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2003-2006 Strategic Plan  

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF HIGHWAY ENGINEERS
(ASHE)
“ASHE: THE FORUM FOR HIGHWAYS”
2003-2006 STRATEGIC PLAN
(ADOPTED OCTOBER 25, 2003)

VISION
The American Society of Highway Engineers will become a nationally recognized forum for the highway industry by:

  • Increasing membership;
  • Increasing organizational visibility;
  • Providing professional support and accountability;
  • Increasing fiscal resources;
  • Balancing organizational diversity; and
  • Protecting organizational values.

MISSION
"To provide a forum for members and partners of the highway industry that supports education, innovation, and fellowship; promoting a safe and efficient highway system for mobility now and in the future."

VALUES
Diversity:
We value, respect, and include people from all areas of the highway industry.

Innovation:
We encourage innovation in highways by providing educational opportunities and participating in technology transfer.

Integrity:
We conduct ourselves responsibly, ethically and honestly.

Fellowship:
We value the opportunity to interact with our members and partners.

Quality:
We put quality first in our membership services and partner relationships.

CRITICAL ISSUES FOR THE SOCIETY
Most strategic issues

  • Membership.
  • Organizational visibility.
  • Professional support and accountability.
  • Fiscal resources.
  • Organizational diversity.
  • Protection of organizational values.
  • Governance structure.

Additional issues

  • Geographic expansion.
  • Attraction of new professionals.
  • Retention of past directors’ experience.
  • Influence within the industry.
  • Promotion of industry related careers.
  • Creation of a new image.
  • Fiscal responsibility and flexibility.
  • Formulation of partnership initiatives.

 

STRATEGIC GOALS
GOAL 1 – INCREASE MEMBERSHIP
CHAMPION: MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIR.
Objectives: Membership growth will be assessed and reported at each meeting of the National Board. Data will include overall increase, number of new members, number of retained members, number of membership drives and descriptions of new incentives. An average of one new section every two years shall be added. Overall growth within the organization, excluding new Sections, shall be an average of 5% per year.

Strategies:

  • Formal membership drives.
  • Retention of members program.
  • Special National membership perks and ongoing incentives.
  • Information exchange among Sections.
  • National Conference promotions and incentives.
  • Student outreach efforts.
  • Membership survey and analysis.
  • A national seminar with CEU’s at the local level.
  • Use of SCANNER to promote membership and recognize members.
  • National Bulletin coverage of specific membership issues.

GOAL 2 – INCREASE ORGANIZATIONAL VISIBILITY
CHAMPION: PUBLIC RELATIONS CHAIR ALONG WITH THE LEGISLATIVE REVIEW CHAIR, WEB SITE CHAIR NEW SECTIONS CHAIR, AND THE SCANNER EDITOR.
Objectives: Increases in organizational visibility will be assessed by and reported at each meeting of the National Board. Data will include all membership numbers plus the number of web hits, new Sections created, sales of logo items, PSA spots and publicity items and events.

Strategies:

  • Develop a Marketing Plan and establish a marketing budget. Complete by January 2004 National Board Meeting.
  • Establish Society Visibility budget.
  • Development of a plan to respond to inquiries and requests from Sections.
  • Create a section start-up set of materials.
  • Explore new, more recognizable logo and standardize the ASHE Shield.
  • Develop merchandise line – market through the website.
  • Consider name change to be more inclusive.
  • Provide news releases to national and local media.
  • Promote ASHE at trade shows and related events.
  • Provide press releases, articles and advertisements to industry magazines.
  • Partner with related organizations.
  • Co-sponsor conferences, seminars and workshops locally, regionally, and nationally.
  • Market and promote networking opportunities at ASHE functions.
  • Use PSA spots to publicize events and the organization.
  • Consider name change for public relations committee.
  • Build relationships with local, state, and national legislators.
  • Encourage members to be active politically such as taking part in local and regional planning boards, running for elective office, etc.
  • Encourage members to respond to critical legislative and regulatory issues by informing the members of upcoming legislation and providing samples letters and responses, etc.
  • Send SCANNER copies to legislative leaders throughout the nation.
  • Develop position statements on critical highway issues and send same to appropriate legislators.


GOAL 3 – PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL STAFF SUPPORT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
CHAMPION: NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Objectives: Support efforts and accountability will be assessed and reported at each meeting of the National Board. Data will include number of completed governance action items from previous meetings, number of CEUs awarded and the number of organizational complaints received and those resolved.

Strategies:

  • Define the President support position.
  • Maintain and monitor external support for web page and SCANNER.
  • CEU Process to be in place by June 30, 2004
  • Provide adequate support for the secretary.
  • Reorganize membership records.
  • Continue to explore the possibility of having an Executive Director.
  • Investigate the option of outsourcing the National Conference.

GOAL 4 – INCREASE FISCAL RESOURCES
CHAMPION: BUDGET AND AUDIT CHAIR.
Objectives: Increases in fiscal resources will be assessed and reported at each meeting of the National Board. Data will include dues revenues, non-dues revenues and conference revenues. Three-year rolling budgets will be established with input from all committee chairs with regards to operating expenses and revenues from their committees. All National Board members will establish travel budgets for regional travel.

Strategies:

  • Explore the effect that a dues increase will have on membership.
  • Expand national merchandising.
  • Examine revenue split for the National Conference.
  • Explore selling rights and trademarks.
  • Expand advertising on web site and SCANNER.
  • Provide seminars and workshops.
  • Increase membership.


GOAL 5 – BALANCE ORGANIZATIONAL DIVERSITY
CHAMPION: MEMBERSHIP CHAIR ALONG WITH OPERATIONS OVERSIGHT CHAIR AND NOMINATING CHAIR.
Objectives: Professional diversity balance will be assessed and reported at each meeting of the National Board. Data will include the percentages of profession and work setting for the total membership.

Strategies:

  • Develop a formal plan for increasing diversity.
  • Consider a special ad hoc committee to address this issue.
  • Use partnerships to attract needed diversity groups.
  • Focus on involvement by the public sector, utilities, contractors and suppliers.
  • Explore the need for leadership diversity.
  • Examine officer term limits versus continuity needs.
  • Review the organizational diversity of the National Board.
  • Support services involvement.
  • Examine vertical diversity.
  • Reach out to all possible members not just the upper level.
  • Target key people of diversity and provide them with meaningful roles.
  • Offer private support for public employee volunteerism.


GOAL 6 – PROTECT ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES
CHAMPION: ETHICS CHAIR SUPPORTED BY THE CONSTITUTION/BYLAWS CHAIR AND THE SOCIETY HISTORIAN.
Objectives: Protection of organizational values will be assessed and reported at each meeting of the National Board. Data will include the implementation and objectives of the strategic plan.

Strategies:

  • Assess integration of core values with mission and vision.
  • Examine consistency of core values with the constitution and by-laws.
  • Review initiatives of the strategic plan to insure compliance with values.
  • Explore industry trends for threats and value conflicts.
  • Relate values to all organizational planning and implementation.
  • Periodically, discuss values at National Board meetings.


GOAL 7 - IMPROVE SOCIETY GOVERNANCE AND ORGANIZATION
CHAMPION: OPERATIONS OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE CHAIR SUPPORTED BY THE SECTION OPERATING COMMITTEE
Objectives: Assess organizational effectiveness and communications between the National Board and the Sections.

Strategies:

  • Establish and maintain minimum guidelines for regional operations.
  • Continuously review and improve communications between National, the Regions, and the Sections.
  • Review regional boundaries annually for membership balance and effectiveness e.g. a mixture of older and newer Sections, balance in numbers between Sections, and geographical logic.
  • Review and update and electronically distribute the Section Operating Manual annually.
  • Make the membership directory available to all Sections electronically by January 2004. Update the directory annually.

FINAL NOTE: All National board members are expected to assist in the championing of all the strategic issues and to support the implementation of the operational issues that follow.