2. About Me
Founder/CEO of Directis Consulting
MBA & 15 years consulting experience
Passionate about problem-solving and helping “good”
organizations be stronger
3. What is Strategic Planning?
Provide direction and make choices for the future
Determine how to apply the resources of the
organization to
4. Why Do Strategic Planning?
Focus on positive change - proactively
Align interests & Society at
Large
needs with actions
Stakeholders
Clients
Organization
6. Strategic Planning Process
Situational Analysis
• What is happening in our world?
• What is happening internally?
• What is our purpose?
Mission, Values, Direction • What makes us different & valuable?
• What is our goal for this period?
• What are our big priorities?
Themes
Objectives • What do we measure? How?
Actions
• What are we going to do?
Implement/ • How are we
Monitor doing?
7. Situation Analysis
Environmental Scan:
What is changing in our industry, markets, region?
How will these changes impact us?
Stakeholder Scan:
How do our clients, funders, partners and public see us?
What needs are we meeting (or not)?
Internal Scan:
What are our strengths & weaknesses?
How do these impact us given the environment?
8. Reflecting on Your Scans
What are the biggest opportunities or threats from the
environment?
What problems are we not able to respond to?
What resources are we not using well?
How do we need to work together better?
Rank the top
strengths/weaknesses, opportunities/threats
9. Strategic Planning Process
Situational Analysis
• What is happening in our world?
• What is happening internally?
• What is our purpose?
Mission, Values, Direction • What makes us different & valuable?
• What is our goal for this period?
• What are our big priorities?
Themes
Objectives • What do we measure? How?
Actions
• What are we going to do?
Implement/ • How are we
Monitor doing?
10. Mission
Long-term purpose: 10-15 years
Incorporate “vision” – simplify your planning!
Who will we serve? What needs?
What is “the change we wish to see in the world?”
How will our organization shape itself?
11. Values/Beliefs
What principles or absolute ideals govern our
decisions and conduct?
Use as criteria in decision-making:
Which programs/projects
Who to hire
Partners to align with
12. Strategic Direction
What resources & capabilities do we count on?
Where do they come from?
What makes us unique among organizations?
13. Strategic Goal – FOCUS!
2-3 Year Scope for the Organization
Guides near-term program choices, funding
needs, etc.
What do we do?
Selected activities / services that we can capably deliver
Who do we do it for?
Define the target population – make choices!
14. Strategic Planning Process
Situational Analysis
• What is happening in our world?
• What is happening internally?
• What is our purpose?
Mission, Values, Direction • What makes us different & valuable?
• What is our goal for this period?
• What are our big priorities?
Themes
Objectives • What do we measure? How?
Actions
• What are we going to do?
Implement/ • How are we
Monitor doing?
15. Identifying the Gaps
Compare our goal with where we are now
Where are we falling short?
Prioritize the gaps
What will make the biggest positive effect?
What do we have the resources to do?
Create strategies to close the gaps
16. Creating Strategies - Themes
Define the desired results
What makes it possible to achieve that result?
Themes are courses of action chosen to achieve a goal
Given our resources, what can we do in 2-3 years?
17. Example of a Theme:
Theme – increase reach to local program participants
Objective – add program spaces
Metric - # of program spaces
Target – 10% increase by end of 2013
Actions:
Develop the case for support from funders
Identify teaching / delivery staff
Reduce size of program booklet to cut printing costs, allowing us to
fit materials into existing budget
Resources required: $, time, in-kind, supplies etc.
18. Strategic Planning Process
Situational Analysis
• What is happening in our world?
• What is happening internally?
• What is our purpose?
Mission, Values, Direction • What makes us different & valuable?
• What is our goal for this period?
• What are our big priorities?
Themes
Objectives • What do we measure? How?
Actions
• What are we going to do?
Implement/ • How are we
Monitor doing?
19. Building a Scorecard
LO
E
IAT
NG
INPUTS PROCESSES OUTPUTS
D
-T E
ME
RM
OUTCOMES
IM
MEDIUM-TERM
#1 Measure: Outcomes
Also measure:
What creates sustainability for the organization?
What indicates healthy performance?
20. Implementation
Break up your action plan into 90-day segments
Realistic expectations
Meet frequently & communicate about progress
towards each goal
Communicate your plan to all stakeholders
21. Measuring / Monitoring
Update your scorecard
Evaluate whether performance is “on track”
Reflect on progress & adjust your course:
Given what we know now, what should we do?
What assumptions did we make that were right/wrong?
How can we use this learning to go forward?
Make new action plans
22. When can a facilitator help?
If your organization is new to strategic planning
If there are diverging viewpoints / wide ranges of
concerns among participants
If an internal facilitator will inhibit participation (or
prevent a leader from fully focusing on planning)
If previous planning efforts were challenging or got
derailed
23. Resources
Website: SWOT Analysis, Strategic Plan Word
Template, Marketing Plan Templates
StratPad – iPad app, coming to non-profit soon!
Contact me:
250-479-8303
www.directis.ca
sue@directis.ca
Notas do Editor
Process design: invest time up front in asking what activities you need to do, what information will be required, how to give yourself enough time on agendas, and how you will make decisions.Participants: Board members are ultimately responsible. Staff should provide input but not overwhelm the decision-making. Volunteers, funders, clients, community partners should have their voices reflected at the table but not necessarily as a “sitting participant.”Planners: The process should be coordinated by a planning team, 2-3 people who will set up agendas and keep things on track. It’s not the Executive Director’s sole responsibility to do this. A governance committee would be a first start.Predictable: Repeat the strategic planning process every 2-3 years, depending on the rate of change in your environment. Within those periods, you need to do operational planning as a lower-level (often staff-driven) activity. A planning calendar can help you know when to do certain things throughout the year – because the plan must tie into budgetary timelines. Prepared: No immediate cash-flow problems (3 months), Team members can work together, Major players are settled in, Sufficient time is available
Individual homework for planning participantsCollect/summarize prior to workshop or retreat
Remember to pay attention to things like: IT – do you have security and backups?Is your facility secure and safe?What happens if your key people leave?
Begin with the charitable purpose of your organization – what is it you have committed to? Is that still relevant? Can you work within it?It can be useful to think about the long-term and ask what change do we hope we can bring about. Do we want more people dancing? Do we want to see fewer suicides?Within that vision, your mission defines the activities you’re actually going to take on in the short- to mid-term to begin making the change happen.The broader your mission, the more resources you will need to have to serve it. You CAN redefine your mission during strategic planning, although you don’t want to have drastic sea changes. If you focus too narrowly you may become irrelevant to the community, but if you focus too broadly you may not be able to gain a sense of accomplishment.Develop a loose agreement of these concepts first – worry about wordsmithing your mission statement later. Often boards can get hung up on creating a mission statement because they interpret certain words differently. What is important is really not how it’s written but whether everyone has the same sense and feeling about your purpose.If your mission is difficult to frame because you’re not sure of the relevance or you have disagreements about what is important, put it aside and do your situational analysis first.
Values – such as equality, fairness, spiritual beliefs, community, etc. may seem obvious at first but they can be a major influence in how the organization arranges itself.For example – Vancouver Rowing Club. Founded 1880s. Has a history of producing Olympic teams. Receives free lease on its Stanley Park location to operate as a “community-based” rowing club. Major point of debate on the board is whether they focus on “elite” performance athletes or use more of their resources to run “everyone welcome” programs. Often the two are in conflict when it comes to boat purchases, coaching appointments, training schedules, equipment allocations… and no matter how much they increase their funding, there is never a point where both values would be completely satisfied.In your organization, you may have other beliefs that are less conflict-raising but still make your organization unique. State those and articulate how your values influence your decision-making.