Strategic planning

Strategic Planning
OVERVIEW
Brief description
This toolkit provides a model for taking an organisation through a strategic planning process. It covers planning to do strategic planning, covering the background issues that need to inform or direct the strategic planning process, and then defining the strategic framework for the project or organisation activities. It is this strategic frameworkthat gives the activities coherence and direction. We have included practical exercises to use during a strategic planning process. The toolkit expands on the short introduction to strategic planning in the toolkit on Overview of Planning. Why have a detailed toolkit on strategic planning? Strategic planning is the core of the work of an organisation. Without a strategic framework you don’t knowwhere you are going or why you are going there. So, then, it doesn’t really matter how you get there! This toolkit offers you a way to do detailed strategic planning. You can replicate the method in any organisation or project that needs to do strategic planning. Another toolkit in the CIVICUS toolkits project deals with an Overview of Planning. That toolkit will help you see how strategic planningfits into the overall planning process. The toolkit on Action Planning will help you take the process further. The toolkit on Monitoring and Evaluation will help you to expand on the process of impact evaluation. You do strategic planning to help your project or organisation make a significant impact. Who should use this toolkit? This toolkit will help you if you have had only limited experiencein planning or in strategic planning. Perhaps you have not been involved in running an organisation, project or department before. Or perhaps you have not been involved in the planning side of the work before. Or perhaps you have always focused on action planning and now realise how important strategic planning is. If strategic planning is new, or fairly new, to you, then you should find thistoolkit useful. When will this toolkit be useful? You will find this toolkit useful when: You need to plan strategically as well as operationally and to make a distinction between the two. You need some ideas to help you plan a strategic planning process. You begin the planning for a new project or organisation. You feel you need to review your strategic framework.
A strategy is an overall approach,based on an understanding of the broader context in which you function, your own strengths and weaknesses, and the problem you are attempting to address. A strategy gives you a framework within which to work, it clarifies what you are trying to achieve and the approach you intend to use. It does not spell out specific activities.

Strategic Planning Toolkit by Janet Shapiro (email:toolkits@civicus.org)

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Strategic Planning
OVERVIEW
pp.1-2

BASIC PRINCIPLES
pp. 3-47

BEST PRACTICE
pp.48-50

RESOURCES
p.51

GLOSSARY OF TERMS p.52

Examples Agenda

What is strategic planning?
p.3

Planning for a strategic planning process p.4
Timing pp.4-6 Who should be involved? pp.7-9 Input pp.10-11

Covering the background p.17
Input – discussion
p.18

Defining thestrategic framework pp.27-28
Vision pp.29-30 Values pp.31-32 Mission pp.33-34 Overall goal
pp.36-37

Internal implications p.43
Structure p.44 Change management Potential problems p.46 Where to? p.47

Clarification of problem analysis p.19 Review p.20
Programmes p.21 Organisation p.21

Preparatory work pp.12-15 Planning the agenda/process
pp.16-17

Clarifying planning parameters
pp.22-24Immediate objective pp.38-39 Key Result Areas
pp.40-42

Identifying critical issues pp.25-26

Strategic Planning Toolkit by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus.org)

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Strategic Planning
BASIC PRINCIPLES
What is strategic planning?
A strategy is an overall approach and plan. So, strategic planning is the overall planning that facilitates the good management of a process....