1. Lane Gewecke Consulting
Strategic Planning 101

2. What is strategic planning?
Strategic planning is a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, what it does, and why it does it.
John Bryson, Strategic Planning for
Public and Nonprofit Organizations

3. What is strategic planning?
Strategic planning is a systematic process through which an organization agrees on—and builds commitment among key stakeholders to—priorities which are essential to its mission and responsive to the operating environment.
Michael Allison & Jude Kaye, Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations

4. What is strategic planning?
Strategic planning is the process by which an organization envisions its future and develops the necessary procedures and operations to achieve that future.
Source unknown

5. What is strategic planning?
Organized common sense!

6. Strategic planning asks three fundamental questions
Who and what are we?
What do we do now, and why do we do it?
What do we want to be and do in the future, and why?
How do we get there from here?

7. Strategic Planning v. Long Range Planning
1) Is based on a predictable future
2) Starts with goals and objectives
3) Rarely involves qualitative changes,
usually just marginal shifts in a consistent theme
4) Is plan oriented
5) Asks “What business are we in?”

8. Strategic Planning v. Long Range Planning
Strategic Planning 1) Places an emphasis on stakeholders 2) Considers a range of possible futures 3) Builds on issues and emphasizes development of strategies 4) Is action oriented 5) Asks “What business should we be in?”

9. ELEMENTS OF A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
Environmental Assessment
Mission Development or Refinement
Strategy Development (Goals & Objectives)
Implementation/Action Planning

10. Pre-planning Questions
1. How much commitment is there to the strategic planning process? 2. What do we hope to achieve from a strategic planning process? What will success look like? 3. Whose plan is it? 4. What issues or choices do we think need to be addressed?

11. Pre-planning Questions
5. What period will the plan cover? 6. Who should be involved in the development of the plan? 7. How many hours do we want to devote to planning meetings? 8. What is the expected time frame for the process?

12. Pre-planning Questions
9. Do we want to use consultant(s)? And, if so, how will we coordinate with the consultant(s)? 10. What type of written plan do we envision? 11. What steps or process will we use for planning?

13. Environmental Assessment
Gathering information is the first step in any planning process. Avoid solipsistic thinking! Solipsism is the belief that nothing exists outside yourself. Sometimes organizations fall into a solipsistic trap when planning, thinking the only important information is what the planners already believe or know.

14. Environmental Assessment
The environmental assessment analyzes factors in the organization’s environment that influence and shape its mission and character.
The assessment views the organization’s current position in light of:
Past events
Current conditions
Future possibilities

15. Environmental Assessment
Assessments involve stakeholders:
persons, groups or other organizations with a “stake” or interest in the future of your organization.
Stakeholders include:
Volunteers
Clients/Consumers
Funders
Employees
Boards of Directors
Other not-for-profit organizations
Banks holding notes or mortgages
Suppliers/vendors
Community Leaders

16. Environmental Assessment
The assessment helps planners identify WOTS UP? (Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats and Strengths Underlying Planning)
Internal Strengths
What do we do well?
External Opportunities
What changes are taking place in our environment that might allow us to better achieve our mission?
Internal Weaknesses
Where can we improve?
External Threats
What changes in the environment do we need to guard against or prepare for in doing our work?

17. Environmental Assessment
The assessment may include:
key informant/stakeholder interviews
facilitated focus groups
questionnaires

18. Strategic Planning Mission Development or Refinement
Once information is gathered through the assessment, planning moves to:
Mission Development or Refinement
Strategy Development (Goals & Objectives)
Implementation/Action Planning

19. Develop or refine the mission
A mission statement should clarify the organization’s purpose and direction.

20. Develop or refine the mission
Think about:
Who are we?
What is our purpose?
Why do we exist?
What are the basic social and political needs we exist to address?
What do we want to do to recognize or anticipate and respond to these needs or problems?
What makes us distinct or unique?

21. Strategy Development
Strategies outline your organization's response to the challenges it faces.
Definition of strategy:
The approach by or direction of an organization which allows it to achieve its purpose.
Strategies can include: policies, programs, projects, actions, and resource allocations.

22. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
GOALS are key end results or desired conditions over time, for which a work group expects to be held accountable.
GOALS should be supportive of the overall purpose and mission of your organization. They are results, not tasks or activities.
Why set goals?
Would you get on an airplane if you didn’t know where it was going to land?

23. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
OBJECTIVES are performance targets that must be reached if the organization is to achieve its goals.
OBJECTIVES are more specific than goals; they are the translation of goals into concrete terms against which results can be measured.
Characteristics of objectives:
Measurable
Specific—who will be served & how will they benefit?
Realistic—what can be done about the problem?
Time-limited—when will the objective be accomplished?

24. MISSION, GOALS & OBJECTIVES
The Mission is a general intent
Goals are accomplishments to be achieved in pursuit of the mission
Objectives are specific & measurable tactics used to reach and achieve goals.

25. PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Act) is an ongoing cycle
Developed by Dr. W. Edwards Deming

26. Need information about gathering information for planning?
Questions?
Need information about gathering information for planning?
Feel free to contact:
Lane Gewecke Consulting