On June 24, 2014, the Board of Directors (BOD) approved a new Strategic Plan to help guide ASHRAE forward over next several years. ASHRAE volunteers will help make the Strategic Plan a reality. This Toolkit provides additional information on the Plan, the initiatives and the expected resource requirements and outcomes. This information is to assist volunteers in this critical effort.
In addition to the Strategic Plan Toolkit, there is the Strategic Plan Implementation Plan, which provides a timeline for completing key aspects of the Plan and methods for measuring progress and performance on activities conducted to implement the Plan.
In fall of 2016, the Board of Directors confirmed that the Strategic Plan is a five year plan in place until June of 2019. A midterm update of the plan was authorized and subsequently approved for release June 2017. This revised Strategic Plan Toolkit documents the midterm term update. The Strategic Plan and Strategic Plan Implementation Plan remain unchanged.
There are five initiatives:
Market Prioritization
Applied Product Development
ASHRAE’s role in the Residential Sector
ASHRAE’s role in the Global Community
ASHRAE Efficiency
MARKET PRIORITIZATION
Market prioritization came out of two key discussions during which the following questions were asked: Is ASHRAE doing enough to ensure that the world knows what the Society is working on?; and Are we really listening carefully enough to our members needs and acting to fulfill them? The initiatives are intended to make sure ASHRAE is properly connected to its key constituencies, such as consulting engineers, as well as getting the message out about ASHRAE to employers, building owners, and other influential groups.
APPLIED PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
ASHRAE efficiency is a challenge to the organization to remove unnecessary effort so that precious volunteer and staff hours are directed to productive results. There is a specific challenge to refocus and strengthen the heart of ASHRAE Technology (Technical Committees) to meet the challenges and opportunities facing ASHRAE. In addition to the internal focus, there are opportunities for ASHRAE to join forces with other like-minded organizations up to and including consolidation.
ASHRAE'S ROLE IN THE RESIDENTIAL SECTOR
Applied Product development is focused on ASHRAEs continued leadership in developing technology. In particular, there is a focus on practical or applied technology that is relevant to ASHRAE’s consulting community. It speaks to the need to provide tools that help members do their jobs.
ASHRAE'S ROLE IN THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY
ASHRAE’s role in the Global Community continues to be a great opportunity and a major strategic issue. The Board discussed this issue at length and came to the conclusion that it does not know enough to set a clear direction for the Society. The decision was made to act quickly to gather the necessary input and develop a set of initiatives which could then be added to this plan.
ASHRAE EFFICIENCY
Despite the large impact the residential sector has on the built environment, ASHRAE has had only minor role to date. Most of ASHRAE’s current membership is focused on commercial construction but the BOD has realized that ASHRAE still has a role to play in the residential sector, more likely through collaboration with other groups focused on the residential sector. During 2013–14, a presidential ad hoc studied ASHRAE’s role in the residential sector. The proposals in their report are expected to generate more initiatives to support this important goal.
For more information about the ASHRAE Strategic Plant, visit www.ashrae.org/strategicplan