Vision 2020 is a collaborative community-wide effort to define Elmhurst’s priorities and help guide future Park District planning efforts. We’re using Park District resources to put your long-range vision into action. Research we conducted to help develop Vision 2020 confirmed that Elmhurst’s residents love their parks and want to ensure the facilities and opportunities they enjoy are preserved and improved for current and future generations.
Vision 2020 - Focus on the Future
Mission and vision statements are necessary to provide organizational direction. However, once these statements are written, how does an organization accomplish them and achieve its goals.
In 2016-17, the Board of Park Commissioners and staff updated the District’s Comprehensive and Strategic Plans using a process which included:
- Gathering and reviewing community feedback
- Conducting demographic, park, facility, and program assessments
- Creating the community’s future vision of park and recreation services
- Developing an action plan to implement that vision
Since the inception of the District’s first Comprehensive Plan and Strategic Plan, the Board and staff have selected and implemented projects, programs, and initiatives based upon the priorities articulated during the planning process.
Development of Vision 2020 Plan
While a Comprehensive Plan and a Strategic Plan are unique in their purpose and scope, they have interrelated goals and development processes and, for this reason, the Board and staff developed both plans during one process and combined them into one, overall guiding document and action plan.
As a result, the Vision 2020 Plan incorporates strategic planning initiatives, which are internal operation, communication, and administrative improvements with a three-year timeline and comprehensive planning initiatives, which are physical asset and programming focused with a five to ten-year timeline.
Final Vision 2020 Plan and Strategic Action Plan
In July 2017, the Board approved the final Vision 2020 Plan document, which included an Introduction and Overview, Appendices A and B and Appendices C and D. Together, these documents give a summary of the Vision 2020 feedback collected, needs assessment, and key findings and recommendations that will drive long-range planning for the next three to five-years.
Based on the key findings and recommendations, the Board and staff developed the District’s Strategic Work Plan to guide and track execution of long-range plans. Performance measures, tied to the strategic themes, are also tracked to assess progress on achieving overall Plan strategy.
Monitoring the Vision 2020 Plan
As part of the Park Board’s governance and to ensure that this Plan remains relevant and effective, the Board and staff review the Strategic Work Plan annually so that it evolves based on ongoing shifts, opportunities, and challenges in the District’s operating, economic, and political environments.
The Board and staff monitor and report progress on the Strategic Work Plan bi-annually (in the Board’s Mid-year and Year-end Progress Reports) to track the status of the overall achievement of Plan Themes.
