Before taking on step 1, please first read “Public value plan: an introduction” to see how the different steps relate to one another. Image by wayhomestudio on freepik.
Developing a vision to kickstart collaboration
The public value plan should start with an inspiring, yet practical, vision of the future. This vision should be in alignment with the interests of the most relevant stakeholders in order to avoid conflicts and lack of collaboration later on. The strategic vision likely needs fine-tuning, based on a more in-depth analysis of the place in step 2. However to get the stakeholders on board, a tentative broad vision is needed to inspire action. Think of the vision as an umbrella brand which needs to be agreed upon by different ‘departments’ and which provides guidance for lower level product visions, for prioritized customer segments: e.g. residents, businesses and tourists.
The ingredients of a vision
The best visions focus on the development of a scenario that raises the competitiveness of a destination in a sustainable way. In general, a sustainable competitive advantage is based on unique distinctive resources or core competencies that are superior to those possessed by competitors and difficult to imitate. Although preferably the vision is build upon a unique premise, more importantly the vision should be inspiring and imaginative, in line with the dreams of the local stakeholders. Hence a focus group and / or series of interviews should answer the following questions:
- What should our community look like in the future?
- What value or benefits should it bring to different stakeholders:
- residents
- business
- tourists
- Are there unique characteristics of the place that we could use to market the community to the aforementioned target groups?
With the help of these answers the coordinators of the value plan can write up a broad vision for the project, of approximately 1 page in length, to provide the stakeholders with a general sense of direction. This vision will transform in a more lengthy and detailed strategic plan after a more in-depth analysis of the place in step 2.
Go to step 2