Strategic Plan Updates

As a part of OGEC’s Strategic Plan, we provide progress reports with the understanding that change takes time. OGEC had three primary strategic goals:

1. Serve Oregonians by educating public officials on laws within OGEC’s jurisdiction.

2. Ensure OGEC resources are available, and used efficiently, effectively, and transparently.

3. Strive for excellence and be accountable to the public we serve.

This update in our newsletter attests to our dedication to our plan and lines up to our third goal of accountability. Our agency takes accountability very seriously. That's why it is embedded into our Strategic Plan, DEI Plan, and Affirmative Action Plan. This is also why we have annual Customer Satisfaction Surveys and Executive Director Reviews. Additionally, OGEC implemented post-training surveys this year. These help us better gather feedback on our educational offerings.

OGEC’s second goal focuses on resources that are available to the public. OGEC recently became aware that many of our online documents were not accessible on e-readers. E-readers are essential for those who are visually impaired. A key staff member quickly rose to the occasion and learned how to update the documents. Specifically, the opinions and letters of advice available through our Case Management System. This staff member then taught the rest of the staff how to update existing templates to make them e-reader friendly. Now our entire team is going through and updating advice. Our goal is to have all advice issued in 2024 updated to an accessible format by year-end.

Continuing with making documents accessible, OGEC has been working to adapt to e-signatures. E-signatures allow those without access to printers or internet to sign documents directly from their phones. This saves on printing and postage costs, and makes the process more convenient.

OGEC has also been taking time in staff meetings to discuss learning opportunities and potential areas of growth. For instance, we recently met with a team from the Oregon Commission for the Blind. It was an opportunity to better understand how to adapt our agency and improve its processes. Learning opportunities like this are instrumental for our team. They allow us to work together to talk about issues we may not have been aware of before.

One big step OGEC has taken toward the goal of educating public officials on the laws within our jurisdiction was the development of Public Meetings Law trainings this fall. OGEC trainers are currently providing in-person sessions and live webinars. OGEC trainers have also developed accessible training handouts to supplement the training. In 2025, we plan on focusing on creating a self-paced online option that folks can take anytime. OGEC also created a process to approve other organizations’ Public Meetings Law training. This will increase Public Meetings Law educational opportunities for public officials.

OGEC continues to strive for excellence. We are open for suggestions on how to improve access to services and will continue to update the public on progress made.

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