We are pleased to share the Water Resources Center's updated strategic plan for 2024-2028. The plan, driven by our vision of achieving "Clean and abundant water for all," outlines our focus areas, cross-cutting expertise, and collaborative process in addressing water challenges. It also includes a series of goals, strategies, and actions for achieving our vision and mission. Below is a synopsis of the major points:
Focus areas
We revisited the WRC’s major areas of focus, and while we made some small changes to
better describe them, our overall programmatic priorities remain the same as in the previous plan.
Specifically, they include:
- Water and Agricultural Landscapes: Supporting farmers and conservation professionals to improve
soil health, mitigate nutrient loss, and coordinate watershed efforts. - Urban Stormwater: Assisting urban communities in mitigating stormwater impacts through research,
education, and engagement programs. - Decentralized Wastewater: Enhancing septic systems' design, installation, and maintenance to
protect public health and the environment. - Drinking Water: Engaging policymakers and water professionals to protect and preserve drinking
water sources. - Lakes and Aquatic Ecosystems: Informing the conservation and restoration of lakes, rivers, and
streams through research and engagement.
Cross-cutting expertise
In addition to identifying topical areas of focus, we have identified several areas
of expertise that apply to all of our work:
- Social Science, Economics, and Policy: Integrating human dimensions into water resource
management. - Watershed Science and Planning: Understanding the interconnectedness of hydrological processes
and land use. - Team Science: Fostering interdisciplinary collaboration for comprehensive problem-solving.
- Water Informatics: Leveraging advanced data analytics for evidence-based decision-making and
proactive management.
Goals, strategies and actions
The overall goals outlined in the strategic plan are:
- Build a WRC identity for ourselves and our unique collaborations
- Create an environment that helps WRC employees achieve their goals
- Establish a culture where we celebrate success and learn from experience.
- Increase capacity for the WRC’s cross-cutting expertise, including social science, watershed science,
team science, and water informatics. - Center diversity, equity, and inclusion in the WRC and its work.
To achieve these goals, we developed the following strategies that are each supported by specific actions.
- Build relationships within the WRC, University of Minnesota, and our partners
- Build and maintain a strong, engaged workforce that responds to established and emerging water
challenges - Leverage systems, tools, and best practices to build capacity, meet reporting requirements, and
reduce workload
Strategic planning process
Our strategic plan was developed through a comprehensive review and a six-month feedback period starting with guidance from the U of M's Office of Leadership and Talent Development. We developed the plan through brainstorming sessions, follow-up discussions, and surveys to refine our focus areas, goals, and actions. The final document incorporates extensive feedback from WRC staff.
Next steps
In addition to sharing the plan with you all, we will be publicizing it across our platforms and distributing it to our partners. We have also already begun work on implementing the plan itself. In particular, we’ve been working with individual teams at the WRC to step-down the actions we identified through this process and prioritize our work for the next year.