Overview

The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) has begun a process that will assist the association in creating clarity and focus on how it should invest its valuable resources on the identified wants, preferences, and needs of its members and other stakeholder groups.  As part of this effort, the AAPG has begun a strategic planning and thinking project that will lead to growth for the organization. This plan facilitates (a) AAPG's identification of the future needs of members and other identified stakeholders and (b) AAPG's options for satisfying those needs.  The planning process marks a significant juncture in the organization's history and the results of this plan will initiate choices that the association will make for future success. 

Strategic Planning Steps

Step 1 - Initial Planning by AAPG Advisory Council

On August 22, 2003, the AAPG Advisory Council began the strategic planning and thinking process with a discussion about current conditions and future assumptions regarding their profession.  This information was used to form an initial set of options for defining the organization's core ideology and envisioned future.  The framework used for this initial discussion and the entire planning process is a model of strategic judgments organized into four time-related horizons outlined on page 5.

Step 2 - Test Initial Planning Elements

Following the initial strategic planning meeting, qualitative research in the form of telephone interviews was conducted with a selected group of AAPG leaders.  The purpose of the qualitative research was to test the Advisory Council's initial thinking on their suggested strategic direction for AAPG with other leaders both past and present.

Step 3 - Program Assessment

The next step of AAPG's comprehensive strategic planning and thinking process was to assess the organization's current portfolio of programs and services to determine their fit with the association's strategic direction.  The assessment was conducted by a team of AAPG senior staff and volunteer leaders assisted by an outside consultant.  The tool used to assess each program and service was introduced by the consultant and is currently used by hundreds of other associations.

Step 4 - Identification of Strategies

The final report generated from the Program Assessment exercise assisted the AAPG Advisory Council in formulating strategies.  Strategies are the action statements articulating how the association will implement its strategic plan.

On February 6, 2004, the Advisory Council continued their discussion of the strategic plan.  At this meeting the Council used the results of the qualitative interviews as well as the Program Assessment to refine the existing strategic planning elements and to create an initial set of strategies.

Step 5 - Testing of Strategic Plan with Larger Leadership Group

On February 7, 2004, the completed draft strategic plan was offered to a larger group of association leaders to comment on at their Leadership Conference.  Session participants were offered opportunities to discuss the draft strategic plan in small groups.  Their feedback was tabulated and provided to the AAPG Advisory Council for their review and consideration.

Step 6 - Testing of Strategic Plan with General Membership

Prior to the Advisory Council's next meeting, a survey was developed and made available on AAPG's Web site for member participation and response.  AAPG members were notified by email that the survey was available.  The survey results represented 1016 member responses.  This feedback was used to finalize the draft strategic plan which was reviewed and refined at the Advisory Council's next meeting (April, 2004).

Step 7 - Final Completion of Strategic Plan

On April 17, 2004, the AAPG Advisory Council met together to consider the suggested changes recommended by participants of the Leadership Conference and to consider the results of a quantitative survey that was available on AAPG's web site for members to complete.  At the completion of the meeting, the Advisory Council finished the strategic plan and discussed a communications strategy and next steps.   

On August 7, 2005 the Strategic Plan was updated and revised by the Advisory Council. After further revision by AAPG leaders, the Advisory Council approved the final 2006 Plan on February 10, 2006.

Step 8 - Implementation and Execution

Association staff is responsible for creating the operational plans to execute the strategic plan.  Volunteer leaders articulate direction through strategic planning and staff identifies the resources and how the strategic plan will be implemented.  With the assistance of an outside consultant, staff will begin the ongoing process of creating action plans and the operational structure and processes to support the strategic plan.

Outline of Strategic Planning Process

Using the Four Planning Horizon's model as a framework and group dialogue and deliberation as the information source, the session participants created the following:

• * A set of assumptions about the future of the petroleum industry and the professionals that work within it;
• * A list of relevant factors in the long-range horizon (10-15 years into the future), core purpose, core values, Big Audacious Goal (B.A.G.) and a vivid description of future success;
• * Six goal areas that identify where the AAPG will direct its energy in the next one - 10 year planning horizon. The goal areas focus on outcomes beneficial to AAPG and its members.
• * A set of strategic objectives (3-5 years) in each goal area setting measurable direction for the organization to head in to achieve its goals.
• * A set of strategies that identify the actions the organization will undertake in the next 1-3 years in order to achieve each goal area.

An Ongoing Process of Thinking Strategically

AAPG's leadership views the process of strategic planning as an ongoing process within AAPG. This is not a "strategic planning project" that is completed. Adoption of a plan is an affirmation of the general intent and direction articulated by the vision, goals and strategic objectives.

Progress toward achieving the strategic objectives will be assessed annually.  The plan will be updated based upon achievement and changes in the needs of the stakeholders.