DBIA.org)