This document outlines the strategic planning process. It begins with an agenda and learning objectives. It then defines strategic planning, discusses types of strategic planning, and the benefits. It describes the planning to plan phase and lists prerequisites. The strategic planning process involves developing a mission, vision, values, SWOT analysis, goals, objectives, implementation plan, communication plan, and evaluation. A variety of tools can support the process, including Appreciative Inquiry, Open Space Technology, public consultation, meetings, surveys, and research.

1. Strategic Planning

2. Agenda
• Icebreaker
• Welcome and Introductions
• Agenda Review
• What is Strategic Planning
• Types of Strategic Planning
• Planning to Plan
• Strategic Planning Process
• Strategic Planning Tools and Techniques
• Parking Lot
• Discussion/Evaluation

3. Learning Objectives
– Identify the various steps in the strategic planning
process
– Initiate and manage a strategic planning process
– Determine appropriate tools for strategic planning
– Understand strategies for evaluation
– Initiate community support and involvement in the
process
– Develop communication strategies to promote the
strategic planning process
– Identify partners to be involved in strategic planning
process
– Participate in the strategic planning process (if
applicable)

4. What is Strategic Planning
• Used by community groups, government
departments, organizations and businesses to
develop blueprint for action and change
• the process should be community based,
inclusive and participatory to allow for maximum
stakeholder involvement and input.

5. Benefits of Strategic Planning
• Defines mission, vision &
values
• Establishes realistic
goals, objectives &
strategies
• Ensures effective use of
resources
• Provides base to
measure progress
• Develops consensus on
future direction
• Builds strong teams
• Solves major problems

6. Strategic Planning
Exercise 1
• Introduce participants to strategic planning
• Relate some experiences with strategic planning
and any best practices

7. Strategic Planning
Exercise 2
• Explore and discuss various examples of
planning

8. Types of Planning
• Types of planning
– Strategic planning
– Business planning
– Project planning
– Program planning
– Municipal planning
• Planning as a profession
– Professional “planners”
– Planning functions in other professions

9. Strategic Planning
Exercise 3
• To discuss how personality affects how groups
work together to develop a strategic plan or any
type of plan

10. Strategic Planning Models
• Type of organization usually dictates type of
strategic planning
– Non-profit
• Likely focus on board development,
management, fundraising, policies
– For- Profit
• Likely focus on profit and strategic
directions

11. Types of Strategic Planning
• Basic Strategic Planning
• Issue-Based or Goals-Based Strategic Planning
• Alignment Model
• Scenario Planning
• Organic (or Self-Organizing) Planning

12. Planning to Plan
Exercise 4
• Discuss the planning phase of strategic planning
by brainstorming some pre-requisites needed to
undertake the strategic planning process

13. Planning to Plan
• Planning to plan requires:
–Organizational readiness
• Recognition of need to plan
• Commitment to plan
–Organizational commitment
• Board and volunteer commitment
• Staff commitment

14. Planning to Plan
– Organizational Capacity
• Human resources
– Staff
– Volunteers
– Board committees
– Special/Standing committees
• Financial resources
– Identify budget
– Determine resources
• Time
– Allocate organizational time
– Determine realistic time lines

15. Reasons for Strategic Planning
– Change
– Renewal
– Funding requirement
– Financial forecasting
– Mandate
– Build consensus
– Improve staff and board relations
– Develop ownership
– Build community support
– Other (discussion)

16. Planning to Plan
Exercise 5
• Why do you want to engage in strategic
planning?

17. Strategic Planning Process
• Planning to Plan
– Strategic Planning Team
» Board, staff, community volunteers
– Strategic Planning Budget
» Establish budget, identify funding sources
– Strategic Planning Facilitator(s)
» Identify a facilitator to lead the process
– Strategic Planning Partners
» Internal board and staff
» External community groups/government
departments/others

18. Developing the Plan
– Mission
• Core purpose of your organization
• Presented in a clear, short statement that
focuses on attention in one clear direction
by stating purpose of the group’s
uniqueness.

19. Developing the Plan
• Vision
– What is your organization’s vision of
excellence
– Has to be realistic and not something
impractical

20. Developing the Plan
• Values
– What are the principles, standards, and
actions considered worthwhile in the
organization
– Includes how people treat each other, how
groups conduct business and what is most
important to the organization

21. Developing the Plan
• Strategic Analysis
– Environmental Scan
• gathering of information that concerns
the organization’s environments
• analysis and interpretation of this
information
• application of this analyzed information in
decision making

22. Developing the Plan
• Strategic Analysis
– SWOT Analysis
• Strengths
– What are some internal positive things about
your organization?
– What does the community see as your
strengths?
• Weaknesses
– What are some weaknesses in organization?
– What does the community see as your
weaknesses?

23. Developing the Plan
• Strategic Analysis
– SWOT Analysis
• Opportunities
–What are some opportunities in your
community or region?
–What are some emerging trends?
• Threats
–What are some provincial or national
issues facing the organization?
–What are some technology issues that

24. Strategic Planning Process
• Developing the Plan (continued)
– Goals
• Identify long-term outcomes to provide
focus for the planning process
– Strategies
• Outline how you will achieve your goals
– Objectives
• Identify specific, measurable results
produced while implementing strategies.

25. Strategic Planning Process
• Goals and Objectives Should Be SMARTER
–Specific
–Measurable
–Acceptable
–Realistic
–Timeframe
–Extending
–Rewarding

26. Strategic Planning Process
• Developing the Plan (continued)
– Implementation
• Tasks – assigned to various board and
staff responsible for specific items
• Timelines - established for implementation
of the plan for implementation
– Funding the plan
• What is required to fund the goals in the
plan

27. Strategic Planning Process
• Developing the Plan (continued)
– Communicating the plan
• How will you communicate the plan to
stakeholders?
– Monitoring and evaluation
• Critical to plan’s success and credibility
• Must be built into the plan
• Critical for continuous improvement
– Continuous improvement
• focuses on improving customer satisfaction
through continuous and incremental improvements
to processes

28. Strategic Planning Process
Exercise 6
• Prepare a SWOT analysis as part of the
strategic planning process

29. Strategic Planning Process
Exercise 7
– Discuss some tools and techniques to be
used for strategic planning

30. Strategic Planning
Tools & Techniques
• Appreciative Inquiry
– Effective for changing organizational culture
– Based on 4-D model
• Discover, Dream, Design and Destiny
• Open Space Technology
– new method for working effectively with large
groups (10 - 1000 participants)

31. Strategic Planning
Tools & Techniques
• Public Consultation
– Involve public and stakeholders in your
planning process
– Achieve public consultation through
• Interviews
• Facilitated meetings
• Open houses
• Website discussion papers/surveys

32. Strategic Planning
Tools & Techniques
• Public Meeting
– Provides opportunity for input for all
stakeholders through
• Open house to review plans, maps, charts
• Facilitated meeting with presentation on
what you plan to do
• Facilitated meeting on interim and final
report

33. Strategic Planning
Tools & Techniques
–Focus Groups
• Provides opportunity to address
specific issues
• Provides opportunity for maximum
participation
• Provides maximum information in
short period of time

34. Strategic Planning
Tools & Techniques
• Website feedback
– Online survey
– Online discussion paper to generate comments
• Surveys
– Online survey
– Community survey
• Can be developed and administered locally
• Can be conducted by firm specializing in surveys
• Research
– Focus groups, surveys (primary)
– Literature review (secondary)

35. Strategic Planning
• Parking Lot
• Summary
• Evaluation