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Strategic Planning for Local Governments

Why Strategic Planning
A strategic financial plan aligns a municipality’s long-term goals with its financial resources. Multi-year planning is an effective tool utilized by localities of all sizes and financial strengths to avoid fiscal challenges and communicate with internal and external stakeholders. The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) promotes multi-year financial planning for all municipalities across the Commonwealth. DCED has designed the Strategic Management Planning Program (StMP) to offer assistance to municipalities in these efforts.

Strategic Management Planning Program
 

  • DCED strongly emphasizes that this program is designed for municipalities of all sizes and financial conditions. Multi-year planning benefits all governments, not just those experiencing fiscal distress.
     

  • The Strategic Management Planning Program supports municipalities by offering grants to fund costs associated with hiring an independent financial consultant to prepare a three-to-five year financial plan and management review of their municipality.
     

  • DCED will provide a matching grant, typically 50% of the StMP project costs.
     

  • The plan includes a comprehensive review of the municipality’s fiscal condition and its revenues and expenses trends.
     

  • Our team will examine the operations of all municipal departments and form recommendations to enhance revenues, reduce costs, and improve operational efficiency.
     

  • The final report will include a tactical action plan and financial forecasts that incorporate the fiscal impact of the plan’s recommendations.
     

  • The multi-year plan typically takes between 4-6 months to complete.
     

  • Municipalities can apply for subsequent StMP grant funding to support the implementation of recommendations made in the initial StMP multi-year plan.
     

Download our Strategic Planning flyer

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