Since the Port of Long Beach created its strategic plan in 2006, it has been updated several times in response to events like the Great Recession of 2008 and an industry shift to bigger ships in 2016. But the plan’s most recent update, which was released on April 23, marks the beginning on a new approach, according to Harbor Commission President Tracy Egoscue. “A lot of strategic plans just get put on the shelf, and they’re pretty. We don’t want that. We want this to actually be a working, living document,” Egoscue told the Business Journal.

In addition to the updated plan, the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners also approved an implementation strategy outlining concrete steps to ensure the goals outlined in the plan are pursued. Over the next few months, staff are developing action plans for each of the six goals stated in the report: secure and efficient cargo movement, financial strength and security, state-of-the-art infrastructure, sustainable practices, increased community access and a diverse, high-performing workforce.

The Port of Long Beach has updated its Strategic Plan in a time of great transformation, said Harbor Commission President Tracy Egoscue, citing the planned move to a new administrative building, the progressing replacement of the Gerald Desmond Bridge and the culmination of construction at the port’s the Middle Harbor. (Photograph courtesy of the Port of Long Beach.)

“We’re hoping that the format is going to be of use to not just the leadership and staff of the port, but to the stakeholders and the community at large,” Egoscue said. According to a staff presentation, action plans are expected to be finalized by the end of the year. Staff leads will be identified for each of the port’s stated goals, Egoscue said. “This was a department-wide effort to make sure that the strategic goals that are reflected and communicated through the plan are achieved.”

Strategic goals, such as enhancing and diversifying revenue streams to ensure the port’s financial strength and security, are to be paired with concrete tasks for departments, executives and staff members, according to the implementation strategy. Other objectives include increased cyber security, identifying technology investments that would improve supply chain efficiency and developing a strategy to measure workforce diversity.

Once implemented, the success of each action plan will be reviewed regularly by the board, Egoscue noted. “We’re rolling out action plans so there’s transparency and accountability,” she said. The plans will include key tasks associated with achieving each goal, a person responsible for leading the effort, a timeline and a budget. The implementation plan also directs staff to develop a plan for communicating updates on the action plans’ progress to the public.

“We’re in a situation where there’s a lot of change. The industry is changing extremely quickly,” Egoscue said. With the help of the strategic plan and the action plans to follow, the port is taking steps to provide transparency and guidance in a rapidly changing environment, she explained.