State of Oregon: ABOUT US - 2021-2024 Strategic Plan

ODOE's 2021-2024 strategic plan provides clarity and focus for our agency, including an updated mission and the objectives we hope to achieve over the next four years to deliver on that mission.

Strategic planning enables an organization to: set its direction; establish goals; prioritize its work; measure progress; and allocate limited time, resources, and attention – all while fostering organizational cohesion, shared purpose, and common values.

We are grateful to ODOE staff as well as our peer organizations, Tribal partners, and stakeholders, including the Energy Advisory Work Group, who participated in interviews and surveys to provide input as we developed the plan.

Download a summary of our plan:

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Phase One: Get Clear

The first phase of ODOE's strategic planning process was to “get clear" – which was primarily supported through a combination of consultant research, internal staff engagement, and external stakeholder outreach. Through this phase, ODOE developed an updated mission, vision, and values.

1,052 survey responses | More than 30 one-on-one interviews
12 internal and external focus groups | two ODOE all-staff meetings
two Energy Advisory Work Group meetings | numerous internal
Steering Team Committee meetings

What We Do

In addition to updated mission, vision, and values, ODOE also clarified our "position." On behalf of Oregonians across the state, we achieve our mission by providing:

A Central Repository of Energy Data, Information, and Analysis: We research, collect, and analyze data and information to inform state energy planning, regulation, program administration, and policy development.
A Venue for Problem-Solving Oregon's Energy Challenges: We convene constructive conversations about Oregon's energy challenges and opportunities that consider a diverse range of perspectives, foster collaboration and innovative solutions, and facilitate the sharing of best practices with consumers and stakeholders.
Energy Education and Technical Assistance: We provide technical assistance, educational resources, and advice to support policy makers, local governments, industry, energy stakeholders, and the general public in solving energy challenges and meeting Oregon's energy, economic, and climate goals.
Regulation and Oversight: We manage the responsible siting of energy facilities in the state, regulate the transport and disposal of radioactive materials, and represent Oregon's interests at the Hanford Nuclear Site.
Energy Programs and Activities: We manage and administer statutorily authorized energy programs to save energy, support the state's decarbonization efforts, make communities more resilient, and position Oregon to lead by example.

Phase Two: Get Focused

While the clarity elements of the strategic plan help ODOE articulate who we are and what we do, our five strategic plan imperatives (also known as focus areas) form the basis of the work we'll do over the next four years to improve our agency and meet our mission more effectively.

The imperatives are not meant to summarize or capture all of the work being done at ODOE, but they represent a path toward doing our work better. Each imperative includes objectives that will help us measure progress, as well as related initiatives that outline specific actions we'll take to achieve the five imperatives.

Imperative: Expand and Improve Stakeholder Engagement As we heard from the outreach and surveys, and also through years of experience, Oregonians aren't always aware of ODOE's work and how it affects issues and topics that they care about. This imperative recognizes that there is an opportunity for ODOE to do even more to engage a diverse range of stakeholders to not only increase understanding and appreciation for the work that we do, but to create a more inclusive and coordinated discussion about energy challenges and solutions. Through this imperative, we will consider new partnership models and approaches that move away from a transactional relationship with our stakeholders. We will invest in better understanding communities' needs and the impacts of current policies and programs on communities. This will involve a lot of listening, convening, and facilitating conversations, and following up.	Objectives: Increase diversity of agency stakeholder groups, rulemaking, oversight, and advisory boards Year-over-year increase in agency engagement with organizations representing historically and currently underserved populations and communities Year-over-year increase in the external use of agency produced reports, studies, and presentations	Initiatives: Conduct assessment of current agency decision-making and advisory bodies to identify opportunities for more diverse representation Develop a communication plan and engagement process collaboratively with historically and currently underserved populations and communities that includes actively listening, being responsive, and incorporating feedback in the development of programs, policies, and other areas of work Build on existing tribal engagement efforts by expanding internal responsibilities and resources, and reaching out to tribes to assess and amplify shared interests and priorities Work with external entities to assess their needs and priorities to strengthen relationships and better inform Oregon's energy policies and programs Strengthen staff capacity within ODOE to serve as liaisons and ambassadors with communities, stakeholder groups, and Tribes
Imperative: Build Practices and Processes to Achieve More Inclusive and Equitable Outcomes Oregonians are committed to an equitable energy future and ODOE has a role to play in helping to ensure equitable processes and outcomes as the state pursues a sustainable energy transition. We acknowledged early in the strategic planning process that diversity, equity, and inclusion need to be at its core if we are to help address the energy needs of Oregon’s diverse communities and become a better partner. We know that we have a lot of work to do to build trust and develop relationships that will enable us to meaningfully engage with diverse communities across the state in the coming years. This work must be done in partnership with underserved communities. This imperative underscores the opportunity for ODOE to examine our programs, processes, and practices to measure our impact across the state with a focus on historically and currently underserved populations and communities.	Objectives: Year-over-year increase in the percent of agency job applicants identifying as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Year-over-year increase in the percent of historically and currently underserved populations and communities participating in ODOE programs and services Increase agency Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion awareness and fluency	Initiatives: Enhance ODOE's internship program to provide benefits to interns, such as paid positions and greater access to educational credits, to help build a more diverse network of ODOE and energy industry employees Develop a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Action Plan in partnership with historically and currently underserved populations and communities Create inclusive, multi-lingual communications to increase accessibility of agency program information and services Conduct agency-wide DEI assessment and training to measure and increase employee knowledge, awareness, and skills
Imperative: Assess and Enhance Organizational Data Capabilities The state needs a centralized source of unbiased energy information. Not only is providing data analysis and information one of ODOE's key statutory responsibilities, it was also identified by staff and stakeholders as an important ODOE service during outreach to inform our strategic plan. This is why serving as a “central repository of energy data, information, and analysis" is one of ODOE's core position statements (or what we do) identified in phase one of our plan. This imperative focuses on strengthening our skills, systems, and structure for research, working with data providers, vetting analytical assumptions, and producing unbiased data and information that can serve as a foundation for the agency and for public use. This imperative acknowledges the importance of data to the work that we do, both in terms of collecting that data and then turning it into information that is informative and useful. It will help us produce better reports, more quickly and accurately answer questions, and provide trusted, unbiased information to inform conversations, solve problems, provide educational resources, and administer programs.	Objectives: 100% of specified agency products (e.g., produced reports, studies, and analyses) use standardized agency data methodologies or tools Year-over-year increase of collection, review, and analysis of data Year-over-year increase in data sharing relationships	Initiatives: Establish and internally communicate agency data standards and tools Assess and enhance agency data management roles, responsibilities, and internal structures Enhance staff data analysis and visualization skills to bring more interactive, value-add products (e.g. external data dashboards) to stakeholders Audit agency datasets to identify gaps and ensure they support implementation of state programs and priorities Collect and analyze demographic data to better inform ODOE's work and to identify barriers to achieving equitable energy outcomes Identify, catalog, and conduct outreach with data-holders across the state and among stakeholders
Imperative: Assess and Modernize Agency Programs and Activities Oregon's “energy ecosystem" is crowded, with many agencies and organizations active in the energy and climate change space. ODOE's new mission and position (what we do) help clarify the big picture role that we see for ourselves – but within this clear role, there are programs and activities that overlap with our sister agencies, non-profit organizations, and utilities. In addition, Oregon's energy ecosystem has changed substantially since ODOE was created in the 1970s, and it's time to develop a clear understanding of whether older programs continue to meet their intended purposes and whether there are different or updated activities or programs that could better meet Oregon's goals and needs. Through this imperative, we will work collaboratively with stakeholders to evaluate our programs and make sure they are effectively delivering on our mission and improving the safety and resilience of Oregon communities, protecting Oregonians and our environment from Hanford's nuclear legacy, mitigating the effects of energy infrastructure and use, and shaping an equitable and affordable transition to a low-carbon economy for Oregon consumers and businesses. This imperative will help ODOE, decision-makers, and the public better understand the unique role and value of ODOE's programs and activities and how they complement other energy activities in the state.	Objectives: 100% of ODOE programs and activities align with ODOE mission and position statements Complete assessment of ODOE work in the context of the state's energy ecosystem to identify redundancies and gaps	Initiatives: Conduct a strategic evaluation of each program and activity Share the outcomes of the strategic evaluation and describe the alignment of programs and activities with ODOE's mission and position statements. Where necessary, identify actions to achieve better alignment Collaborate with energy stakeholders to identify Key Energy Indicators and state priorities and objectives (including statutory targets and goals, executive orders, non-energy goals like job creation, other executive guidance like the Equity Framework) Create dashboard(s) to monitor and report on status of Key Energy Indicators Build on collaborative effort to assess how other agencies and organizations in the state are working toward Key Energy Indicators and state priorities, and identify areas where ODOE's work may overlap with other entities or where there might be gaps in state efforts
Imperative: Optimize Organizational Efficiency and Impact ODOE has a knowledgeable and capable staff. During phase one of strategic planning, our consultant Coraggio administered employee surveys that incorporated questions from the Gallup and other organizational performance systems to measure employee satisfaction and engagement, along with employee evaluation of organizational performance and processes. Coraggio found that ODOE could increase organizational efficacy and employee satisfaction through improved policies and processes, and greater direction on priorities and goals associated with the strategic plan. A more efficient agency with more engaged staff that are clear on goals and organizational direction should help further our efforts under the previous imperatives that focus on improving stakeholder engagement, achieving inclusive and equitable outcomes, enhancing data capabilities, and modernizing agency programs.	Objectives: Increase average Gallup Q12 engagement score to at least 4.0 (out of 5.0) Increase “Efficient and effective processes & procedures" (Whole Systems Model) survey score to at least 3.5 Increase in Key Performance Measure customer satisfaction score to at least 95%	Initiatives: Update and improve employee development and recognition plans and programs Create internal action teams to identify and implement cross-functional process improvements Evaluate and improve agency collaboration and communication culture Update ODOE's KPM customer satisfaction survey and implement timelier customer service evaluations

Phase Three: Get Moving

ODOE is implementing the strategic plan by prioritizing initiatives for action planning in the first two years of the plan. Sign up for email updates for future strategic planning announcements.

Strategic Plan Progress Dashboards

Many thanks to Coraggio Group, who served as our consultant when developing our plan.