Dear Residents:

I am pleased to present the 2017-2021 Strategic Plan (Plan) for the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO). This plan outlines the priorities and direction of the OCFO over the next five years. As you will see in the pages that follow, we have been hard at work since 2014. The 2017 plan has been updated to reflect the many accomplishments from our 2014 Strategic Plan. Here, we also introduce new strategic initiatives, share the OCFO vision and value statements, and launch our new program for creating a culture of continuous improvement. We have also developed key performance indicators that will be used to measure our progress towards our goal of being a “best in class” financial organization.

The 2017-2021 plan continues to focus on the seven strategic objectives that strengthen the OCFO organization and enables us to better serve the residents and businesses of the District of Columbia. The strategic objectives are:

1. Improve Customer Service
2. Create a Culture of Continuous Improvement
3. Improve Transparency and Quality of Information
4. Manage Risk and Prevent Fraud
5. Implement Quality Financial Systems
6. Develop, Attract, and Retain High Quality Employees
7. Manage a Fair and Equitable System to Fully Collect District Revenues

The plan includes 25 new or ongoing initiatives that support one or more of the seven objectives. In general, the plan calls for implementing and maintaining quality financial systems, ensuring that best practices are in place for areas ranging from fraud prevention to lottery operations, improving the vendor payment process, developing a long-range capital asset financing plan, improving our online tools for better interactions with residents and businesses, and ensuring our internal programs, policies, and procedures support a workplace culture that attracts and retains the highest caliber of employees.

The strategic plan is a living document, and, as such, will be updated as necessary, as District and OCFO priorities change. The core behind any quality strategic plan is a culture that encourages the organization to continually strive to improve. A key accomplishment of the 2014 plan was the initiation of a culture of continuous improvement. To promote and nourish this program, a new Continuous Improvement Officer position was created. This program will form the foundation for success to accomplish what are 25 significant initiatives to improve how the District and the OCFO function. The specifics of each initiative are outlined in the Strategic Initiative Summaries section of this plan.

In closing, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all the OCFO staff, not only for their work in the development of this document, but for their consistent performance in furthering our mission and their dedication to public service. I would also like to thank the District residents, as well as community and business leaders, who continually provide their perspectives on the financial management of the District. Finally, I would like to thank Mayor Bowser and the Council for their support and input, which were critical to the plan’s development.

On behalf of the OCFO, we look forward to continuing this important work.

The best way to communicate with the OCFO about the Strategic Plan is by e-mail at [email protected].

For more information, view the Strategic Plan.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey S. DeWitt
Chief Financial Officer
Government of the District of Columbia