BACK TO BASICS

At its November meeting, the RI Board adopted a revised strategic plan that comprises three priorities, all of equal importance to Rotary’s future.
The priorities are:

• Support and strengthen clubs.
• Focus and increase humanitarian service.
• Enhance public image and awareness.

Following a mandate from the Council on Legislation, the Board recently conducted a triennial review of the plan. This review included surveying 14,000 Rotarians worldwide about the organization’s priorities and holding focus groups to assess Rotary’s image in different countries.
In addition, the Strategic Planning Committee carried out a detailed analysis of Rotary’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges and considered its findings in relation to the organization’s mission, vision, and strategic priorities.
The revised plan, effective July 2010, reflects the results of this research. For example, survey responses clearly linked membership growth to strong clubs, and external data indicated that opportunities for service and networking are Rotary’s greatest appeal.
The plan also unifies the strategic direction of RI and The Rotary Foundation by emphasizing the connection between clubs’ most popular service areas and the areas of focus in the Foundation’s Future Vision Plan.
Moving forward, the Strategic Planning Committee and the RI Board will continue to refine the goals attached to each priority and develop tactics for achieving and measuring success.
“The revised strategic plan focuses RI’s efforts on the clubs and getting back to basics,” says RI Director Thomas Thorfinnson. “RI’s main role should be supporting clubs and helping them to expand their service and publicize the accomplishments of their efforts.”