Strategic Visioning and Doing
The OCE helps organizations, communities, and institutions develop actionable, community-driven strategies through its Strategic Visioning & Doing framework. This approach moves beyond traditional planning by engaging stakeholders in a structured yet flexible process that turns vision into reality.
How It Works
- Collaborative Visioning – OCE facilitates inclusive discussions where community members, leaders, and partners identify shared goals and challenges. This ensures that strategies align with real community needs.
- Asset-Based Approach – Rather than focusing on deficits, OCE helps communities recognize and leverage their existing strengths, resources, and networks to drive progress.
- Action-Oriented Planning – Instead of creating lengthy reports that may sit unused, OCE emphasizes Strategic Doing — a process that breaks goals into achievable steps, assigns responsibility, and ensures measurable progress.
- Continuous Engagement & Adaptation – OCE supports partners beyond the initial planning phase by tracking progress, guiding collaboration, and adapting strategies based on real-world results.
Who Benefits?
- Local Governments & Nonprofits – Develop practical, community-led initiatives for economic development, education, and workforce training.
- Higher Education & Schools – Strengthen community-university partnerships for research, outreach, and student engagement.
- Business & Industry Leaders – Align workforce development efforts with local needs and emerging economic opportunities.
The Southern Illinois Strategic Doing Hub
By combining vision with action, OCE empowers communities to create sustainable, high-impact solutions that drive long-term success.
The Southern Illinois Strategic Doing Hub is a growing network of practitioners using the Strategic Doing methodology to design and guide complex collaborations. The Hub was established with the 2024 Founding Cohort that included Jeff Franklin (SIU System Institute for Rural Health), Miranda Sellars (SIUE We CARE Clinic), Vanessa Sneed (SIUC Business Innovation and Research Park), and Connie Frey Spurlock (SIU System Office of Community Engagement). In 2025, the Pathfinder Cohort expanded the network with additional practitioners committed to fostering collaborative, action-oriented solutions in their communities. The SIU Office of Community Engagement coordinates the Hub, providing a shared space for resources, conversations, and peer support.
OCE also utilized the Strategic Doing framework to assist the communities of Brooklyn and Bunker Hill in Illinois, and worked with the Alton Housing Authority.
To learn more about how OCE can support your organization’s strategic visioning and goals, contact Connie Frey Spurlock at (618) 453-3138 or connie.freyspurlock@siu.edu.
