Creating a Sustainable Organization Through Workforce Development at Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority

Workforce Development Planning is an important component of managing a utility in today’s changing environment. A workforce plan presents a multi-pronged approach designed to withstand the challenging workforce forecasts and to establish Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority (CCMWA) as an employer of choice, appealing to the best and brightest in the industry and providing CCMWA employees with a rewarding career full of opportunity and professional growth.For a workforce planning process to be successful, it must be founded on a comprehensive Strategic Plan. The CCMWA Strategic Plan identifies the organization’s Core Purpose as “To provide sustainable and reliable drinking water that supports public health, public safety and the economic vitality of the region.” The plan establishes three Core Values (Service, Stewardship, and Professionalism) and nine Strategic Initiatives. One of those initiatives is Workforce Development. This initiative included three Strategic Goals:Develop a highly competent, committed and supported workforceImprove employee engagement and moraleImprove workforce diversityCCMWA’s Workforce Development Plan is primarily designed to address the first of the three strategic goals listed above and includes Succession Planning, Knowledge Management, Leadership Development, and Organizational Change. However, development initiatives within an organization are inter-related, so accomplishing the Action Items in Goal 1 are expected to have an impact on the other Strategic Goals.