Strategic and Committee Planning

Strategic Planning Overview

Definition: A systematic process through which an organization agrees on and builds key stakeholder commitment to priorities that are essential to its mission and responsive to the organizational environment. Strategic planning guides the acquisition and allocation of resources to achieve these priorities. 

Key Concepts: 

  • It is strategic because it involves making choices in the face of changing needs, funding, competition, and other factors. It requires an organization to recognize they need to make choices, and commit to one set of responses versus another. Strategic planning is as much about what NOT to do as it is what to do. 
  • Strategic planning is systematic, and needs to be structured. It raises a sequence of questions that helps the committee examine history, test assumptions, gather new information, and decide how best to respond going forward. 
  • The process is about building alignment and commitment. It should take into account information from all stakeholders, and engage them in the process to identify priorities. It allows for disagreements to be voiced and constructively resolved. 
  • Strategic planning guides the acquisition and allocation of resources. Planning shouldn’t be limited to what is in the budget, it should include all ideas to make the organization better along with ways to obtain the funding to accomplish this. The purpose is to recognize what needs to be done to accomplish the organization’s mission, and derive a plan that covers all angles of how to accomplish this. 

Goals of a Strategic Plan: 

  • Generating an explicit understanding of the organization’s mission, strategy, and organizational values among staff, the board, and external constituencies 
  • Create a blueprint for action based on current information 
  • Design broad milestones with which to monitor achievements and assess results 
  • Collect information that can be used to market the organization to the public and to potential sponsors 

    Committee Goals: 

    • Create a forum to discuss why the organization exists and the shared values that should influence decisions 
    • Foster successful communication and teamwork among the board and staff 
    • Lay the groundwork for meaningful change by stimulating strategic thinking and focusing on what’s most important to the organization’s long-term success 
    • Bring everyone’s attention back to what is most important – finding ways to accomplish the organization’s mission 
    • Encourage thinking about how to use the strategic plan to adapt to changing circumstances 

       Keep in Mind: 

      • Strategic planning is not a prediction of the future. It is a plan based on current information, and during the process remember that things will change in the future, and the plan can adapt. 
      • Strategic planning is a vehicle for informed decision making, and shouldn’t be used in place of the judgement of leadership. The goal is to establish a well-informed framework from which leaders can work. 
      • There is no right answer. Open communication about the information collected during the process and people’s informed opinions is critical to creating a plan the organization can utilize. 
      • Be flexible. Even though there is some structure to the process, it isn’t completely linear, and there are times when it may feel the process is stalled or even moving backwards. 
      • Implementing your Strategic Plan requires change in how your affiliate operates - be sure to incorporate change management principles in helping facilitate them (see Change Management Toolkit in the Template sidebar).

      Suggested Process:
      First Steps: 

      • Set up for Success: What are the issues to be addressed, what is the process to be used (roles, participation, etc.), and determine the information needed to help make decisions. 
      • Internal Stakeholder Engagement: Identify if members are considered internal or external at this point. Use this point to create buy-in and create an environment where people feel heard. 
      • Mission, Vision, Values: Review, evaluate, and if necessary modify these key items. It is the basis on which a strategic plan is created. 

      Strategic Analysis:

      • Environmental Scan: Engage with external stakeholders to gather as much information about where the profession is headed, what events locally and nationally will affect the profession, and decide the most relevant environmental forces/trends to consider. 
      • Theory of Change and Program Portfolio: Evaluate where we are, and where we want to go. Use tools to understand what the organization does well, and where improvements are needed.  
      • Business Model: Assess the financial health of the organization, past trends, and assess where additional funding (if necessary) could come from. Create an overall picture of how the organization attracts funds. 
      • Organization Capacity: Analyze staffing, systems, and structure that support programming. This can lead to deeper changes such as the revisions of policies and procedures, or can incorporate new policies and procedures into future plans. 
      • Leadership: Look at how the volunteers and staff work together, and look for ways to strengthen relationships and communication to more effectively deliver programs. 

          Set the Course: 

          • Complete the Strategic Plan: Take the information from all the previous steps to put pen to paper, and create the plan. The goal here is to finalize decisions, ensure alignment, and write the plan to present to the board. 
          • Use the Plan Successfully: Make recommendations on how the plan can be incorporated more successfully into daily activity. During years the plan isn’t getting a complete overhaul, make sure it is looked at critically to ensure the organization is headed on the right path, or that the path hasn’t shifted due to unforeseen circumstances. 

          Templates

          Webinars

          Strategic Planning and Annual Planning
          View Recording   |   View Slides
          Get an overview of complete strategic planning including environmental and organizational scans, developing effective surveys, interviews, and focus groups, and creating strategic plan goals. From there we will talk about incorporating your strategic plan into your annual planning to ensure daily activities are contributing to your larger, long term goals.

          Budgeting and Annual Planning
          View Recording   |   View Slides
          Treasurers and affiliate leaders will take a closer look into annual planning and budget planning as introduced during the treasurers’ orientation in June. Learn how to use a budget as a tool to help drive success within the affiliate.

          Evaluating your Affiliate Structure and Positions
          View Recording   |   View Slides
          Effective affiliate management includes understanding your volunteer structure and ensuring it is working for you. This webinar will dive into potential structures for your affiliate, volunteer evaluations, and taking a critical look at how you operate. This training gives you an 0rganizational chart overview, helps you understand how to evaluate your structure and positions, work to guide volunteers through changing positions, and implement and incorporate volunteer evaluations and feedback.

          Implementing New Benefits and Programs
          View Recording   |   View Slides
          Leverage survey and evaluation results along with your strategic plan to create new ideas for member benefits and programs. Learn how to create a pilot plan for new programs, evaluate results, and decide how best to move forward. This webinar focuses on project management strategies to help ensure the highest chance of success for new programs.