Goal 4: Operational Excellence

DNR demonstrates operational excellence and continuous improvement in service to Minnesotans.

Accomplishing our natural resource goals requires operational excellence. DNR must continually seek to improve efficiency and effectiveness on behalf of Minnesotans. Increasing efficiency alone cannot address today's conservation challenges that operate at a larger and more complex scale than in the past. Investing in our employees is crucial to maintaining our ability to support core operations, be nimble in the face of new challenges, and recruit and retain tomorrow's workers. To succeed in a changing world, DNR staff must bring diverse perspectives, skills, and focus to their work.

Strategies

The following strategies serve to guide targeted actions related to Goal 4:

• Commit to workforce development. Develop a workforce that is representative of all Minnesotans by enhancing a safe, respectful, and dynamic work environment to retain high-quality performers and continue to attract top talent.
• Employ adaptive management practices. Practice adaptive management, learning as we go, to respond to rapid and long-term changes, new insights, and unanticipated events while delivering safe, effective, and efficient work processes.
• Make smart investments to manage future operational costs. Invest in DNR's facilities and fleet to ensure the safe and effective delivery of public services and efficient internal operations for the long term.
• Reduce energy use and invest in renewable energy. Improve the efficiency of DNR facilities, vehicles, and equipment and increase our use of renewable energy in order to reduce our department's greenhouse gas emissions.
• Enhance transparency. Provide easy and transparent access to information so the public can understand and participate in the DNR's work.

Trends

Four key trends informing Goal 4 strategies:

1. Solving challenging community and natural resource issues is increasingly a collaborative endeavor requiring strong partnerships.  
2. Minnesota's demographics are changing, affecting DNR’s workforce, demand for services, and public engagement expectations. 
3. Funding conservation requires more creativity and flexibility than it has in the past as traditional revenue sources, such as users-based funding, are insufficient to cover the breadth of DNR’s work.  
4. Costs of doing business are rising, and the public’s expectations for how we deliver services are changing. Customers expect more online resources and programming, in addition to traditional services.