SWOT – wot’s that? REReP 1.8 Wrap-up Workshop June SOFIA, BULGARIA JEROME SIMPSON The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe SWOT

Key Characteristics A means to assess one’s strategic position Effective & efficient tool for strategy development It’s scaleable, i.e. useful to small teams & large organisations It’s simple, enjoyable and costs little It’s collaborative, enabling full team participation (and “buy-in”) It’s quick and integrateable

By definition Strength: a resource or capacity of the organization, company or team that can be used effectively to achieve objectives now or in the future Weakness: a limitation, fault or defect of the organization, company or team that will hinder achievement of objectives now or in the future Opportunity: any favourable situation present now or in the future in the market Threat: any unfavourable situation in the future in the market that is potentially damaging, now or in the future

Effective Strategy? “In general, an effective strategy is one that takes advantage of the opportunities, avoids the threats (or turns them into opportunities), builds on the strengths and minimizes the weaknesses (or takes action to eliminate them).” A potential strategy matrix for a simple SWOT analysis would be:

Tips Be comprehensive: Keep the process broad and open Manage the group dynamics: Ensure everyone openly contributes Keep the thinking straight: Don’t muddy what belongs in one category Ensure clarity: Make every statement as clear and unambiguous as possible “Clarity in strategy works. Fuzzy strategies fail” Rashi Glazier, Ctr for Marketing and Technology, University of California

The Process Discover & present the driving forces for change Undertake the SWOT assessment Determine the desired state (where do we want to be?) Develop 3 or 4 scenarios based on the SWOT Identify next steps, and document the results