Strategic planning guide

Download Strategic planning guide.doc 27.1 kB

It takes into account the internal strengths and weaknesses plus the external opportunities and threats to the organisation, and details strategies to address or build on these.

In general a strategic plan incorporates the following items:

• vision and/or mission statement;
• core business areas of the organisation;
• goals/objectives related to these business areas for the period of the plan.
• strategies/tasks to be undertaken to achieve the goals/objectives
• timelines for the completion of those strategies/tasks
• resource implications, i.e. what will it cost to do in people and monetary terms?
• performance indicators — that is how will you know when the strategy/task is completed?
• priorities for action, what should be undertaken in year 1, what in year 2, what is year 3 and so forth?

All those tasks that are to be achieved within the forthcoming 12 month period can be separated out of the strategic plan, and can be placed into a separate document called and operational plan i.e. those priorities for action over the next 12 months.

The operational plan is then used by the staff and volunteers to guide their work during that time.