...STRATEGIC PLANNING: A TEN-STEP GUIDE* I. IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING There is broad agreement among nonprofit leaders and experts that planning is a critical component of good management and governance. Planning helps assure that an organization remains relevant and responsive to the needs of its community, and contributes to organizational stability and growth. It provides a basis for monitoring progress, and for assessing results and impact. It facilitates new program development. It enables an organization to look into the future in an orderly and systematic way. From a governance perspective, it enables the Board to set policies and goals to guide the organization, and provides a clear focus to the Executive Director and staff for program implementation and agency management. Most organizations understand the need for annual program objectives and a program-focused work plan. Funders require them, and they provide a basis for setting priorities, organizing work, and assessing progress. A growing number of Hispanic communitybased organizations go beyond funder requirements to develop annual objectives and operating plans which also include a systematic plan for resource development, organizational development, and in some cases Board development. Most groups find it practical to define objectives for a 12-month period, and to design strategies and programs to meet them. Longer-range planning – planning beyond the next year or two – often seems more difficult and less rewarding...
Words: 5567 - Pages: 23
...A hospital’s mission statement is what the entity stands for. In the Harrison text, “the mission of an organization is the fundamental purpose of its existence” (Harrison, 2010, p.43). According to the text, Coastal Medical Center is a for-profit medical center and with the losses encountered by the previous CEO of the organization, it is likely that the organization will be maintaining their high costs in order to make up losses. The new CEO, Richard Reynolds has led the medical center in a new direction in attempt to regain their lost fortune. The new ideas that Reynolds brings with him make way for a new mission statement (Harrison, 2010). I believe that Coastal Medical Center should have a mission statement that encompasses the new direction the organization has taken with the employment of new management. The mission statement should be sentimental towards the quality of patient care and satisfaction. It should entail that the hospital cares for their patients and staff, and give a sense of comfort. The mission statement should go as follows: “Here at Coastal Medical Center (CMC), our mission is to offer the best quality care and services keeping you at ease. We challenge ourselves to strive further and improve our quality of care and aim to provide the best services to everyone. Health is above wealth and we strive to accommodate anyone facing challenges”(Harrison, 2010). In order to adequately support this mission statement, the hospital...
Words: 376 - Pages: 2
...Strategic Planning {What is it? How do you do it?} [pic] 2008 Table of Contents Page Content 3-4 Introduction 5 Section 1: The “What” of Strategic Planning 6 Why should departments and agencies plan strategically? 7-8 Section 2: The “How” of Strategic Planning 9-10 How do I gather data and where do I get it from? 11 Participant Selection 12 Survey/focus group question development 12-14 Core Values Development 15-17 Organizational “Purpose” Development 17-19 Organizational “Vision” Development 19-20 Organizational “Mission” Development 20-22 Organizational “Goals and Objectives” Development 22-25 What are Action Steps and how are they developed? 25 Performance Audit – Review of Organizational Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats [SWOT] 26 Gap Analysis – Compare SWOT analysis information with Draft goals and objectives 26 Contingency Planning – Worst and Best Case Scenarios 26 Integrated Functional Plans – Action Steps 27 Implementation Considerations 27 Monitoring and Evaluation 28 -42 Short Cut – Simplified Planning Model 43-57 Section 3: Sample Plan 58 Points to Remember Introduction This document is intended to provide the reader with information about strategic planning. It is organized into three sections to help the reader better understanding what strategic planning is about and how it...
Words: 15090 - Pages: 61
...Strategic Planning and the Nursing Process In any healthcare organization, the nursing process works hand in hand with the strategic planning procedure. Nurses are therefore required to be involved in the strategic planning process. The two processes are rather similar. Strategic planning is the process the organization uses to define its direction and make decisions allocating its resources, whereas, the nursing process is a 5 step method used by nurses to ensure the quality of patient care. These processes require the use of informatics as an instrument to achieve the goals of the organization. Strategic Planning and Nursing Process Strategic planning is used to ensure that both short and long term goals of the organization are in tune with the mission of the organization and to ensure that the goals are achievable. The steps of strategic planning are: identification of goals, assessing external and internal environments, analysis of collected data, identification of potential solutions, choosing next steps, implementation of actions, and ongoing evaluation in the perspective of bench marks (Hebda & Czar, 2013). Informatics is an important part of strategic planning and helps to guide the direction and execute the goals set by the organization. Similar to strategic planning, the nursing process is used to administer patient care in a manner that is goal targeted and methodical. Although the five step process of assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation...
Words: 716 - Pages: 3
...IT STRATEGIC PLANNING “You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going, because you might not get there.” Yogi Berra BACKGROUND Henry Mintzberg, former president of the Strategic Management Society, points out that “strategy can not be planned because planning is about analysis and strategy is about synthesis.” 1 Failure to recognize this basic distinction accounts for the frequent failure of such exercises, as does an excessive focus on technical detail, lack of suitable leadership, and perhaps most important, failure to align technology to institutional mission and priorities. Strategic planning involves a structure or framework, a set of procedures (both formal and informal), and of course content. Beyond these basic elements, the underlying assumptions about strategic planning are that the future can be anticipated, forecasted, managed or even controlled, and that the best way to do so is to have a formal and integrated plan about it in place. The process of planning itself may turn out to be more important than the results, and that process requires, as Mintzberg suggests, both analysis and synthesis. Planning simply introduces a formal “discipline” for conducting long-term thinking about an institution, and for recognizing opportunities in and for minimizing risks from the external and internal environments. Among the hundreds available, perhaps the most well-know model of strategic planning has the SWOT (for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities...
Words: 4766 - Pages: 20
...STRATEGY AND PLANNING This week’s Management class discussion has been on Strategic planning in organizations. This paper will explain 3 types of goals, which are important to an organization as we as explanations and elements involved in created strategy of an organization. Organizations are built with the goal of the profitability through process in mind. The organization control approach incorporates goals and strategy used to reach them. (Boundless.com Jul 2015) Using their mission statements, top managers do strategic planning to determine what the organization long-term goals should be for the next 1-5 years with the resources they expect to have available. Strategic management is a level of managerial activity bellowing setting goals and above tactics. (Boundless.com 2015). Strategic management provides overall direct to an enterprise. Strategic planning requires visionary and directional thinking. It should communicate general and profit goals and ways to achieve them. Strategic management provides overall direction to the enterprise. Objectives are determined by the results of the strategic assessment. These objectives should run parallel on a timeline, some short-term and others long-term. (Kincki & Williams 2015) Tactical Planning’s by done by middle management, they are normally given a 6-25 month time frame. The strategic priorities and policies are passed down to middle managers that determine what contribution their departments or similar work...
Words: 1198 - Pages: 5
...STRATEGIC PLANNING •Management Control Process •Nature of Strategic Planning •Relation between Strategy Formation & Strategic Planning •Advantages of Strategic Planning •Limitations of Strategic Planning •Analyzing Proposed New Programs •Analyzing Ongoing Programs •Activity Based Costing •Strategic Planning Process Management Control Process Involves interaction between mangers & their subordinates In formal organizations control processes are more or less the same Due to differential managerial abilities Implementation differs Management Control Process : Sequence Strategic Planning Budget Preparation Management Control of Operations Analyzing and performance reports Evaluating managerial performance Management Compensation As it related to the control process Nature of Strategic Planning A formal statement of plan, is called strategic plan The process of preparing and revising the formal statement of plan is called strategic planning Strategic planning is the process of deciding on the programs that the organization will undertake and on the approximate amount of resources that will be allocated to each program over the next several years It’s the process of deciding on the programs organization will undertake Estimation of resources required for the same Relation between Strategy Formulation & Strategic Planning Strategy Formulation Its process of deciding new strategies • Deciding Organizational goals • Strategies...
Words: 632 - Pages: 3
...What is Strategic Planning? Strategic planning is an organizational management activity that is used to set priorities, focus energy and resources, strengthen operations, ensure that employees and other stakeholders are working toward common goals, establish agreement around intended outcomes/results, and assess and adjust the organization's direction in response to a changing environment. It is a disciplined effort that produces fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, who it serves, what it does, and why it does it, with a focus on the future. Effective strategic planning articulates not only where an organization is going and the actions needed to make progress, but also how it will know if it is successful. What is a Strategic Plan? A strategic plan is a document used to communicate with the organization the organizations goals, the actions needed to achieve those goals and all of the other critical elements developed during the planning exercise. What is Strategic Management? Strategic management is the comprehensive collection of ongoing activities and processes that organizations use to systematically coordinate and align resources and actions with mission, vision and strategy throughout an organization. Strategic management activities transform the static plan into a system that provides strategic performance feedback to decision making and enables the plan to evolve and grow as requirements and other circumstances change...
Words: 348 - Pages: 2
...Corporate Social responsibility has become the new essence of the business world. “No longer is it acceptable simply to make good products that satisfy customers while complying with laws and regulations. Businesses are now called upon to consider – and, indeed, intentionally to manage – the wider social and environmental consequences of their actions, beyond the requirements of the legal and regulatory settings in which they operate” (Charles River Center, 2008). Thus it is important for Charles River Printing (CRP) to include this concept into its sustainability vision and mission in order to make it as part of their daily operations and grow as a responsible company. To build the strategic planning practices (SPP) for CRP it is important to develop action plans, the timeline for its planning; the level of stakeholder engagement; the governance structure; risk assessment and mitigation plans; and most importantly measure its progress (Pojasek, 2013. p.1). While doing this it is important to integrate the policies and strategies with respect to the economic sustainability, social responsibility and environmental stewardship of the company. Moreover, the goals have to be aligned with the mission, vision and core value of the company and vice versa. The first step is to develop the SPP would be to understand that of its parent company RR Donnelley. The plant manager should try to align the SPP of CRP with the parent company to have a common methodology and then improvise the strategies...
Words: 876 - Pages: 4
...INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) STRATEGIC PLANNING Information Technology (IT) strategic planning Nilsa Barnes Stevens Henager College Professor: Niemira John Information Technology and Society/ MBA605A March 27, 2010 Information Technology (IT) strategic planning This paper will give the readers a view of a preparation of an analysis of Information Technology. Analysis and justification is how IT adds value and increases the institution's ability to accomplish its mission, and initiatives. Consequently, executive leadership will support sustainable funding plans and lead the institution through these changes (UNM, 2006). In order to achieve success of this strategy several objectives must be accomplish. First having a more collaborative IT and integrated and governance structure helps the institution make the right decisions in respect to IT. These actions will help the Executive VPs to support the idea of IT funding based on value received (UNM, 2006). Within a strategic level, the only technologies that have changed more rapidly are information technology and communications. These changes are driving most of the changes in a more global business environment. Companies that are capable of getting their “arms around” their information systems and communications have a critical competitive advantage. Companies’ content with older technology will find themselves on the wrong side of an ever expanding technology driven gap in customer...
Words: 616 - Pages: 3
...Strategic Planning OVERVIEW Brief description This toolkit provides a model for taking an organisation through a strategic planning process. It covers planning to do strategic planning, covering the background issues that need to inform or direct the strategic planning process, and then defining the strategic framework for the project or organisation activities. It is this strategic framework that gives the activities coherence and direction. We have included practical exercises to use during a strategic planning process. The toolkit expands on the short introduction to strategic planning in the toolkit on Overview of Planning. Why have a detailed toolkit on strategic planning? Strategic planning is the core of the work of an organisation. Without a strategic framework you don’t know where you are going or why you are going there. So, then, it doesn’t really matter how you get there! This toolkit offers you a way to do detailed strategic planning. You can replicate the method in any organisation or project that needs to do strategic planning. Another toolkit in the CIVICUS toolkits project deals with an Overview of Planning. That toolkit will help you see how strategic planning fits into the overall planning process. The toolkit on Action Planning will help you take the process further. The toolkit on Monitoring and Evaluation will help you to expand on the process of impact evaluation. You do strategic planning to help your project or organisation make a significant impact...
Words: 13862 - Pages: 56
...Basics of Strategic Planning The objectives of strategic planning including understanding the benefits of strategic planning; understanding the products of strategic planning; and learning the keys to successful planning and implementation. Many organizations spend most of their time reacting to unexpected changes instead of anticipating and preparing for them. This is called crisis management. Organizations caught off guard may spend a great deal of time and energy "playing catch up". They use up their energy coping with immediate problems with little energy left to anticipate and prepare for the next challenges. This vicious cycle locks many organizations into a reactive posture. It does not have to be that way. A sensible alternative is a well tested process called strategic planning which provides a viable alternative to crisis management. Strategic planning is a step by step process with definite objectives and end products that can be implemented and evaluated. Very simply, it is a process by which we look into the future, paint a picture of that future based on current trends, and influence the forces that will affect us. Strategic planning looks three to five years ahead. It charts a definite course based on strong indicators of what the business environment will be like in those years. Indicators include census demographic statistics, economic indicators, government policies, and technological advances. They reveal strong trends regarding changes in...
Words: 1080 - Pages: 5
...STRATEGIC PLANNING A business needs to have a clear sense of direction, which must be clearly communicated to all stakeholders. This is the aim of the business which can then be broken down into smaller aims, and objectives. Strategic planning is of importance in giving directions to organizations. A strategic plan is drawn up for relatively long period of time, typically by senior managers. The plan will cover a five year period of time or longer. The plan needs to be shaped by the mission and the values of the organization. Mission and values Most organization set out two statements that guide their action, these are; * A mission statement; setting out the purpose of the organization, usually in one or a small number of sentences. It needs to be clear to communication key purpose of the organization to stakeholders. * A value statement; setting the core values of the organization and what it believes in. These values should shape all of the relationships between the members of the organization and other stakeholders Development of strategic plans and objectives While the mission of an organization sets out its purpose and the values that it stands for , its aims set out in board terms what the organization seeks to archive through its strategic plan. The aims of an organization are closely tied to the mission, and give a general sense of direction for planning. The aims of an organization can be broken down in to more specific objectives. The objectives are...
Words: 706 - Pages: 3
...Introduction to Strategic Planning in Administration There is so much Strategic Planning that goes into Administration that many people are unaware of. Often the administration team is swept under the rug and what we do goes unnoticed because Administration is associated but not limited to filing, answering phones, making copies, coordinating meetings, putting together policies, maintain websites, paying vendors, developing academic programs, maintain reports with parents and so forth. The list goes on and on and every step and task is just as important as the least important. I chose Strategic Planning in Administration because the administrating team does majority the tedious task to make the daily operations run more smoothly. So the big question is why is Strategic planning so important in administration? Strategic planning is so important because it is the “road map” to the success of the company. It helps a company have more organization on where to focus, where resources will disburse and to make sure everyone is on the same page. Strategic planning is critical to business success and differs from classic business planning; the strategic variety involves vision, mission and outside-of-the-box thinking. Strategic planning gives you a better understanding on where you want your company to go, not necessarily how you're going to get there. However, like all other "travel plans," without knowing where you want to go, creating details on how to arrive are meaningless. Strategic planning...
Words: 3100 - Pages: 13
...Strategic Planning {What is it? How do you do it?} 2008 Table of Contents Page Content 3-4 Introduction 5 Section 1: The “What” of Strategic Planning 6 Why should departments and agencies plan strategically? 7-8 Section 2: The “How” of Strategic Planning 9-10 How do I gather data and where do I get it from? 11 Participant Selection 12 Survey/focus group question development 12-14 Core Values Development 15-17 Organizational “Purpose” Development 17-19 Organizational “Vision” Development 19-20 Organizational “Mission” Development 20-22 Organizational “Goals and Objectives” Development 22-25 What are Action Steps and how are they developed? 25 Performance Audit – Review of Organizational Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats [SWOT] 26 Gap Analysis – Compare SWOT analysis information with Draft goals and objectives 26 Contingency Planning – Worst and Best Case Scenarios 26 Integrated Functional Plans – Action Steps 27 Implementation Considerations 27 Monitoring and Evaluation 28 -42 Short Cut – Simplified Planning Model 43-57 Section 3: Sample Plan 58 Points to Remember Introduction This document is intended to provide the reader with information about strategic planning. It is organized into three sections to help the reader better understanding what strategic planning is about and how it is...
Words: 450 - Pages: 2
