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As
a part of addressing
sustainability
of projects in
rural Alaska,
capital funding
and constructing
agencies require
communities to
complete a business
plan for projects
that are being
built. Whether
it is a water
system, wastewater
system, bulk
fuel farm or
power plant,
the need for
a solid business
plan to achieve
sustainability
is apparent.
This
need prompted
each individual
agency to create
a business plan
model that suited
their particular
agencies needs.
The different
formats of these
plans often required
the same information
be presented
in a different
format, order
or manner. If
a community received
project funding
from two different
agencies, they
would be required
to do two different
business plans
in differing
formats. |
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In
addition to possibly
having to complete
two separate plans,
there were no provisions
in the plan to address
how each project
may affect the other.
This has lead to
a confusing system
that ultimately does
not benefit the community
in developing a plan
that will lay the
framework for sustainable
infrastructure.
At
the urging
of rural policy groups,
the Department
of
Community
and Economic
Development's
(Commerce)
Rural Utility Business
Advisor
(RUBA) program,
sought and
received
funding
from the Environmental
Protection
Agency (EPA) to
create
a template
model that
would streamline
community business
plans for each
of the agencies
involved
in rural Alaska
capital projects.
The Business
Planning for
Rural Alaska
Utilities guidebook
and template
allow a community
to
develop its
own business
plan in an
easy-to-follow
and logical
format
that will also
satisfy each
funding agency's
requirements
for a project
business
plan. The plan
is not meant
to be a "one
size fits all" approach
because the
various infrastructure
projects have
unique needs.
The template
is
intended to
be
flexible and
allow for easy
expansion and
contraction
to accommodate
the
needs of the
agencies
while
not overly
burdening the
community.
Ultimately,
the business
plan
is a valuable
tool for the
community
to use -- not
just another
agency
hoop to jump
through.
The
Business
Planning for Rural
Alaska
Utilities
Guidebook (Adobe
Acrobat, 2.26
MB) contains
narrative
instructions
on how you
write a
business plan
using the
Business
Plan Template.
The Business
Plan Template
includes
the
following components:
- The Business
Plan Template -
This is a Word® document
that can be used
to write a business
plan.
- The Financial
Workbook -
This contains
Excel® spreadsheets
to complete the
financial portions
of the business
plan.
- The Sample
Business Plan -
This is a sample
of a completed
business plan
looks like in
Word® using
the Business
Plan Template.
- The Business
Plan Checklist -
This is a Word® document
with a brief
outline of the
documents needed
to complete a
business plan.
For
more information on the
Guidebook, contact Elizabeth
Manfred, Project Manager,
Division of Community Advocacy,
Department of Community
and Economic Development.
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