Strategic Planning

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Court Accomplishments Report

The District of Columbia Courts are now at the halfway point in implementing Delivering Justice: Strategic Plan of the District of Columbia Courts 2008-2012. A new mid-point accomplishments report discusses how the Courts are doing in achieving the goals of the Plan and focuses our efforts for the remaining period of the Plan. The report highlights a sampling of accomplishments since 2008, when the Plan became effective. It does not aspire to be comprehensive as there are too many activities underway by various individuals and groups.

One of the benefits of having a Strategic Plan is that everyone has a shared understanding of the Courts’ mission and vision and is empowered, within their own roles and areas of responsibility, to contribute to that vision. While celebrating our collective accomplishments, there is work still to be done, and we hope that this report will stimulate further discussion and action by our judiciary, workforce and justice system partners.

What is the Strategic Plan? A strategic plan describes the purpose, or mission, of an organization, the major challenges it faces and the goals and strategies it will use to meet those challenges. Organizations develop strategic plans so that everyone, from the Chief Executive Officer to "front line" employees, will know what is important to the organization and what it is trying to accomplish. Some strategic plans also include a "vision" for the organization, which is a statement of a desired future that all employees can work to achieve together.

The D.C. Courts develop a new Strategic Plan every five years to set priorities and provide direction for the future. The Courts' governing body, the Joint Committee on Judicial Administration, approves the Plan after it is developed with broad input from persons and organizations who conduct business or work in the Courts. Approximately 2,500 individuals and groups helped create the Courts' most recent Plan by participating in surveys and focus groups.

Entitled Delivering Justice, Strategic Plan of the District of Columbia Courts, 2008-2012, the Courts' Strategic Plan identifies 6 priority areas, called strategic issues, to be addressed. The strategic issues are:

1. Fair and Timely Case Resolution
2. Access to Justice
3. A Strong Judiciary and Workforce
4. A Sound Infrastructure
5. Security and Disaster Preparedness
6. Public Trust and Confidence

Within each priority area, the Plan identifies goals to be accomplished and strategies to accomplish them. For example, Goal 2.1 under Access to Justice is: the D.C. Courts will promote access to justice for all persons. One of the strategies to accomplish this goal is to provide court forms and written materials that use plain language and are available in multiple languages.

The full Strategic Plan can be viewed at: 2008-2012 Strategic Plan (PDF Format, 3.4MB). You may also pick up a copy from the Executive Office, in Room 1500. The D.C. Courts' 2003-2007 Strategic Plan can be viewed by clicking here.

Implementation of the Strategic Plan. To implement the Strategic Plan, all court divisions develop Management Action Plans, or MAPs, that identify specific objectives they will undertake. For example, one objective of the Criminal Division to promote access to justice is to enhance the understanding of court proceedings by ensuring that all court forms and informational materials are in plain language and available in Spanish. Through MAPs, the broad goals and strategies of the courtwide Strategic Plan are translated into specific actions and results to be achieved by divisions. Managers and employees are held accountable for achieving their MAP objectives through the performance management process, which links employee performance plans to their division's MAP objectives.

Strategic Planning Leadership Council. Appointed by the Joint Committee on Judicial Administration, the Strategic Planning Leadership Council (SPLC) develops the District of Columbia Courts' long-range Strategic Plan and monitor its implementation. In developing a new Plan every five years, the SPLC seeks broad input from justice system users and the general public, as well as judges and court employees. The SPLC also strives to foster strategic thinking and collaboration throughout the Courts, and to ensure accountability for achievement of strategic goals. When not engaged in collecting data and stakeholder input to develop a new Strategic Plan, the SPLC meets regularly to identify emerging issues or trends impacting the Courts, to monitor the effectiveness of the Plan's implementation in achieving courtwide goals, and to communicate accomplishments and results.

Input Welcome. If you have any comments or suggestions for the strategic management process at the Courts, you can email them to strategicplanning@dcsc.gov.

Court Participants Survey Results

Innovations Newsletter
Volume 1, Issue 1, September 2006

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