The Public Sector Podcast: Determining & Detailing Your 2025 Strategic Plan

In this dynamic episode, we catch up with Morgan Reed, Executive Advisor, AWS; former State CIO of Arizona, Andrea Day, Senior IT Director, Office of Information Technology, Heather Weir, Director of Strategy Performance Administration, Office of Information Technology, facilitated by Lance Lesniak, Head of Value Strategy & Innovation, Google to explore the realities behind public sector strategic planning—from balancing political change and budget cycles to driving alignment across diverse stakeholders. With perspectives from government leaders and innovation experts, the conversation tackles how to set meaningful goals, create sustainable momentum, and build strategies that survive beyond election cycles.

Whether you’re a seasoned CIO, an agency partner, or just starting your planning journey, this candid panel shares the lessons they’ve learned while navigating strategic planning at scale.

What You’ll Learn:

The Strategic Planning Journey

• The real-world “messiness” of aligning goals across agencies, departments, and state mandates
• Why strategic planning is more about facilitation, prioritisation, and negotiation than top-down directives
• How to protect your long-term goals from shifting political winds and budget constraints

Building Plans with Purpose

• The critical role of stakeholder feedback—from internal staff to citizens
• Tools and processes for incorporating feedback into measurable goals
• Using frameworks like 4DX (Four Disciplines of Execution) to operationalise strategy 

Managing the ‘Whirlwind’

• Strategies to identify the most impactful priorities amidst constant competing demands
• Creating visibility across agency work to reduce duplication and enhance focus
• What happens when operational capacity doesn’t match ambition—and how to recalibrate

Budgeting Meets Reality

• How to set meaningful goals without tying them to uncertain funding
• Navigating 24-month budget cycles while keeping projects relevant and realistic
• Communicating strategic value to legislative partners and executive leaders

Agility in Action: Responding to Change

• Lessons learned from the pandemic on adapting plans under pressure
• Embracing opportunities (like new funding or legislative shifts) without losing sight of core goals
• How to turn disruption into strategic acceleration

People, Process & Pipeline

• Why institutional knowledge and internal champions are vital to execution
• Building a tech-savvy, mission-driven workforce in a competitive talent market
• Strategies for bringing in the next generation of public servants—and retaining them

AI, Hype, and Real Strategy

• Where artificial intelligence fits into today’s planning processes—and where it doesn’t
• Navigating executive enthusiasm vs. actual implementation capacity
• Keeping AI in perspective while focusing on the real problems to solve

Representing All Communities

• How to ensure diverse geographic, cultural, and accessibility needs are reflected in strategic priorities
• The importance of user-centered design and lived-experience feedback loops
• Tools like Colorado’s “Lived Experience Library” for inclusive planning

Why You Should Listen:

 If you're involved in shaping or executing strategy in public service, this episode offers practical, honest insight into how to set goals that stick. Learn how to build strategic plans that are responsive, resilient, and rooted in real-world context—without losing sight of the people you serve.

🎧 Listen in to hear how public sector leaders are designing strategies that survive elections, budgets, pandemics—and still deliver real impact.