Part 3: Building Culture into Strategic Planning
This discussion applies to municipal police services boards, which are responsible for developing and maintaining a strategic plan for their police service under the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019. OPP detachment boards have a different and more limited governance role, so strategic planning does not apply to them in the same way.
For municipal boards, the strategic plan is the foundation of accountability and direction. It shapes how the service operates, how resources are used, and how the community experiences policing. Culture belongs inside that plan because it determines whether goals are achieved in a healthy, ethical, and sustainable way.
Why culture and strategy must connect
Culture defines how people behave while they work toward shared goals. A plan can describe what needs to be done, but culture determines whether it gets done well. When boards build culture into their strategic plan, they create space for leadership development, fairness, and wellness to stand beside operational outcomes.
A positive culture supports communication, collaboration, and pride in service. A poor culture weakens morale, slows progress, and damages trust. The strategic plan is one of the most effective tools a board has to make sure that culture supports, not hinders, performance.
The board owns the plan
Under the CSPA, municipal boards must lead the creation of the strategic plan. The Chief and senior leadership provide operational insight and data to inform it, but ownership and accountability rest with the board.
When boards delegate this work entirely to the service, they lose part of their governance function, in addition to details directly tied to strategic actions for the board specifically. The plan should reflect the board’s direction and the community’s expectations, developed in consultation with the Chief, municipal partners, and the public. The Chief then builds operational plans that align with the board’s strategic direction.
Making culture part of the plan
Boards can treat culture as a clear and measurable pillar within their plan. Example wording might include:
- Supporting a safe, respectful, and accountable workplace.
- Strengthening leadership and wellbeing to improve service quality.
These commitments make culture visible. They also allow the board to measure progress and request updates on real indicators such as engagement, wellness, and fairness.
Keeping culture visible in board discussions
Once the plan is in place, culture should remain on the board’s agenda. Boards can ask:
- How is leadership modelling the values set out in the plan?
- What progress has been made in promoting inclusion and wellness?
- How is success being measured and reported to the board?
These questions keep oversight focused on outcomes without stepping into daily operations.
The link between culture and public trust
When culture goals are clear and part of the strategic plan, everyone knows what success looks like. Healthy internal culture leads to stronger relationships with the community. Staff who feel valued and supported deliver better service, and the public sees that accountability and respect are more than slogans.