CHAPTER 5 Strategic Planning

DEALING WITH CHANGE  Human service organizations operate in a continually changing and even turbulent environment. The needs of clients change over time, funding patterns shift, staff come and go, and the attention of community leaders and the media move to different social issues.

CONDUCTING STRATEGIC PLANNING  Involving All Parts of the Organization  Developing a Mission Statement  Asking Fundamental Questions What business are we in? What business should we be in now? What business do we want to be in a few years down the road? What will happen if we stay in the same business?  Examining External and Internal Processes  Conducting a Retreat

FOCUSING ON CRITICAL ISSUES  Should we phase out certain services or programs that are declining or are incompatible with other services?  Should our basic funding pattern be modified, diversified, or more focused?  Should we make major modifications in the organization by (1) replacing some staff with others having different skills or (2) re­ training staff to perform their functions differently?  Should we abandon programs or services, or contract with others?

DYNAMIC PLANNING  To counter what can end up as an inflexible strate­gic plan, a counterpoint approach is sometimes proposed. This approach may be referred to as “dynamic planning” or “logical incrementalism,” meaning that strategies evolve over time and are based on modest attempts to deal with changing circumstances. This spontaneous decision- making process is continuously responsive to change resulting from opportunities or setbacks.

SUMMARY  Determine why you want to develop a plan for your organization’s future. What benefits do you see from embarking on an intensive process? Do these clearly outweigh possible disadvantages?  After ensuring that the organization’s leadership is committed to the process, form a strategic planning group. An analysis of the organization would then be conducted which would include strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Then develop a vision of what the organization would be like in three to five years. Prepare (or revise) a tentative mission statement, which may be altered later in the strategic planning process. Identify the most critical issues facing the organization. Prepare action plans containing three-to-five-year goals, implementation activities for the first year, and names of those accountable for follow-through. Draft a plan that is reviewed by a planning group, staff, board, and selected persons outside the organization. Implement the plan with the intent of making changes as circumstances change. Update the plan annually and, at least every five years, conduct another in- depth analysis.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION  What are the key elements contained in your agency’s mission statement?  What steps has your agency taken to update its strategic plan?  What opportunities or threats has your agency had to deal with?