This document discusses the importance of strategic planning for organizations and provides guidance on how to effectively engage in the strategic planning process. It defines strategic planning as "a process to determine where an organization is going over a defined period of time and specify how it intends to get there." The document outlines the key components of an effective strategic planning exercise, including assessing the current state, defining strategic goals and objectives, developing strategies to achieve those goals, implementing the plan, and measuring results. It emphasizes that strategic planning is an ongoing process rather than a one-time event and should involve representatives from across the organization.
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1. USE StratEgic Planning tO
align YOUr OrganiZatiOn
WhitePaper
By Jim Picard
A simple definition of strategic planning is tional environment with established mission
“a process to determine where an organiza- requirements, selective planning can be
tion is going over a defined period of time carried out once a year, focusing on project
and specify how it intends to get there.” and program plans, objectives, responsibili-
Despite the simplicity of that definition, ties, timelines, budgets, and the like. In any
effective strategic planning remains for case, strategic planning should be conduct-
most large government organizations a dif- ed at least once a year to identify the orga-
ficult and at times frustratingly elusive pro- nizational goals to be achieved during the
cess, producing noticeably mixed results. next fiscal year and the resources needed
While most strategic planning efforts to achieve them. Supporting program and
invariably result in a strategic plan, the vast project plans should be updated annually.
majority of those documents will fail to be
properly communicated, implemented, or There is no perfect strategic plan, and the
even referenced after they are published. odds are low of “getting it right” the first,
second, or even third time. The key is to get
From an organizational standpoint, strategic started: keep it simple in the beginning and
planning is an evolutionary process and improve it with each iteration by leveraging
should be part of a continuous manage- lessons learned.
ment life cycle. It is important to under-
stand that the real benefit and value of a While the plan is being implemented, the
strategic planning process is in the process, progress of the implementation should
not the final documented plan. be reviewed at least on a quarterly basis
by senior management. The frequency of
Strategic Planning: Why and When
review depends on the extent and rate of
Without exception, large government organi- change in and around the organization.
zations are mandated by policy, regulation,
engaging in Strategic Planning
and/or law to engage in some form of stra-
tegic planning resulting in a strategic plan. How an organization engages in strategic
planning will be determined by a variety of
Exactly why and when an organization circumstances and factors, many of which
engages in a strategic planning process will be beyond the control of the actual
should be driven by the needs of the orga- planners. And while there is no single right
nization and its immediate operational way to execute a strategic planning process
environment. In an organization with a as noted previously, there are a few essen-
rapidly changing operational environment, tial tasks that must be successfully accom-
mission requirements, or resource pos- plished to avoid failure:
ture, comprehensive and detailed planning
Assemble the right planning team.
should be performed once or twice a year,
with attention to mission, vision, values, Ensure the team has representa-
the environment, issues, goals, strategies, tives from all key stakeholder
groups responsible for execution
objectives, responsibilities, timelines, bud- of the plan, as well as representa-
gets, and so on. In a fairly stable opera- tives from organizations that will
be affected by the plan. Solutions used:
2. While the team should be inclu- Acceptable to all stakeholder 3. Strategy development—This phase
sive, it also needs to be right- groups, especially those responsi- involves developing strategic objectives
sized. Smaller teams tend to be ble for the work leading to success
as building blocks to reach goals and
more nimble and flexible in their
thinking. Realistic in terms of the resources the “to-be” state. The objectives are
at hand and capabilities of the identified by performing a gap analysis
The executive leadership should staff
to determine the actions needed to
be included in the planning group,
and should drive development Balanced as far as time frames for transform the organization from the
and implementation of the plan. implementation and delivery, orga- “as-is” to the “to-be” state. Strategies
At least one person from this cat- nizational priorities, and quality
are developed by a cross-functional
egory should have the authority to results (in other words, it is more
important to do it right than to do team to coordinate interrelationships
make strategic decisions for the
leadership team. it fast) toward achieving the overall strategic
goals.
Establish clear role and responsi- Extensible into the future
bility guidelines for membership.
Reviewable by higher and external 4. Strategy mapping—This phase involves
For example, specify those directly
authorities.
involved in planning, those who establishing the linkages between the
will provide key information to the Properly factor the organization’s need objectives and the desired outcomes
process, those who will review the and capacity for transformation and to produce a strategy map. A strategy
plan document, those who will implementation.
authorize the document, etc. map shows the cause-effect relation-
Fully align organizational projects, pro- ships of processes and activities to
Designate a planning coordinator grams, and resources to support the desired outcomes. The result of this
with responsibility to facilitate and strategy.
manage the process, including phase is a business model for how
arranging meetings, helping to Ensure adequate executive involve- actions interrelate to drive desired
record key information, helping ment, leadership, and organizational changes.
with flipcharts, monitoring status discipline.
of prework, etc. The planning
coordinator should plan, schedule, 5. implementation planning—This phase
The major components of a strategic plan-
and document the major steps in involves developing performance mea-
the planning process to move the ning exercise should include the following
sures and initiatives for implementing
process forward and help the orga- phases:
the strategic objectives. A gap analysis
nization conduct its own planning
in the future. is performed on the current portfolio of
1. assessment—This phase requires projects to determine if there is align-
Different team members will be
conducting some type of assessment ment to the strategic plan. Planners
needed more at different times in
the planning process. The planning or review of the organization's “as-is” are required to detail implementation
coordinator should ensure the mix state. The nature and extent of the schedules, roles, and responsibilities
is right at the right time. assessment or review will vary by orga- and publish the strategic plan.
Define and communicate in simple nization. In any event, planners must
terms the mission and purpose of the have a clear understanding of the vari- 6. cascading—This phase involves com-
organization. The mission and purpose ous strengths, weaknesses, opportuni- municating the plan throughout the
statements should be:
ties, and threats (SWOT) relative to the organization. Each business unit devel-
Unambiguous organization. During this step planners ops a strategic plan that aligns and
should also assess or measure the supports the objectives of the corpo-
Easily understood and recognized
health of major organizational projects, rate strategic plan. Strategic objectives
Effectively communicated programs, and systems. can be further cascaded to teams and
individuals to align their contributions
Universally accepted.
2. Strategic foundations—This phase to the overall goals.
Establish realistic goals and objectives involves defining the mission, vision,
consistent with the organizational mis-
and values of the organization based 7. Measurement—In this phase, results
sion and purpose in a defined time
frame or schedule. Goals and objec- on understanding customer and stake- are measured against the targets set
tives must be: holder needs. It answers the critical forth in the strategic plan. Performance
questions of, why do we exist, and measures that were identified during
Specific in nature and understood
by all parties what do we want to be in the future? the implementation planning phase are
During this step planners identify the used to assess results toward achiev-
Measurable in relation to progress
organization’s high level strategic goals ing strategic objectives. Measuring
against an initial baseline and
quantifiable upon accomplishment that clarify the “to-be” state. and monitoring performance can be
3. automated through the use of sched- lack of an internal resource with suf-
uled progress reports, executive dash- ficient facilitation or strategic planning
boards, and scorecards. skills—Nothing takes the place of experi-
ence. Consultants bring a store of knowl-
8. Evaluation—Leading and lagging indi- edge to each planning effort, built over time
cators of performance are analyzed to as they move from organization to organiza-
judge the effectiveness of the imple- tion. Good consultants will share the knowl-
mentation. The analysis reveals areas edge and insights gained through years of
that are not meeting expectations and experience. By definition, good consultants
allows for management interventions. are good communicators and analysts.
This phase will pinpoint problems with Good communicators not only send infor-
specific initiatives or problems with mation—they also receive it and validate
the strategic model itself. The phase it. They realize that there is more than one
enables the organization to make type of stakeholder associated with a pro-
refinements to the strategic plan and gram—for example, the CEO’s perspective
adapt its business model to changes in and insights are going to be different from
the environment. those of software developers—and seek to
validate assumptions.
JumP-Starting Strategic Planning
the benefit of having an objective view-
Getting started is often one of the most dif- point from a party who does not have a
ficult parts of a strategic planning exercise. strong predisposition about the organi-
This is especially true if your organization zation’s strategic plan or direction—The
and team are undertaking such an effort most important benefit of hiring consultants
for the first time or have failed in previ- is the objectivity they can bring to projects.
ous attempts. In cases like these, you may Without any “skin in the game,” consultants
want to seek outside assistance. There are can impartially analyze an organization and
many other compelling reasons to obtain monitor progress toward implementation of
assistance in developing a strategic plan or the strategic plan. Of course, the organiza-
direction. tion must engage a firm with a reputation
for the highest integrity, along with the cour-
lack of organizational consensus about age and conviction to provide frank advice
strategic planning and current organi- and support. A trusting relationship and
zational issues—No one wants to tell his good rapport between the contracting orga-
or her boss bad news. An independent nization and the consultant is a must.
contractor, however, has no incentive to
communicate anything other than the unvar- It’s never too early or too late to begin or
nished truth of an organizational assess- reassess your organization’s strategic plan.
ment or SWOT analysis so the organization If your organization needs help, consider
can get on the right path toward its to-be an outside consultant with the skills to plan
state. Of course, the final decisions rest and to implement a strategy to foster suc-
with the hiring organization. Seeking assis- cess.
tance to develop a strategic plan does not
mean that the organization is abdicating
its responsibilities. Rather, this assistance
is a means to achieve corporate goals and
objectives. The job of consultants is to pro-
vide an honest assessment so the organiza-
tion knows where it is and what it has—and
what it will take to achieve its goals. In
essence, consultants have advisory roles—
not executive ones.
