Strategic Planning Process and Action

Strategic plans are used to guide the decision-making and actions of an agency or organization, a project or program and a partnership or partnership network.

Strategic plans are a tool used to advance the mission, vision and values of an organization, program or partnership, adapt to changing circumstances and determine the people, infrastructure and resources required to meet goals and objectives.

A Strategic Plan describes where you are, where you want to go and how you are going to get there.

Review the target audience for strategic planning. Consider the pitfalls of strategic planning. Discover the seven elements of and learn more about the lifecycle of a Strategic Plan.

Discussion Questions

1. What are at least three benefits of strategic planning?

2. Describe how the planning group might overcome one of the pitfalls of strategic planning?

3. Who should be on your strategic planning team?

4. List the seven elements of a strategic plan.

5. What is the difference between strategic priorities and tactics?

Review the five phases of strategic planning: getting organized, taking stock, setting direction, refining and adopting and implementing.

Note the best practices of each phase to support communication, buy in and potential.

Learn more about stakeholder engagement and internal and external areas of focus.

Discussion Questions

1. Who might you include on your strategic planning team?  What is the role of the facilitator?

2. What are the topics of consideration for internal assessment by leadership and staff?

3. Where and from whom will you gather data on demographic, social/cultural, economic, environmental and technological changes?

4. What are the characteristics of a SMART objective?

5. How might a strategic plan address the organizations, program or partnership business/financial plan and communications and/or marketing plan?

Learn more about the timeframe for developing work plans related to the strategic plan.

Consider the best practices and the barriers to the strategic planning process and implementation.

Enjoy what you learn from the strategic planning process and working together with a renewed vision of what we may accomplish together.

Discussion Questions: 

1. Is your organization, program or partnership ready for strategic planning?

2. How might you remove barriers to strategic planning?

 

Liz Madison

Senior Fellow
Partnership and Community Collaboration Academy

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