2021
Maui’s Department of Water Supply (DWS) set out to create its first strategic plan—a road map for operating efficiently, engaging the community, and integrating sustainable water management practices and policies. Given the importance of the project, DWS selected Harris & Associates to assist with the plan development in two phases.
For phase one, Harris led a visioning workshop that encouraged DWS to review potential future state conditions and unknowns around energy policy, climate change, sea level rise, new technologies, and economic growth and development. DWS chose one of the scenarios to form the basis of its strategic plan, which they will evaluate all future investments against.
Phase two efforts included identifying strategic initiatives, key performance indicators, benchmarking analyses, and financial analyses that will position DWS to measure progress and meet the strategic plan goals.
Core Elements
Before developing plans for the future, organizations first need to know where they stand today. Harris established this baseline for DWS with a holistic review of their water utility operations along with an enlightening Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis.
Beyond the Blueprints
To set DWS up for success, Harris helped DWS identify key initiatives to prepare DWS for future changes. These initiatives included:
- Digital infrastructure
- Workforce sustainability
- Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) upgrades
- Water resource management
Meet the Team
Client
County of Maui, Department of Water Supply
Location
Wailuku, HI
