A new five-year strategic plan will benefit the people Epic Opportunities supports as well as employees of the organization.
Epic Opportunities shared details of its new five-year strategic plan with key stakeholders at the organization’s annual general meeting in June.
The plan is the organization’s blueprint for the next five years and outlines its strategies and objectives for the period. The organization’s last strategic plan was developed in 2009 and implemented during the past five years.
Executive Director Ruby Reimer says the goal of the new plan is to create a unified culture of excellence and provide optimal support to the people Epic Opportunities serves. She adds that it will allow the organization to manage its employees, funding, property and other assets more effectively.
“It has been rewarding and exciting to map out our plans for our future as we seek to improve services to the men, women, and family members who have chosen to receive support from this organization,” Reimer says.
“A solid foundation has [already] been built at Epic Opportunities. But we know that improvement can and must be made. Our future must offer better services with greater accountability to all of our key stakeholders. We must also improve in the monitoring of outcomes we promise to fulfill.”
The new plan will continue to enhance the organization’s commitment to the holistic wellness of the people it supports. Specific emphasis will be placed on body, mind and spirit as Epic Opportunities sets person-centred goals for holistic wellness. In order to achieve this, Reimer says Epic Opportunities will need to invest in its employees, partner with the families of people it serves and engage the community better.
One of the key components of the recently unveiled plan will be the creation of an electronic database that will replace the paper system the organization has been using. The new database will provide a system for all goals to be recorded, tracked and monitored on a day-to-day basis. Information will be stored securely in one central site which will enable employees to be more informed and responsive if things are not going well for someone being served. It will result in significant improvements in services and promote greater accountability, Reimer says.
While timelines have been established for the completion of specific aspects of the plan, Reimer emphasizes work will begin immediately on all components of the plan. Each year will include goals that focus on each stakeholder group and build momentum for the year that follows to carry out the entire plan. These goals include:
- Year One – build a foundation of accountability by establishing person-centred plans and ensure employees are prepared to invest in carrying out these plans.
- Year Two – build a foundation for growth and improvement including the purchase of additional new homes, implement improved maintenance systems for homes Epic Opportunities already owns and replace at least one commercially-leased property with a purchased property by 2017.
- Year Three – build capacity for excellence among the organization’s employees including new roles for some staff, improved training and orientation programs, and additional mentorship and supervisory initiatives.
- Year Four – renew the organization’s commitment to building partnerships in the community including consulting with families regarding the progress of their loved ones, development of forums that will allow them to deliver their feedback, and provide greater resources for family members.
- Year Five – establish greater public and corporate awareness of the work Epic Opportunities does in order to enhance the organization’s ability to carry out the work it does, both now and in the future.
Click here too view a copy of Epic Opportunities’ five-year strategic plan.
