Budget Message / Highlights - Metropolitan Water Reclamation ...

METROPOLITAN WATER RECLAMATION DISTRICT OF GREATER CHICAGO
2009 BUDGET
Strategic Planning,
Policy Development
and
The Budget Process
The Central Budget Office and Administration Section of General Administration, staff to the Executive Director, prepares the
Annual Budget and five-year financial plans. Similar to the Planning Section of the Engineering Department in its coordinating
role, the Budget Office consolidates the capital and maintenance plans for the upcoming and future years, including costs.
Revenue projections and debt service requirements are examined along with the financial feasibility of capital projects in light
of external and self-imposed financial constraints. The end product of this process is the annual appropriation ordinance and a
five-year financial forecast.
Department Business Planning
Beginning in 2002, and continuing through 2008, the Executive Director directed all Departments to prepare five-year strategic
business plans to address the business processes, practices, and procedures required to facilitate the District's mission. Major
goals of this initiative included reducing the cost and staff required in our business processes while improving efficiency and
effectiveness. The strategic plan incorporates key business functions of departments, including process improvement or quality
efforts, information technology, personnel, and budget requirements. Significant objectives for this plan included: 1)
eliminating unnecessary processes and streamlining burdensome processes associated with accomplishing departmental
objectives; 2) moving from paper-based transactions to electronically transmitted transactions, approvals, and delivery of
information; 3) improving management information and tools; 4) higher productivity; and, 5) improving staff capabilities and
competencies.
Each business plan contains the following components:
• A mission statement that delineates the departmental purpose, customers and services.
• Goals that address the strategic issues and reflect the desired outcomes as a result of the business plan implementation.
• Objectives that are specific and measurable leading to goal attainment.
• Action plans describing the specific strategies used and activities undertaken to implement the business plan.
• Performance measures are also included to evaluate results and provide accountability.
Business plans were updated in 2008 to coincide with the 2009 annual budget and five-year forecast to provide the monetary
linkage and feasibility assessment of the initiatives. The mission statements and goals for each department are incorporated into
the departmental budget narratives.
Committees and Task Force Planning
Other formal planning is accomplished through the utilization of committees and task forces. Committees and task forces meet
monthly with the exception of the Energy Conservation Committee and Board of Standardization, which meet quarterly or as
needed. A listing of the various staff committees and task forces is as follows:
Master Plan Committee Solids Committee Information Technology Strategic Planning Committee
Inventory Review Board GASB Task Force Records Management Committee
Board of Standardization Audit Committee Public Affairs Strategic Planning Committee
Energy Conservation Committee Natural Gas Committee
Each of these planning groups is delegated the responsibility to serve as District-wide planners for specific organizational
needs. Each committee or task force has representation that crosses departmental lines to ensure corporate agreement. The
Energy Conservation Committee and Information Technology Strategic Committee include subcommittees with designated
assignments and purpose. These subcommittees work independently and then report their recommendations to the committees
of the whole.
The Budget Process and Budget Procedures
All participants in the planning process are made aware of the District's Budget process and cycle. The Budget calendar is
relatively the same from year-to-year and is distributed to the Board of Commissioners and staff in the first quarter of the
preceding Budget Year. Correspondingly, planning groups develop plans, schedules, and detailed justification for personnel,
contractual services, materials and supplies, equipment, and capital projects to comply with the annual budgeting process and
cycle. Existing facilities' plans, historical expenditures, cash-flow projections, and five-year financial forecasts provide
valuable guidelines as to the availability of resources for the upcoming Budget development. These guidelines both facilitate
the development of the Budget and allow for meaningful debate during the Budget review process as to priorities and
organizational goals for the Budget Year, as well as future years. An outline of the Annual Budget process and procedures is
presented on the following page.
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