What We’re Doing
In 2023, the Boulder County Department of Human Services (BCHS) set off on a journey to define what matters most to us as an organization and discover the things we need to do to help strengthen our diverse communities.
As part of this work, we know we need to understand the experiences people have when they seek support from us, and the barriers in their lives that we might be able to contribute to breaking down. We contracted with a Colorado company, Integrated Work, to help guide our communities, staff, and partners through a collaborative process to build a plan for our external and internal work over the next five years, including our values, vision, mission, and goals.
Sometimes called “strategic planning”, this work is really about listening, challenging ourselves, and getting creative about solutions. In the past, these strategic planning processes have been led by Human Services management. We are changing this dynamic by seeking and listening to the voices of those traditionally unheard, and making sure they form the foundation of this work. Our services are meant for all community members, and they’re delivered by a diverse group of staff and partners. These are the people who should be co-leading the development of our values, vision, mission, and goals to guide our internal and external work through the end of this decade.
Our values, vision, mission, and goals can be clearer and more specific, so community members, staff, and partners fully understand who we are, what we want to accomplish and why, and how we will do it. It’s also important that these groups see themselves and their roles and opportunities clearly within our values, vision, mission, and goals.
While we expect to finish the first phase of this strategic planning work by the end of 2024, this is just the beginning of our focus on deepening our connections, transparency, and accountability to the communities we are entrusted with serving.
