1. Strategic Planning – How it All Comes Together
10/14/2016 – 1:00pm C-208

2. Agenda What is Strategic Planning Why is Strategic Planning important
The Strategic Planning Process
A Real Life Example

3. What is Strategic Planning
To put it simply Strategic Planning is a process by which an organization determines where it is going and how it will get there
Aside from these two key points it is crucial that an organization has a way to determine if they are successful

4. What is Strategic Planning cont..
Includes the production of a “physical” plan
The process is typically organization-wide or can be done at a department/division level
Is a continuous and on-going process

5. Strategic vs. Long-Range Planning
Strategic and Long-Range Planning are the same process
While relatively similar the two styles have a major difference in their area of focus
Long-Range: focuses on determining a vision
Strategic: focuses on the how’s of achieving a vision

6. Why is Strategic Planning Important
Provides a common direction
Builds unification
Tells the group where they are focused
Does what we do support our mission
Helps measure progress

7. The Strategic Planning Process
There are many variations but they all follow the same overarching structure
Usually includes roughly five major steps/areas
We will focus on a process that is structured as follows:
Environmental Scanning, Missions & Objectives, Strategy Formulation, Strategy Implementation, Evaluation & Control

8. The Strategic Planning Process
Environmental Scanning
Mission & Objectives
Strategy Formulation
Strategy Implementation
Evaluation & Control
The Strategic Planning Process

9. Environmental Scanning
Can be broken down into two key sections
Internal – assessing an organizations strengths and weaknesses
External – how an organization relates to its environment

10. Internal Environmental Scanning
Addresses the organizations strengths and weakness typically through the use of a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) Analysis
This component is crucial when it comes to discovering what is currently being done that is successful
Uses data such as financials as well as information about relationships and attitudes
The use of a consultant is often common during this section

11. External Environmental Scanning
Identifies opportunities and threats in the external environment
Includes reviews of the targeted audience and trends in the broader community such as demographics, community values and changing laws and regulations
Also takes into account social trends, changes in the political landscape, the economy and technology

12. Mission & Objectives
Information from the environmental scanning area is greatly important here and must considered
The focus is to develop or update items such as a mission statement, organizational core values, and possibly a community vision
This section can be handled differently based on whether you are a new organization planning for the first time or an existing organization looking to make changes

13. Mission & Objectives cont..
Mission Statement – the stated purpose for your organization’s existence; your organization’s public statement
Organizational Core Values – the beliefs that guide the organization; these are shard by the Board and staff and not easily changed
Community Vision – your vision for the community; your image of what the community you serve would be like if your values were shared and practiced by everyone

14. A New vs. An Existing Organization
A New Organization:
May not have much more information to go on than the environmental screening data
Much of this information will be being developed from scratch at first
An Existing Organization:
Will have past versions of a mission statement, organizational core values, a community vision to work from
If changes occur here they will more often be revisions than something new entirely

15. Strategy Formulation
Use information from the previous sections to build
This section typically makes use of specific approaches, one of which is building strategies as SMART Goals
Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely
Includes the creation of both goals and steps to achieve them
Think KPI development

16. Strategy Formulation cont…
It is normal to go through multiple drafts
Don’t build in a vacuum on your own
Having feedback from multiple individuals/groups to create ownership
Having previous by-in and awareness can make moving forward a much smoother process

17. Strategy Implementation
Taking the previous formulations into action
How a strategy is implemented can have significant impact on its success as a whole and often involves many individuals
Communication is crucial so that all are on the same page
Staff motivation is key here so nothing gets left behind

18. Evaluation & Control
Progress must be monitored to track success throughout
Adjustments are often made along the way and this is okay
Waiting until the end to evaluate would hurt the process

19. Evaluation & Control cont.
Having an evaluation schedule is important and it is what bridges the gaps and keeps the cycle going
You are comparing your expectations to what actually has happened
It links the past and the future

20. A Real Life Example – Building a Budget
One common activity that is similar to Strategic Planning is building a household and/or personal budget
You ask yourself many of the same questions
The process could be drawn out in a similar structure
A budget is typically a living document as well

21. Budget – Internal Environmental Scan
Internal Scan – addresses factors such as any income your household has and any personal items you feel are necessary but not required
These are things such as vacation funds, entertainment spending, etc..

22. Budget – External Environmental Scan
External Scan – bills or items that are required that you cannot change such as insurance, mortgages, loans, food
You can also effect/adjust amounts for these but they typically are necessary to survive for everyone

23. Budget – Mission & Objectives
These are your overall goals for constructing a budget
Are you trying to simply break even?
Do you want to be able to come out ahead and build a savings?
Are you trying to pay of certain debts?

24. Budget – Strategy Formulation
Constructing the actual budget as a whole
This includes picking out the following
Categories of expenses
Amounts allocated to each category
How you plan on tracking your budget
Anything you want to avoid

25. Budget – Strategy Implementation
The main focus is the act of you actually following your budget
Key things to remember
Pick a clear and unchanging start date
Communicate to all those involved
Tracking – Don’t forget those recites

26. Budget – Evaluation & Control
Its about making adjustments for either now or next time period
Did you under budget on groceries but over budget on travel/gasoline
Do you need cheaper insurance coverages
Can you or should you be saving more money

27. Budget – Evaluation & Control cont…
Focused on monitoring your progress continuously
In the end this is the section that starts the process over and cannot be missed
What is the point of a plan if you don’t know if it is working

28. What We Covered Today How to define Strategic Planning
What makes Strategic Planning important
Overview of the Strategic Planning Process
Building a budget as a real life example

29. Questions?