The Fairfax County Strategic Plan aims to enhance economic success by diversifying the economy, improving community appeal, and streamlining development processes. Key goals include investing in infrastructure, fostering education and social equity, and increasing government agility. The plan emphasizes collaboration between citizens, businesses, and government to create a vibrant community where residents can thrive.

1. Fairfax County
Strategic Plan to Facilitate the
Economic Success of Fairfax County
Sharon Bulova, Chairman, Board of Supervisors
Sharon.Bulova@fairfaxcounty.gov
Robert A. Stalzer, Deputy County Executive
Rob.Stalzer@fairfaxcounty.gov
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/success
1September 4, 2015

2. Strategic Plan to Facilitate the Economic Success of Fairfax County
Where We’ve Been
Office vacancy rates up
Fewer federal jobs
Need for flexibility to respond to change and to take
advantage of opportunities
Capitalize on developing business trends
Leverage County successes and respond to market
Maintain high-quality public services, a vibrant
community with places where people want to be,
and support our changing and growing population
Economic Success
September 4, 2015 2

3. March 11, 2015 3
Strategic Plan to Facilitate the Economic Success of Fairfax County
Diversification and Recovery
Board of Supervisors created Economic Advisory
Commission
Identify hindrances and barriers to our recovery
Identify opportunities to improve
Develop vision of where we want to go
The Strategic Plan to Facilitate the Economic Success
of Fairfax County
Adopted by the Board of Supervisors March 3, 2015
Vision of and actions to achieve Economic Success
Economic Success

4. Economic Success Vision
Strategic Plan to Facilitate the Economic Success of Fairfax County
Economic Success
Overarching Vision
“… Prosperity can only be achieved and sustained
when a community's citizens, businesses and
government work in concert for everyone's
benefit… Our vision is a community where
businesses, residents, and employees of a variety
of ages, abilities, and experiences want to live,
work, play, learn, and thrive...”
Adopted by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on March 3, 2015.
September 4, 2015 4

5. September 4, 2015 5
Strategic Plan to Facilitate the Economic Success of Fairfax County
Six Goals of The Plan
Further Diversify Our Economy
Create Places Where People Want to Be
Improve the Speed, Consistency, and Predictability
of the Development Review Process
Invest in Natural and Physical Infrastructure
Achieve Economic Success through Education and
Social Equity
Increase Agility of County Government
Economic Success

6. September 4, 2015 6
Strategic Plan to Facilitate the Economic Success of Fairfax County
Six Goals of The Plan
Further Diversify Our Economy
Innovation, Research, Revenue Growth
Create Places Where People Want to Be
Branding, Placemaking, Repositioning
Improve the Speed, Consistency, and Predictability of the
Development Review Process
Speed, Consistency, Predictability
Invest in Natural and Physical Infrastructure
Collaboration, Partnership, Sustainability
Achieve Economic Success through Education and Social Equity
Opportunity, Education, Access
Increase Agility of County Government
Better Communication, Transparency, Culture of Innovation
Economic Success

7. Some Highlights
Strategic Plan to Facilitate the Economic Success of Fairfax County
Economic Success
Further Diversify Our Economy
World class research and development in the
County
Promote, partner, develop innovation centers
or similar hubs
Create Places Where People Want to Be
Focus on creation of mixed use communities in
activity centers served by multi-modal
transportation options
Support efforts to enliven places
Expand activities to market and brand our
unique communities
Implement tools to facilitate repurposing of
empty or obsolete commercial spaces
Focus on revenue diversification, smart
growth/placemaking, and stewardship
September 4, 2015 7

8. Some Highlights
Strategic Plan to Facilitate the Economic Success of Fairfax County
Economic Success
Invest in Natural and Physical Infrastructure
Dedicate funding and establish longer term
maintenance strategies for County-owned
infrastructure and facilities.
Maximize return on investment County real
estate assets by leveraging partnership
opportunities.
Achieve Economic Success through Education
and Social Equity
World class public schools
Technical, vocational, middle-skill workforce
training and development
Housing affordability and availability for all
levels of income
Sustainability, education, and training
September 4, 2015 8

9. Removing the Barnacles and Barriers
Strategic Plan to Facilitate the Economic Success of Fairfax County
Economic Success
Improve the Speed, Consistency, and Predictability
of the Development Review Process
Create a regulatory process that is collaborative
and nurturing for industry and businesses and
customers, big and small, while balancing
community sensitivity
Deliberately examine our process and policies.
Evaluate and amend as necessary
Develop a business model for regulatory
services designed around meeting agreed upon
service levels
Increase Agility of County Government
Create an agile culture that ensures County
employees and leaders understand the impact of
our work on economic success
Removing accumulated barnacles to
remain competitive and agile
September 4, 2015 9

10. • Board’s commitment to economic success shown by
supporting “Booster Shot” out-of-cycle
– County and industry partnership
• Booster Shot did four things:
– Raised Fees – estimated $5.2 M per year
– Created 28 New Positions
– Funded Outside Review of Process
– Promissory Note To Stakeholders
• Vision for Goal 3
Board Approved “Booster Shot”
Strategic Plan to Facilitate the Economic Success of Fairfax County
Economic Success
September 4, 2015 10

11. Improve the Speed, Consistency and Predictability of the
Development Review Process while
1) maintaining a meaningful participatory role for County
residents,
2) recognizing that time-to-market
is crucial and
3) understanding the importance
of agility in responding to
market demand.
11
Vision for Goal Three
Improve the Speed, Consistency, and Predictability of the Development Review Process
Economic Success
September 4, 2015

12. Accomplish these goals by:
1) Providing integrated development review services ...
2) Developing a unified service delivery culture across the full system – County,
industry and community
3) Setting consistent and understandable guidelines .... Revise codes and
ordinances to ensure they are relevant to today’s more urban and
increasingly complex development patterns
4) Defining service levels and approval timeframes ... mutually agreed upon ...
5) Implementing and then updating technology ...
6) Recruiting and retaining a well trained staff and ensuring they have the
knowledge, resources and support with the commensurate level of
organizational morale to effectively perform the work.
12
Vision for Goal Three
Improve the Speed, Consistency, and Predictability of the Development Review Process
Economic Success
September 4, 2015

13. • Approximately 60 small-group meetings, averaging
7-8 people in each
• Met with a variety of stakeholders:
• Staff
• Industry (attorneys, architects, engineers,
planners, developers, contractors, small business
owners
• Planning Commission
• Board of Supervisors’ land use aides,
• Chambers of Commerce
• Economic Development Authority
• Faith-based organizations and nonprofits
Reviewed more than 100 documents and online
webpages from and/or about Fairfax County land
development process
13
Gartner’s Early Research
Improve the Speed, Consistency, and Predictability of the Development Review Process
Economic Success
September 4, 2015

14.  Fairfax County has many strengths. Because this is a process improvement effort, we are focused on perceived
weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
FAIRFAX COUNTY SWOT
Strengths Weaknesses
Fairfax is already a great place to live, work, and
play.
Well managed government dedicated to
improving Development Services.
Strong local development industry and
collaboration with the County through a formal
Steering Committee.
 Culture - regulatory review process has become
adversarial and there is a culture of ‘no.’
 Complexities in regulations, processes, nature of
development hamper delivery of services and make it
difficult for customers to comply.
 Fractured, siloed approach to regulatory review
functions limit coordination and collaboration.
 Time to market is no longer competitive.
 Technology is aging and difficult to adapt to meet
business needs.
 Lack of metrics to measure, manage, and improve
operations.
Opportunities Threats
 Leadership exists from inside and outside to make
a positive change to support economic success.
 Great developing partnership evidenced by this
effort.
 Redevelopment (CRDs, Tysons, Reston, TODs).
 Technology improvements planned and in-progress
(e.g. ePlans and Modernization).
 Potential for business realignment
 Competition for development opportunities from other
jurisdictions.
 Cost constraints to implement recommendations.
 Succession plan – retirements of experienced,
knowledgeable staff – needs to be established.
 Availability and experience of Staff to implement
recommendations.
Fairfax County SWOT
Improve the Speed, Consistency, and Predictability of the Development Review Process
Economic Success

15. Primary Themes
A number of primary themes were identified through current state analysis
 As a result of the current state analysis activities conducted by the Gartner team, seven primary themes rose to
the surface that encapsulate the major issues and opportunities for the County as it relates to development
services. These themes are presented in summary format. The themes will serve as a framework for
recommendations and the development of the future state vision.
1. The land development process has become increasingly adversarial over time
2. Cultural issues impair efficient customer service and effective service delivery
3. Fairfax County operates in silos, which limits ability to effectively communicate
and coordinate with one another
4. Complexities and inconsistencies with land use and development polices and
regulations hamper predictability and efficiency of service delivery
5. Inconsistencies throughout the process hamper predictability and efficiency of
service delivery
6. Aging, non-integrated technology systems exacerbate process and customer
service issues
7. Metrics do not fully measure quality and actual workload or priorities
Primary Themes
Improve the Speed, Consistency, and Predictability of the Development Review Process
Economic Success
September 4, 2015 15

16. Primary Themes
A number of primary themes were identified through current state analysis
Many Planning and Development staff attended a ThinkTank information
gathering session to discuss Gartner’s findings and share information
Assess the importance and level of difficulty to change for each of the seven
findings.
Did we miss anything?
What is your personal mission?
What are your top three challenges or obstacles?
What do you need to be more productive?
Who do you wish you had a better partnership with?
What is going well?
What are your recommendations for improving the process?
What do you need to feel personally included in this change process?
Staff Preparation for
Change Implementation
Improve the Speed, Consistency, and Predictability of the Development Review Process
Economic Success
September 4, 2015 16

17. Primary Themes
A number of primary themes were identified through current state analysis
Other Jurisdictions’ Best Practices
Improve the Speed, Consistency, and Predictability of the Development Review Process
Economic Success
Gartner is now gathering jurisdictional evaluations of
best practices from across the country.
Our consultants are looking at other jurisdiction’s processes for
things that we want to consider as we vision our new process.
– If you know of any that we should be aware of, please let us know!
RPideas@fairfaxcounty.gov
• 7 Local Jurisdictions
• Sacramento County
• Kansas City
• Clark County
• Austin
• Denver
• Tampa
• Nashville
• Ashville
• Los Angeles
• King County
• Portland
• Charlotte-
Mecklenburg
• Charlotte County
• DeKalb County
• Shelby
• Gwinnet County
• Santa Clara County
• Maricopa County
• Raleigh
• New York City
Project Management
Enterprise Fund
Organizational Structure
September 4, 2015 17

18. Primary Themes
A number of primary themes were identified through current state analysis
Tackling Initiatives List
Improve the Speed, Consistency, and Predictability of the Development Review Process
Economic Success
119?
92?
5 or 6?
221?
Prioritized to
7 Initiatives
!
• Constantly gathering suggestions for improving our processes and services
September 4, 2015 18

19. Primary Themes
A number of primary themes were identified through current state analysis
Top Seven Initiatives
Improve the Speed, Consistency, and Predictability of the Development Review Process
Economic Success
• While Gartner is gathering the jurisdictional
data, we have begun work on seven initiatives:
Joint Training Academy
Planning and Development Customer Information Center
Project Management “Approach” Pilot
Proffer Cross-Agency Team
Retail Strategy
Parking Management
Opening Restaurants
September 4, 2015 19

20. Primary Themes
A number of primary themes were identified through current state analysis
Next Steps
Improve the Speed, Consistency, and Predictability of the Development Review Process
Economic Success
• Ongoing – Top Seven Initiatives
• Early 2016 – Gartner Report delivered for
review and consideration
– Implement Recommendations
September 4, 2015 20