How good strategic planning is made

Author: salem sultan
Date: 26/9/2005

Good strategic planning can be used almost in any situation. Strategic plans "should be clear from outset that strategic planning does not provide specific site and design details, and gives an overall methodology for the rational provision of recreation and sport open spaces and facilities.

There are processes have to be understood before setting any planning:

• Where are we now? • Where we want to be?

• What are our options?

• How will we get there?

• How are we going?

 • Do we need to alter our strategies?

 Stage one: review of Local Authority Current Policies. An inventory of facilities and open spaces as well as major recreation and sport services is required. Stage two: external Influences on the Local Authority. This stage deals with population, economic and environmental change and policies. Stage Three: identification of Local Authority Roles and Aims. Broad aims of the strategy and the future roles of the local council which want to play are now drawn out of the work of the first two stages. Stage Four: identification of Key Issues. An examination of the key recreation and sport issues are now identified covering the quality of the services and facilities provided. Stage Five: Key issues. Examination, policy, courses of action and review. Stage Six: Strategy Review: this last stage seeks to establish a timetable for reviewing the plan on the basis of the recreation and sport services annually, policies every three years and major review of the role, aims and objectives of the strategy every six years It is important to identify future needs and issues as well as immediate demands of the facility. Elements to be addressed during this process, it should include such as the following :-. Planning committee elements and concerns. Populations affected Facility location Design flexibility. Effect on adjacent structures, services, and programs. Maximum safety. Planning is a fundamental management of the process of change. It contributes structure to the process from a starting point of the change to end point. Planning starts an analysis from the starting point or current situation. The analysis may include any or all of the typical information which are gathered and analyzed through different tools such as needs analysis, environmental scanning, risk analysis, SWOT analysis, market analysis, feasibility studies, and viability projections. The second stage defines the structure of the change process which includes the typical planning components:

• Developing a vision which identifies the end point and is a description of an idealized future. This sets the organizational direction

. • Clarifying the tasks of the organization through defining a mission. The organization has set the tasks for itself to ensure the reality of the vision. The tasks often describes organization situation in a broad long term statement. This eases the decision making for the organization as well as setting parameters for operation.

• Identifying the organization's values by describing the way in which the organization operates and providing a guide to its behavior. Also, it sets the template for the development of the organizational culture.

 • Setting the goals / objectives / aims which identify tasks in order to achieve the mission. Objectives should be written by using the SMART principle (S = specific, M = measurable, A = achievable, R = relevant, T = timed). A variety of objectives are required to incorporate multiple bottom lines. They must be connected directly to the mission and grounded in the values. They provide the ability to measure performance and express organizational priorities.

 • Identifying strategies in order to achieve the objectives. These are the actions that will be taken in the change processes. They should obtain the advantages of organizational strengths, the weaknesses of impact, avoiding threats, and focusing on opportunities. These statements allocate resources, identify structures, engage staff, provide communication and determine partners for the organization. Organization may has four basic strategic approaches. They are growth, stability, reduction, or a combination. The third stage is the implementation of the management plan and the evaluation of its impact. Finally, if the plan has been completed and the end point has not yet been approached, the cyclical planning process will begin again.