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PUC OKs Implementation Of PaPUC Forward Strategic Plan Centered On Professional Development, Process Excellence, Enhanced Consumer Education

On August 22, the Public Utility Commission launched its five-year Strategic Plan – “PAPUC Forward” – a five-year operational strategic plan centered on professional development, staff advancement and recruitment, the creation of a process excellence framework and an “Innovation Engine,” technology modernization, and enhanced consumer education.

The Commissioners granted authority to Executive Director Jennifer Berrier to begin implementation of the comprehensive operational strategy for 2025 to 2029, designed to ensure the Commission remains a leader in state utility regulation as it approaches its 90th anniversary.

Chairman Stephen M. DeFrank thanked PUC employees who participated in quarterly surveys that informed the plan, the PUC’s Strategic Planning Core Team (Executive Director Berrier and Director of Administration Robert Gramola), Bureau Directors and Managers, and external stakeholders who completed surveys to identify issues to be addressed.

“Today marks a significant milestone for the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission as we proudly embark on the implementation of our new five-year Strategic Plan – and the name of the plan says it all: ‘PAPUC Forward,’” said Chairman DeFrank. “The landscape has changed significantly in recent years — with new responsibilities from the General Assembly, new leadership and evolving work practices in a post-pandemic world — all of which call for us to be thoughtful and adaptive in preparing for the exciting years ahead.

“This plan is comprehensive, addressing both the current challenges we face and positioning us to anticipate and seize future opportunities. This plan is indeed ambitious. But it is designed with our people – our greatest asset – at the heart of it all. Their expertise, dedication and passion are what will drive this plan forward and ensure its success.”

Commissioner Zerfuss said, “I commend the intentional and meaningful contributions of agency staff, Commissioners and our vested partners in the creation of this strategic plan. This plan sets the PA PUC on a path to 21st century governance, all in the name of better serving Pennsylvanians.”

After a four-and-a-half-month collaboration with Baker Tilly US, LLC, the Commission announced today that its strategic plan includes a new vision for the agency, a renewed commitment to the longstanding mission statement, values that will guide the Commission over the next five years, five strategic focus areas, and 13 key objectives.

Vision

To be leaders in state utility regulation with creative, forward-thinking, proactive oversight services, anticipating and addressing the rapidly evolving utility needs of Pennsylvania consumers.

Mission

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

Values

These values will be the core principles, beliefs and standards that guide behavior, decision-making, and interactions both internally and externally:

-- Integrity & Accountability

-- Innovation

-- Collaboration

-- Resilience

-- Public Service

Additionally, the collaboration finalized five main strategic focus areas to guide the strategic plan, along with key objectives:

-- People & Culture – The PUC seeks to foster a positive and supportive culture by enhancing professional development and advancement opportunities for our staff; attracting more talent through a recruitment strategy; and improving culture and addressing diverse opportunities and employee engagement.

-- Project Management Capability – The PUC seeks to create project management capability by establishing a process excellence framework for project execution, and establishing PPM (project portfolio management) capabilities, as well as project governance capabilities.

-- Process & Operational Excellence – The PUC will create an “Innovation Engine” to drive efficiency and effectiveness; standardize and evolve operations for common and consistent execution; and refine the Commission’s operating model and roles and responsibilities.

-- Technology Modernization – The PUC will deliver modernization throughout the agency, by ensuring staff has modern technology applications and office productivity solutions to carry out their duties in the most efficient manner; and by addressing the IT service and support needs of the Commission with sufficient skill and capacity to address the needs of the agency.

-- Communication – The PUC will bolster internal credibility and trust, and enhance culture through transparent and consistent information sharing with a broader communication focus incorporating the voice of Bureau leadership more frequently; and enhance consumer-education communications and channels to inform Pennsylvania ratepayers via agency outreach while streamlining efforts and educational outreach with the Bureau of Consumer Services.

In March 2024, the PUC engaged Baker Tilly to assist with developing a new operational strategic plan.

Over the course of the next four-and-a-half months, Baker Tilly worked weekly with the PUC’s Strategic Planning Core Team; reviewed quarterly employee surveys; conducted an external survey of jurisdictional utilities and other stakeholders; and met with Commissioners, Bureau Directors and Managers.

The major themes that emerged were people, technology and innovations, project management and operational efficiency, organizational structure and alignment, risk management and strategic planning, and organizational governance and decision-making.

Click Here for a copy of the Plan.

Click Here for the complete announcement.

Visit the PA Public Utility Commission website for more information on the agency, responsibilities and for consumer education resources.

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