Strategic Planning
SANDRA THOMPSON
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Strategic Planning: Definition
Process where an organization defines its direction and
priorities – Typically decisions about resource allocation are
made that tie to identified priorities.
An important aspect of management. Leaders usually involve
many parties in the analysis of their organization
Leads to an ongoing process of organizational change
Proverbs 29:18 – Where there is no vision, the people perish
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Planning is not new - God’s servants planned
Joseph:
Advising preparation for the coming famine
Moses:
Sending the spies into Canaan
Joshua:
Developing a military strategy
Nehemiah:
Rebuilding Jerusalem
David:
Establishing his kingdom
Solomon:
Building the temple and his palace
Jesus:
Forming, preparing and sending out his ministry team
Paul:
Reaching the Gentiles with the Gospel
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Strategic Plan: Outline
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Vision
Mission
Marketing/Communication/Outreach Plan
Objectives and Priorities This Year
Operating Budget
Risks and Opportunities
Strengths and Weaknesses
Success Measures
Action Plan
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Strategic Plan: Vision and Mission
Vision – sets out the reason for your existence and the ideal
state you aim to achieve – where do you want to be?
Dream big – if you had a perfect world……
What would the Capital District look like in the next 3-5
years?
Mission – What is your purpose – why do you exist?
Don’t confuse Vision and Mission What is your purpose vs. where do you want to be?
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Strategic Plan: Marketing
What groups do we need to serve?
What do they need to hear from us?
What is the best way to find and communicate with them?
When will we communicate with them and how often?
How will we know if they have heard our message?
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Strategic Plan: Objectives & Priorities
Objectives and Priorities This Year – What are 3-5 objectives or
priorities that you can focus on THIS YEAR to help take you a few steps
closer to the vision?
Keep priorities high level and try to make them SMART:
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Realistic
T – Timebound
Example: To develop two or three packages of services and materials to
support single mothers in attaining well-paid work, and launch these
online by August 2015.
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Strategic Plan Objectives: SWOT analysis
Strengths
– what are the things you do really well?
Weaknesses
– what are the things you can do better?
Opportunities
– what creative ideas do you have?
Threats/Risks
– what are the problems you might
encounter that would not allow you to
meet your goals and objectives?
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Strategic Plan - Budget
Define your activities and identify the financial resources
necessary to undertake the initiatives.
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Strategic Plan: Success Measures & Action Plan
Success Measures – how will you measure your success – what tells
you that you are successful?
Action Plan – how do we get to where we want to go?
What/When/Who/How much (by quarter)
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Strategic Plan: Summary
Vision – What does the Capital District look like in 3-5 years?
Mission – What is your purpose?
Marketing/Communication/Outreach Plan – What groups do we need to serve/What do they need to hear from us/What is the
best way to find and communicate with them/ When will we communicate with them and how often/How will we know if they
have heard our message.
Objectives and Priorities This Year – breaking down the big picture – what are 3-5 objectives or priorities that you can focus on
THIS YEAR to help take you a few steps closer to the vision.
Operating Budget – How much will you need to achieve your budget?
Risks and Opportunities – what creative ideas do you have/ what are the problems you might encounter that would not allow you
to meet your goals and objectives?
Strengths and Weaknesses – what are the things you do really well – what are the things you can do better?
Success Measures – how will you measure your success – what tells you that you are successful?
Action Plan - specific activities by quarter – what – when – who – how much?
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Keep Strategic Planning biblical and spiritual
We should submit ourselves to God -( (Pr 16:3) Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your
plans will succeed.
We should seek wise and godly counsel -(Pr 15:22) Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with
many advisers they succeed. (Pr 20:18) Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain guidance.
We should pray for wisdom -(Jas 1:5) Now listen, If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God,
who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
We should plan with humility - (Jas 4:13-15) you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this
or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will
happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
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