International Society for
Computational Biology

Three Year Strategic Plan

Year One – June 29, 2003 –July 31, 2004
Year Two – August 1, 2004 – July 31, 2005
Year Three - August 1, 2005 – July 31, 2006

Formally adopted by the ISCB Board of Directors
December 8, 2003

Contents
Historical Overview
2003 Strategic Planning Process
Mission, Vision and Values
Situation Analysis
Accomplishments
Strategic Priorities, Success Indicators and Action Steps
Next Steps and Evaluation Process
Conclusion
Acknowledgements

Historical Overview
In 1993 the Society’s founder, Larry Hunter, now at the University of Colorado, hosted the first Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology (ISMB) conference at the National Institutes of Health conference facilities in Bethesda, Maryland, where he was then employed. Two hundred one people attended that first conference, which has been growing in size and scope ever since. This annual conference is hosted by a different institution each year, and has traveled to seven countries on three continents in its 11-year history.

By 1996 the conference steering committee encouraged the formation of a new society, in large part to house the funds for the ISMB conference, but also to provide for a formal group related to the emerging discipline of computers in biological science. The Society was legally incorporated in 1997 with the conference steering committee serving as the inaugural board of directors, promptly electing Larry Hunter to the office of president as its first order of business.

During the next few years the focus remained on management of the annual conference, whose attendance had nearly tripled by 1999. That year also marked the introduction of Bioinformatics (previously published as CABIOS), published by Oxford University Press, as the official journal of the ISCB. Members of the Society now had two tangible benefits of membership: ISMB conference registration discounts and an online subscription to the journal included in their 65 USD annual membership dues (35 USD for students).

The new millennium proved to be explosive for ISCB, with a new president in Russ Altman, a roster of 800 members, and over 1200 delegates attending ISMB2000 in San Diego. Altman took steps to formalize some of the legal and administrative aspects of ISCB before passing the torch to Philip Bourne who was elected president in 2002. Bourne gained board approval to hire a full time administrative/executive officer, and secured a more permanent “home” for the ISCB at the University of California, San Diego, including a commitment from the university to host the Society through 2005 and lend staff as needed. Bourne served as president for only one year but left his mark through increased interactions with related regional groups and conference organizers worldwide, a much improved web presence, a new membership high of 1700, and conference attendance topping out over 1500.

By the time Michael Gribskov was elected president in 2003, it had become more important than ever to clearly define guidelines for allocation of the ISCB’s limited resources. To operate the Society at the level of professionalism initiated by Bourne and demanded by the ever-growing membership, spending had outpaced income, and a concerted effort to develop new revenue streams had become an immediate priority. This need was further heightened by the acknowledgement that ISMB 2003 attendance projections were dropping due to travel fears and restrictions resulting from SARS, the war in Iraq, and having the conference in Brisbane, Australia, rather than the North American/European rotation that had become the standard. Operating the conference in the red was aptly projected as potentially devastating, as the conference proceeds typically provided 90% of the operating revenue of the Society.

Thus was born the need to develop a Strategic Plan that would help set the priorities of the Society’s staff and leadership activities, expand its circle of influence as an organized body on behalf of its science, and diversify revenues to decrease and ultimately eliminate the reliance on a single source of revenue for the majority of the Society’s operating needs.

2003 Strategic Planning Process
In February 2003 the ISCB Board of Directors approved the allocation of significant time and expense to undertake a professionally facilitated strategic planning process for the first time in its six-year history. John Pepin of Pepin-Tranquada Associates, a UK based consultant specializing in working with European and North American non-profit and charitable organizations toward strategic planning and revenue diversification, was hired to work with ISCB to lead us through a process that would ultimately result in a three-year Strategic Plan/Business Plan/Budget. BJ Morrison McKay, ISCB Executive Officer, and Michael Gribskov, ISCB President, worked closely with John Pepin through every step of the planning process.

The first step was a member/regional affiliates confidential survey via a web-based questionnaire of 13 open-ended questions and three multiple-choice options. An invitation to participate was distributed to all current and past members (approximately 2500) and to all affiliated regional groups for distribution to their members. 236 people took part in the survey, providing an abundance of information to be compiled and analyzed. Additionally, the facilitator interviewed several senior members of the bioinformatics community to gain an in-depth understanding of their views on the need for a professional society and ISCB’s effectiveness in fulfilling that role. The survey and interviews were followed by a series of facilitated teleconferences and an in-person two-day strategy session in San Diego in May 2003 that was attended by ten board members and four staff. That session culminated in the identification and development of four Strategic Priorities that were presented to the full board of directors via a teleconference in early June, and followed up with additional developmental work during the annual board of directors meeting in Brisbane, Australia, on June 29, 2003.

The four Strategic Priorities identified through this process are Intellectual Leadership, Advocacy, Financial Stability and Governance. This Strategic Plan lays out the specific objectives, success indicators and action steps of each strategic priority, and will serve to determine allocation of the Society’s resources, both financial and human, during the next three years. In conjunction with this plan, ISCB staff has been developing a Business Plan and Budget to continually ensure appropriate support of the specific priorities and objectives on behalf of the Society membership and community-at-large.

The board of directors is being asked to review and confirm this proposed Strategic Plan at its December 9, 2003 teleconference.

Mission, Vision & Values
The ISCB board of directors reviewed the previous Mission Statement, along with suggested changes that surfaced through survey responses. As a result of multiple survey comments, the statement was altered to remove the emphasis on molecular biology in acknowledgement of the ever-expanding scope of computational biology. Additionally, a Vision Statement and list of Values were developed, which had never previously been written by the Society leadership. At the June 29, 2003, annual board of directors meeting the Mission and Vision Statements were approved, but the Values were sent back for further development. The board of directors is being asked to review and confirm the proposed Values at its December 9, 2003 teleconference.

Mission
The International Society for Computational Biology is a scholarly society dedicated to advancing the scientific understanding of living systems through computation. The ISCB communicates the significance of our science to the larger scientific community, governments, and the public at large. The ISCB serves a global membership by impacting government and scientific policies, providing high quality publications and meetings, and through distribution of valuable information about training, education, employment and relevant news from related fields.

Vision
The International Society for Computational Biology will measurably advance the worldwide awareness and understanding of the science of computational biology. As an authoritative society that represents the bioinformatics and computational biology communities, the ISCB will be the most respected and reliable international non-profit organization representing this community. Ultimately, membership in the society will be respected as an essential demonstration of personal commitment toward the advancement of computational biology.

Values
The International Society for Computational Biology values the following as imperative in conducting the business of the Society toward serving the scientific community and public at large.

Quality:
- Of the highest level in scientific publications, education and conferences
- Achieved through collaborative interactions and research

Ethical behavior:
- Through scientific integrity and the highest level of professionalism
- By choosing collaboration over destructive competition
- By seeking win-win personal and Societal solutions
- By acting responsibly to avoid conflicts of interest or appearance of such conflicts
- By never allowing personal bias or potential personal benefit to damage the Society’s interests

Diversity:
- By initiating efforts toward greater internationality of the membership, in leadership roles, and through outreach activities
- With awareness and respect of differences in culture, geographic origin, affiliation, gender, age, level of expertise, and area of scientific research

Service:
- To our members, Society leaders, and staff
- To the scientific community and public at large
- Through human relationships
- With efficient and effective use of resources
- With a commitment to the application of computational biology for the benefit of humankind

Open Communication:
- With transparency
- With honesty
- With respect for one another
- Through active listening
- By seeking and utilizing feedback in self evaluation and decision-making
- With openness to change

Situation Analysis
ISCB used the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) feedback from survey respondents as analysis tools during its May 2003 strategy session in San Diego. The following were identified as the top five in each category, listed in order of how frequently they were mentioned, and served to form the basis for further analysis in setting out Strategic Priorities:

SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats

Strengths
1. ISMB conference
2. Having staff
3. Being part of a rapidly growing field
4. Affiliation with Bioinformatics journal
5. Networking opportunities

Weaknesses
1. Disorganized governance model
2. Financial dependence on ISMB
3. Affiliate/collaborator/member relations
4. Being considered US-centric
5. Branding/recognition of the Society

Opportunities
1. Corporate and government funding
2. Intellectual capital of membership
3. Promote policies and standards
4. Education standardization/accreditation
5. Collaboration with other societies and organizations

Threats
1. The current economy
2. Splinter groups forming
3. All financial eggs in one basket (ISMB)
4. Uncertainty regarding how to serve less wealthy countries
5. Public image: Some perception of low quality

Accomplishments
Since its founding in 1997, and without the benefit of a formal Strategic Plan, a series of implied strategic directions have led the ISCB where it is today. The following outlines a respectable list of accomplishments that provide the foundation upon which the Society can grow and flourish in the years ahead through defined Strategic Priorities.

Education: Established ISCB conferences (currently just ISMB) as the primary international conferences of our science.

• Attendance increased annually to over 1500 in 2002, believed to be the largest bioinformatics conference in the world.
  
• Record numbers of paper and poster submissions were received in 2002.
  
• Helped approximately 40 students/post docs attend related conferences through ISCB sponsored travel fellowships program during past 12 months.
  
• Helped related groups establish scientific conferences through seed funding (i.e., RECOMB).
  
• Provided forum for successful tutorials and SIGs programs.
  

Information: Became the organization that bioinformaticians and educational institutions look to for relevant information regarding news, conferences, degree/certificate programs and jobs.

• Website usage is up 400% over two years ago.
  
• Notices of conferences/workshops, degree programs, new books and journals are received daily from worldwide institutions, organizations and conference organizers for posting to the ISCB website.
  
• A jobs page was added to the website with limited success for self-postings by members in search of staff.
  
• Frequent presidential e-mailings and quarterly newsletters increased member and prospect communications
  
• Bioinformatics journal has experienced a steady increase in institutional subscriptions and impact factor, being recognized as a high quality journal.

Advocacy: Helped increase bioinformatics awareness and research funding worldwide through government interactions.

• Became a member of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) in 2003 for their US public policy and government funding activities.
  
• Created a new government relations committee in 2003 that got off to a good start.

Resources: Turned focus on financial stability for the long-term viability of ISCB.

• Recognized the need to diversify and increase funding to maintain and grow member services and benefits.
  
• Moved ISCB offices to UCSD/SDSC and hired full time administrator/executive officer as well as several part time staffers with necessary areas of expertise to elevate professionalism of our public appearance and member/community services.
  
• Have begun negotiations to renew journal contract for 2004 and beyond with a clearer understanding of the pitfalls of the first 5-year agreement.
  
• Established two annual awards to recognize promising and prominent members of the bioinformatics community.

Governance/Organizational Development: Addressing decisions and outreach through leadership that represents the best interests of our science.

• Bumpy issuance of “Open Source Statement” on behalf of ISCB resulted in new policy regarding member input prior to future official statements from the Society.
  
• Raised overall awareness of Society through marketing initiatives such as Affiliated Regional Groups and Travel Fellowships programs.
  
• Experienced a high of 215% membership growth within last three years (although down 17% in 2003 over 2002, still achieved 171% growth over 2000)

Strategic Priorities, Success Indicators and Action Steps
Strategic Priorities

• Intellectual Leadership
  
• Advocacy
  
• Financial Stability
  
• Governance
  

The above Strategic Priorities have been identified as the essential elements that define and will advance the development of ISCB over the period of this three-year Strategic Plan. These Strategic Priorities encompass the four principal areas of ISCB’s responsibility as an organization representing the science of bioinformatics worldwide. Focus on Strategic Priorities will serve to drive the Society’s volunteer leadership toward issues of strategic importance, and provide the staff with a roadmap toward support of these priorities in the form of a formal Business Plan and Budget.

Objectives, Success Indicators and Action Steps
Each Strategic Priority is developed below to outline how ISCB will accomplish it and measure its success. The action steps also serve as the basis of both the committee action plans and the staff business plan to support the identified Strategic Priorities.

INTELLECTUAL LEADERSHIP
Objective: ISCB is committed to fostering the highest quality of our science through:
     1. Quality journal(s)
          a. Triage quality issues through development of a strong and dedicated editorial board and review process
          b. Ensure journal relates back to ISCB mission of “advancing the understanding”
          c. Develop journal as primary scientific communications medium of the Society and larger science
               i. Expand interactions of ISCB and the journal publisher
               ii. Use the journal as ISCB’s primary scientific voice

               Success Indicators
               - An increased journal impact factor of at least one point per year
               - Reduced time of paper acceptance to publication of no more than three months
               - Increased ISCB presence throughout the pages of the journal
               - A collaborative operational relationship between ISCB, the Executive Editor, and OUP

     2. Pre-eminent conference(s) of our science
          a. Achieve rapid dissemination of latest scientific trends/topics
          b. Establish unequivocal paper selection process resulting in highest possible quality of talks
          c. Diversify Society activities through specialized tracks/workshops/meetings on our own and/or with other groups/societies to highlight emerging and continuing challenges of our science

               Success Indicators
               - Steady and manageable growth of ISMB conference attendance
               - Feedback consistently rating talks at ISCB conferences at the highest level of quality
               - Well-attended regional conference/workshop series

     3. Educational materials and standards/guidelines
          a. Develop and maintain a comprehensive, up-to-date database of courses and degree programs
          b. Establish standard materials for undergraduate through professional levels
               i. Tutorials
               ii. Curricula recommendations
               iii. Web courses
               iv. Monographs
               v. Compendia
               vi. Use of our journal(s)
          c. Evaluate and recommend benchmarks for educational programming
               i. Consider pros & cons of personal certification
               ii. Consider pros & cons of institutional accreditation

               Success Indicators
               - A web page of degree programs that serves as a portal to the educational opportunities of our science
               - A portfolio of educational materials serving as standards for the field
               - Comprehensive evaluation of certification/accreditation opportunities

     4. Networking opportunities
          a. Provide a networking vehicle of the Society and larger science to keep scientific communication alive outside of conference format
          b. Remain current with technological advances to continually improve networking activities

               Success Indicators
               - Active listserves of relevance to members
               - Current technology is applied to networking mechanism

     5. ISCB Sr. Fellows program of luminaries
          a. Build careful selection process for appointing the honor of “ISCB Sr. Fellow” to ensure it is recognized as a distinctive appointment
          b. Draw uninvolved leaders into the Society
          c. Allocate a day at ISMB for high-quality identified talks and/or invite Fellows as keynotes for newly developed ISCB conferences
          d. Invite newly appointed Fellows to write reviews in the journal

               Success Indicators
               - A worldwide recognized Fellows designation

     6. Affiliate societies
          a. Ensure affiliations extend globally
          b. Organize joint endeavors with related scientific organizations
          c. Establish and maintain strong lines of communication with affiliated groups
          d. Facilitate lines of communication among affiliated groups
          e. Allocate funds toward assisting affiliate societies in advancing the understanding of our science through conference seed funds, speakers, travel fellowships, and/or other needs

               Success Indicators
               - Inclusivity of worldwide affiliates
               - At least one conference collaboration with a related society each year
               - A well functioning and active Affiliates & SIGs Committee
               - A $50K fund for affiliate interactions

     7. Student internships
          a. Provide forum for companies to advertise internship opportunities
          b. Match students and companies together for summer internships

               Success Indicators
               - A current web based internship listing
               - At least one internship program placement every six months

ADVOCACY
Objective: To develop, disseminate, and promote policy positions of the Society on behalf of our membership and science:
     1. Identify, prioritize, and communicate relevant issues
          a. Recognize guiding principle not to issue policy statement(s) without compelling reason to do so in accordance with our mission of “advancing the understanding of living systems through computation”
          b. Develop a mechanism for members to raise and comment on policy issues
               i. Facilitate discussion forums on relevant issues
               ii. Encourage active participation in external policy-forming bodies
          c. Ensure an international focus in advocacy activities
               i. Consider potential activities toward United Nations, European Union
               ii. Identify Asian and African policy making bodies
               iii. Form coalitions within each of world region as necessary
          d. Develop expert task forces to carefully study issues and recommend policy to board of directors
               i. Identify expert volunteers with desire to tackle issue(s)
               ii. Include members and affiliate groups during study phase
          e. Develop and implement communication & action plans for new policy statements
               i. Track status of advocated positions
               ii. Report on progress to board and membership
          f. Develop and implement communication vehicle for addressing counterarguments once new policy statements have been issued

               Success Indicators
               - Approved plans and procedures exist for issuing policy statements
               - An active web based discussion format exists to flush out policy topics
               - A track record of international advocacy activities
               - A measured change in policy outcomes

     2. Form coalitions with other scientific societies/groups worldwide to advance common points of view

               Success Indicators
               - Participation in coalition(s) with goal(s) of mutual relevance to ISCB members
               - Active group of members interfacing with coalition(s) to advance their work

FINANCIAL STABILITY
Objective: To achieve financial stability by establishing revenue neutral guidelines for core member services, expanding into previously untapped revenue-generating income sources, and maintaining control over expenses in all areas.
     1. Engage active finance committee
          a. Set up a process for exploration of opportunities and regularization of financial structure
               i. Roundtable discussion in Brisbane about business ideas
               ii. Benchmark societies—process
               iii. Product development process
          b. Constant review of expenses and control measures
          c. Utilize members with business expertise

               Success Indicators
               - A finance committee actively engaged in exploration and discussion of stabilization of the Society finances
               - Policies and Procedures of all aspects of financial management
               - New finance committee member(s) with finance/business management experience

     2. Introduce a corporate sponsorship program
          a. Research what works for other societies/groups
          b. Investigate what corporate sponsors would find of value from ISCB
          c. Formulate and implement a plan toward development of corporate sponsorship program

               Success Indicators
               - Comprehensive sponsorship report based on interviews with other societies and potential sponsors
               - Achievement of sponsorship plan

     3. Increase government funding from all potential sources worldwide
          a. Formulate and implement a plan toward development of increased government funding
          b. Uncover and contact specialists in funding on each continent
          c. Look into untapped US agencies
               i. Veterans Administration
               ii. NASA
               iii. Homeland Security
               iv. Health & Human Services
          d. Look into untapped multinational organizations
               i. United Nations
               ii. World Bank

               Success Indicators
               - Identification of and contact with EU funding sources
               - Identification of and contact with Asian funding sources
               - Identification of and contact with African funding sources
               - Identification of and contact with Australian funding sources
               - Identification of and contact with South American funding sources
               - Identification of and contact with Canadian and Mexican funding sources
               - New funding from US agencies for conference and/or society efforts
               - Achievement of the government funding plan

     4. Explore publications as revenue sources
          a. Renegotiate contract with OUP to eliminate financial drain
          b. Pursue ISCB textbook series
          c. Register for Amazon.com Associates Program with link from www.iscb.org
          d. Create newsletter advertising package

               Success Indicators
               - 75% increase in per member dues income (as result of elimination of dues diverted to OUP for mandatory online subscriptions)
               - Development of textbook series concept
               - $5K quarterly income from Amazon.com books purchased via ISCB website links
               - $2K quarterly revenue from newsletter ads

     5. Fully explore conferences as revenue sources
          a. ISMB budget to reflect fully loaded costs
          b. Explore other conference sponsorship opportunities
               i. US meeting in off years
               ii. European meeting in off years

               Success Indicators
               - Profits for ISMB are reported as net rather than gross amounts
               - ISCB conference series includes meetings in US and Europe each year
               - ISCB conference series includes collaborations with other societies for joint meetings, seminars, or workshops
               - $7,500 profit from Rocky 2 or other 2004 regional conference
               - $10,000 profit from new European conference in 2005

     6. Reexamine membership dues structure
          a. Redefine membership categories to include corporate/institutional memberships
          b. Establish a developing countries’ membership category
          c. Investigate financial impact of becoming a federated society

               Success Indicators
               - 75% increase in member dues actualized in part through tiered membership categories
               - Clear understanding of pros & cons of federating ISCB vs. growing through chapters and alliances

     7. Explore opportunities internationally with foundations, trusts, high net worth individuals, and corporations
          a. Investigate venture philanthropy opportunities through corporations and individuals
          b. Investigate private scientific funding trusts
          c. Formulate and implement a philanthropic funding plan

               Success Indicators
               - Achievement of philanthropic funding plan with at least $100K funding secured

     8. Explore affinity program relationships as membership offerings

               Success Indicators
               - $10K income from all affinity programs

     9. Investigate commercial ventures
          a. Develop product development process
          b. Develop product portfolio including consultancy possibilities
               i. Matchmaker services
               ii. Contract reviews
          c. Offer ISCB affiliated or private label meeting planning services
          d. Consider web based career services center

               Success Indicators
               - A product portfolio that draws strong interest and results in increased revenues
               - $25K annual consultancy services revenue beginning in 2004
               - $15K annual meeting planning services revenue beginning in 2004
               - $5K annual career center revenue beginning in 2004

     10. Investigate mergers and acquisitions of like societies

               Success Indicators
               - Comprehensive evaluation of merger/acquisition opportunities

GOVERNANCE
Objective: Govern the ISCB with ethical, effective and efficient leadership that beneficially serves the membership, bioinformatics community, and public-at-large.
     1. Develop a code of ethics for ISCB officers, board members, committee chairs, committee members, and members-at-large

               Success Indicators
               - All Society leaders agree to a code of ethics at the time they are elected or appointed
               - All members agree to a code of ethics during the membership registration
               - Ethical issues and concerns are respectfully resolved based on the code of ethics

     2. Reconstitute committees to address areas necessary to support ISCB activities and develop future leaders of the Society
          a. Create new committees for Affiliates & SIGs, Finance/Business Development, and Governance to address significant needs identified throughout this strategic plan
          b. Rename ‘Government Relations’ to ‘Public Affairs & Policies’ to better align with committee’s international purpose
          c. Maintain committees for Awards, Conferences, Education, Nominations, and Publications to continue to address vital functions of the Society
          d. Dissolve Outreach due to redundancy with several of the reconstituted committees, and eliminate Website as staff now performs their function
          e. Ensure each committee appropriately represents membership diversity
          f. Group committees into sections with each section chaired by a section leader or Executive Committee member/Officer
          g. Appropriately increase authority of committee chairs to facilitate accomplishment toward goals
          h. Integrate succession planning within committee structure to provide for long-term leadership development

               Success Indicators
               - All committees are active in their roles with a clear sense of purpose
               - The work of the committees ultimately propels the Society’s mission forward
               - ISCB is recognized throughout the bioinformatics community as having a positive global impact
               - A 25% increase in committee memberships
               - Committee membership achieves appropriate diversity as compared to membership-at-large
               - Contested Officer elections and at least 5 candidates for each BoD seat

     3. Develop mechanism for annual evaluation of Officers, Board of Directors, Committees, and CEO

               Success Indicators
               - Volunteer leadership positions are held by those most capable and dedicated to consistently advancing the mission of the Society on behalf of the communities it serves
               - The CEO effectively leads the Society staff to perform their duties in a reliable and timely manner in service to the needs of the membership, volunteer leadership and affiliates/special interest groups

     4. Move toward full board of directors and officer elections by the membership

               Success Indicators
               - Empowered membership choosing their ISCB leaders on the board
               - Greater membership participation in nominations and elections
               - Increased diversity within leadership body
               - Transparency in elections process and results

     5. Develop ISCB Council of Leaders (CoL) concept as potential part of positive governance evolution

               Success Indicators
               - High-level involvement in the Society by leaders of our scientific community who do not currently hold an ISCB elected office and/or membership
               - Access to designated specialists and senior scientists acting in advisory roles when needed by the ISCB officers, board, or committee chairs
               - Additional body of senior members of the bioinformatics community submitting nominations for open ISCB volunteer leadership positions

Next Steps and Evaluation Process
The following steps are recommended to keep the Strategic Planning process at the forefront of board/committees/staff activities and decision-making during its three-year cycle:

1. Evaluate and update the Strategic Plan on a regularly scheduled basis:
     a. Quarterly overall evaluation of staff business plan and committee action plans to be conducted by the Governance Committee
     b. Annual evaluation of the Strategic Plan undertaken by the board of directors during the annual board meeting
     c. Annual performance evaluation of the board members and CEO conducted by the Governance Committee with a report made by the Chairman at the annual board of directors meeting
     d. Results of the year reported to the membership via email, website and/or newsletter

2. Conduct an annual member survey to evaluate perceived success of the Strategic Plan.

Conclusion
This Strategic Plan is the result of a ten-month process of external feedback, internal evaluation, and cross communication between ISCB members, leaders, staff and affiliates, all aimed at addressing the primary needs of our community and identifying the appropriate means of supporting them. Time will tell if we have achieved our goals, but it is promising to note that immediately upon identifying four Strategic Priorities several committees set their wheels in motion to work toward achieving them – months before this draft was ready for review.

Staying true to the plan during the next three years, while allowing for adjustments as needed, will ultimately to prove beneficial to the Society and its members. We must continually refer back to the plan as new ideas and opportunities present themselves in the course of ISCB’s continued growth, to ensure we stay on course or thoughtfully adjust priorities, objectives and action plans to address meaningful fresh concepts.
By mid-2006 the plan will have been regularly evaluated and updated to stay current with accomplishments and the emerging needs of our community.

Acknowledgements
Countless hours have been put into the creation of this Strategic Plan during the 2003 calendar year, and ISCB gratefully acknowledges the participation and contribution of the following groups and individuals.

• Our fearless facilitator, John Pepin, of Pepin-Tranquada Associates
  
• Tracy Zhao, ISCB’s Database Programmer, who created a web based survey tool on very short notice
  
• The 236 current members, past members, and regional affiliates who responded to our confidential web survey as Step One in the evaluation process
  
• ISCB board members and staff who participated in the May 2003 strategy session in San Diego, California:
  
  • Philip Bourne, University of California, San Diego
    
  • Steven Brenner, University of California, Berkeley
    
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