Strategic Plan - Internal

VIEW THE UPDATED FY2026-2031 STRATEGIC PLAN

Strategic Plan Updates

Check back here to get the latest updates about the strategic plan.

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What’s the importance of a Strategic Plan and why does it matter?  
6/25/2025

A strategic plan is vital for any organization because it provides clear direction and long-term focus. It defines the organization's mission, vision, and key objectives, ensuring that everyone is aligned toward common goals. With a strategic plan in place, decision-making becomes more consistent and informed, as leaders can evaluate opportunities and challenges based on a clear framework. It also helps allocate resources—such as time, money, and personnel—more efficiently by focusing them on key focus areas. Additionally, a strategic plan establishes benchmarks for performance, enabling organizations to measure progress and hold individuals accountable. It enhances adaptability by preparing the organization to respond to changes or risks with thoughtful contingency plans. Furthermore, involving stakeholders in the planning process promotes engagement, connection and motivation, as employees and partners understand their roles in the bigger picture. Lastly, a strategic plan allows organizations to stay ahead of trends, innovate, and remain resilient in a constantly evolving environment. Overall, it turns vision into actionable steps, driving sustainable success. 

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Strategic Plan Roles and Responsibilities
5/14/2025 

You play a vital role in the successful implementation of our new strategic plan. Below are key points outlining your roles and responsibilities to help us achieve our goals. 

1. Understand Strategic Objectives

First and foremost, ensure that you thoroughly understand the strategic objectives and how your individual role supports them. Clear understanding and alignment with the strategic vision will help drive the success of our plan. 

2. Collaboration and Communication

Collaboration and communication are essential. By working together across PRT departments, sharing insights, and providing feedback, you help ensure smooth coordination and progress towards achieving our strategic goals. Effective teamwork drives success! 

3. Innovation and Problem Solving

You are expected to innovate and solve problems by identifying opportunities for improvement and offering creative solutions that align with the strategic plan. As the transportation market evolves, we must remain adaptable to change, embracing new processes, tools, or strategies introduced in the plan. 

4. Performance Tracking and Measurement

Tracking and measuring performance is a crucial responsibility. As key owners of our plan, you should monitor progress against specific targets or KPIs and adjust your approach as needed to stay on track.  

5. Continuous Improvement

You play an important role in the continuous improvement of the strategic plan. Offer valuable feedback on what’s working and identify areas where we can optimize and improve. Your input helps us refine and enhance our approach. 

6. Commitment to Organizational Culture

Your commitment to PRT’s culture is significant. It’s important to embody our values and adopt the mindset that supports our strategy. Whether focusing on quality, customer service, or teamwork, your actions reflect the organization’s core principles. 

7. Effective Resource Management

Efficient use of time, budgets, and materials ensures that the plan remains within scope and budget. Resource optimization is vital for successful strategic execution. 

8. Accountability and Leadership

Accountability and leadership, even at non-managerial levels, are essential for maintaining momentum. By taking ownership of your role and holding yourself and others accountable for meeting targets, you contribute to the overall success of the plan. Leadership at all levels is crucial! 

9. Support for Change Management

As PRT undergoes change, you support change management efforts by embracing new directions and helping your peers navigate transitions. Adaptability and supporting change ensure smoother implementation of new strategies. 

10. Skill Development

Finally, it is important that you develop and refine your skills. By continuously improving your expertise, you ensure that you are well-equipped to execute the strategic plan and contribute to its success. Ongoing professional development empowers you to stay ahead! 

Conclusion 

In summary, you are essential to the successful execution of our strategic plan. By staying aligned with PRT’s goals, executing tasks effectively, collaborating across teams, adapting to changes, and contributing to continuous improvement, you play an active role in bringing our strategic vision to life. Engaged, well-informed employees like you are the foundation of our success, and together, we will achieve the strategic objectives set before us. 

Strategic plans are only as successful as the people who implement them, so your contribution is indispensable in driving PRT’s future forward! 

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The Reimagined Strategic Plan for the Next Five Years 
4/22/2025

Have you recently asked yourself: What are PRT’s priorities for the next five years? Or Where is PRT headed as an agency in the near future? 

Developed by the Strategic Initiatives Division. The reimagined strategic plan provides a comprehensive roadmap, answers to those vital questions and sets clear goals for PRT’s future. 

The PRT Reimagined Strategic Plan outlines key priorities and offers long-term strategies designed to: 

• Increase operational efficiency and accountability 

• Grow ridership through improved services 

• Foster strong relationships and community engagement 

• Support and empower the workforce 

• Enhance service quality and reliability 

Stay tuned—more details about the Reimagined Strategic Plan will be shared in the coming weeks. PRT is shaping the future of public transit in Allegheny County! 

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Strategic Plan Dashboard 
9/17/2024

Is there a way to track our progress related to the current strategic plan? We're glad you asked—we now have a Strategic Plan Dashboard! This dashboard provides a status update of objectives assigned to each Division (Champion & Supporter). 

Take a look at the dashboard and let Director of Strategic Planning, Darrell Payne know your thoughts. 

You can also reach out to Darrell if you have any questions or would like access to the strategic plan dashboard at dpayne@rideprt.org.    

In addition, let Darrell know how we are doing with Year 2 goals.  

Users without access to Power BI, please contact the helpdesk. 

View Strategic Progress Dashboard

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What is Strategic Planning? 
9/5/2024

Strategic planning is a systematic process that organizations use to define their direction, set priorities, allocate resources, and ensure that all stakeholders are working toward common goals.  

A strategic plan is a structured document or framework that outlines PRT’s goals, objectives, and strategies for achieving them over a specified period, typically three to five years.  It serves as a roadmap, guiding decision-making and resource allocation to ensure that efforts align with PRT’s mission and vision. 

There are ten key components to a strategic plan:

1. Mission Statement: A brief statement that defines the purpose of the Agency. 
2. Vision Statement: A forward-looking statement that describes a desired future state.
3. Core Values: Fundamental principles or beliefs that guide culture and decision-making.
4. SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats): Understand the internal and external factors that could impact the Agency.
5. Strategic Goals: Broad, long-term outcomes that the Agency aims to achieve. These goals are aligned with PRT’s mission and vision.
6. Objectives: Specific, measurable actions or milestones that will help achieve the strategic goals. 
7. Strategies: The approaches or plans of action that will be taken to achieve the objectives. Strategies outline how the agency will use its resources to reach its goals.
8. Implementation Plan: A detailed plan that outlines how the strategies will be executed, including timelines, responsibilities, and resource allocation.
9. Monitoring and Evaluation: The process of tracking progress toward the goals and objectives, assessing performance, and making necessary adjustments to stay on course.
10. Financial Plan: An overview of the financial resources required to implement the strategic plan, including budgeting, funding sources, and financial management strategies.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss the strategic planning framework further, please feel free to reach out. Our Director of Strategic Planning Darrell Payne can be contacted at dpayne@rideprt.org for a meeting or conversation.

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Key Focus Areas 
5/22/24 

Over the last few months, the Strategy team has engaged with employees from every division to gather insights and feedback. We aimed to understand what you’re working on, recognize our agency's strengths, identify areas of concern, and explore opportunities for improvement. Your firsthand observations have been invaluable. 

We presented your feedback to the Senior Team, who used it to shape our future priorities. Based on your input, the Senior Team has identified the following Key Focus Areas for our next Strategic Plan: 

1. Improve Service Quality 
2. Grow Ridership 
3. Support Workforce 
4. Be a Good Neighbor 

These Key Focus Areas represent our top priorities for the coming years. With these in place, we now need your help to build on this foundation. Throughout June and July, the Strategy team will reach out to employees across PRT to establish specific objectives to address these focus areas. 

Your participation is crucial as we work together to enhance service quality, increase ridership, support our workforce, and foster positive community relationships. Stay tuned for upcoming meetings and opportunities to contribute to our strategic objectives. Let's shape the future of Pittsburgh Regional Transit together! 

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Analysis of PRT 
4/22/24  

We heard your feedback – you want to see a plan that is more reflective of the work we are doing and need to do as an agency.  To start this process, this month the Strategy Team has been meeting with PRT employees to conduct a SWOT analysis related to the strategic plan. A SWOT analysis is a framework used in strategic planning to evaluate the PRT’s internal Strengths, internal Weaknesses, external Opportunities, and external Threats. A SWOT analysis is instrumental because it provides us with tangible data, feedback, and suggestions for identifying key focus areas related to the strategic plan.   

Share with us what you deem are the SWOTs of PRT are by emailing Darrell Payne dpayne@rideprt.org 

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National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week
4/15/24

This week is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (NPSTW). NPSTW holds a special place annually during the second or third week of April, recognizing the dedication, service, and sacrifices of public safety telecommunicators. Initially launched in 1981 by Patricia Anderson of the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office in California, NPSTW gained national recognition when President William J. Clinton signed Presidential Proclamation 6667 in 1994, officially designating the second (or third) week of April as NPSTW.  

Join us in celebrating this important week by expressing gratitude to the telecommunications personnel. You’re the unsung heroes of Port Authority Police and PRT who tirelessly serve our communities, citizens, and help keep our riders and the public safe. Thank you! 

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Focus Groups 
4/8/24  

Focus group meetings are underway to discuss the current strategic plan (identifying what’s working and not working). Your participation and feedback concerning the strategic plan goals and objectives are paramount. So, if you haven’t had the opportunity to provide feedback or want to participate in a focus group, please email Darrell Payne at dpayne@rideprt.org 

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Standard Operating Procedures 
3/25/24  

Did you attend the Standard Operating Procedures training session on Monday, February 26, 2024? One important topic covered involved identifying value-added vs. non-value-added tasks. Non-value-added tasks add no value to the current process and, in most cases, cause a slowdown or bottlenecks. Value-added tasks are essential to the completion of a process. If you want to learn more about how to write SOPs and what internal procedures relate or apply to creating an SOP, please email Director of Strategic Planning, Darrell Payne directly: dpayne@rideprt.org 

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Transit Worker Appreciation Day 
3/18/24

Today is Transit Worker Appreciation Day! 

Let’s take a moment to express gratitude to the dedicated transit workers who keep Allegheny County moving. These unsung heroes ensure we reach our destinations safely and efficiently. 

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Posted Signs
3/11/24

Have you seen the new signs related to the strategic plan located in various locations throughout the Agency? The signs remind us of our strategic plan goals and objectives. Additionally, they are meant to remind everyone at PRT what we value and who our work serves. Every day is our chance to improve our region and make someone’s day a little brighter. 

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Focus Group Discussions 
2/26/24

Over the next few weeks, the Strategy Division will conduct focus groups with each division to discuss the current strategic plan (identifying what’s working and not working). The expected outcome meeting with each division is to take what’s learned and apply it to the strategic plan refresh.  

A strategic plan refresh is simply an opportunity to revisit current goals and objectives to ensure they are still relevant and capture new content and input related to each division. It is essential because it aims to obtain feedback from everyone at PRT. So, your input is necessary; we want your voice included in the conversation. Stay tuned because focus group invitations will be sent soon to discuss the strategic plan refresh.   

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Our New Director of Strategic Planning!  
2/8/24 

Welcome to the PRT team, Darrell Payne! As our new Director of Strategic Planning, Darrell will be leading our Strategic Plan Ambassadors, working closely with our new Manager of Data Analytics to track PRT’S strategy progress, study industry trends, get to know each division, and come up with new ideas to help achieve our goals.   

Prior to joining PRT, Darrell worked as a Project Manager & Process Improvement Coordinator at Allegheny County, County Manager’s Office, his primary responsibilities included creating a culture of continuous improvement across the organization, developing and leading training, and identifying and managing process improvements projects. Darrell has a background in strategic planning, process improvement, supply chain management and community engagement. He holds a Ph.D. in Community Engagement and a Master’s degree in Engineering Management. He lives in Brighton Heights and has 2-toddler aged children. 

Darrell Payne, Director of Strategic Planning

 

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