BUSINESS AND TRAINING
47
Elements of a typical strategy
Roussos presented the six core elements of a
strategy:
• Vision
• A stakeholder map of who is involved in the
industry
• Strategic pillars and actual operational focus
areas
• Key activities and milestones that need to be
achieved
• Financial impact projections (the numbers which
enable accountability)
• Guide for assessing new projects
The process is to be done in two phases entirely by
BluLever Education: the first occurred at the end of
2019, consisting of research and understanding of
what the plumbing ecosystem looks like. Early 2020
will build on that and look at what the strategy will
look like and where it is going over the five years of
the strategy.
From left: IOPSA executive director Brendan Reynolds and PIRB chairman Lea Smith.
There are four steps to Phase 1:
• The workshop
• A workshop with IOPSA and PIRB, who are the
custodians of the industry (and are entirely
funding the process)
• Further research involving more interviews and
desk research (looking at legislation, plumbing
specifics and international best practices) to
explore nuances and delve deeper
• Producing an initial report, which would be the
launch point for the detailed strategy at end-
2019
Phase 2 also has four steps:
• A workshop to explain the report to stakeholders,
its pillars and the opportunities it wishes to focus
on
• A first report (not the initial report) after a
steering committee has been appointed to
evaluate it
• A presentation to make sure it makes sense
• The final strategy presentation to the same
group as present, which is the only commitment
required of this group unless any volunteer to
be part of the steering committee. The steering
committee would consist of four to six people,
each highly immersed in the industry, and which
would help guide and counsel the process.
The strategy is then handed over to IOPSA and PIRB
as the project custodians, who will carry it forward.
In conclusion, Brendan Reynolds, Executive Director
of IOPSA noted, “This process is intended to lay the
groundwork for the future of the plumbing industry.
It’s a seminal moment for us: this is the direction we
as an industry want to go in the future. The process
is meant to stop moving according to the whims
and changes that comes from any of big business,
government or the SETA space, but to rather establish
our own agenda. In the past we’ve shifted focus
as government policy changes or funding windows
March 2020 Volume 26 I Number 01
BluLever making a presentation to the 2025 workshop.
“This process is intended to lay the
groundwork for the future of the
plumbing industry. It’s a seminal moment
for us: this is the direction we as an
industry want to go in the future."
change – and we feel that is not useful for our industry.
We need a plan that is the right one for our industry as
opposed to the politics of the day.”
In this regard, the plumbing industry is a first-mover, as
Smith says nothing like this exists elsewhere in South
Africa, and consequently it will be opened up to other
trades and industries. “We would like to get to a point
where we can offer this to other industries for them to
use or not. This is for our industry firstly, but if we get it
right then any trade can use it to their advantage. Share
the love!” PA
www.plumbingafrica.co.za