Strategic planning is the management of organizational resources to achieve a goal. A
strategic plan is a document that communicates the organizations' goals and actions for achieving
the desired outcome (Allison & Kaye 1). Strategic planning determines the organizations’
direction through prioritized efforts to achieve objectives. To accomplish desired results,
organizational employees and stakeholders work collectively to achieve the desired outcome.
Strategic planning is essential in evaluating the organizations' progress and the impact of its
decisions. Strategic planning entails carrying out a strategic plan containing the mission and
vision of the organization through stakeholder engagement to achieve intended objectives.
A vision is an announcement of future accomplishments in a given timeframe. A vision
statement provides a clear call for action to achieve a given target for instance, Stanford
University envisioned to be the Harvard of the future in the west during the 1940s (Bryson, 3). A
vision and mission statement is vital because they shape the decisions of the organization and
how it is going to achieve it. A mission statement describes the current state of work for an
organization, its daily undertaking that focuses on delivering the organization's vision. A mission
and vision statement are success indicators for an organization.
An operational plan is a short term work plan that departments in an organization use to
achieve a bigger goal for the organization. (North Dakota 5). The operational plan outlines daily
performance for a given organizational section and its' contribution to the realization of its goals.
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An operational plan consists of measurable objectives, financial implications and potential
financial risk. Quantifiable objectives include goals achieved within a given time frame, whereas
financial implications refer to costs incurred to achieve the desired outcome. Potential financial
risks are unforeseeable barriers that can influence the performance of an organization. An
operational plan relates to the organizations' strategic plan and is used in strategic planning.
An Organizational assessment is a process of determining employee and stakeholder
preparedness for organizational transformation through analyzing the proposed organizational
changes and their impact on the entities to adopt them and risks associated with these changes
(Tatum 7). The assessment uses a scientific and systemic approach to study the work dynamics
of an organization .The organizational assessment process includes data collection, analysis, and
identification of strategic moves and action planning. Lack of strategic goals alignment, portfolio
management, decision process, and technical preparation are factors indicating an organizations’
lack of preparation for assessment. Organizational assessment forms the basis of carrying out a
strategic plan.
Stakeholders refer to entities with vested interest for the organizations' success.
Stakeholders consist of unions, employees, regulatory agencies, community members, among
others. The role of stakeholders is to provide different opinion and to assist the organization to
understand its operating environment in the early stages of strategic planning for the success of
the organization (Bryson & Alston 18). Stakeholder are engaged through communication and
information sharing and also through gentle persuasion, motivation, and relationship creation.
Stakeholders also engage through open forums and discussion groups providing alternative
views, important when the organization faces opposing opinions in operation plan making
process.
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Strategic plans are the basis upon which operational plans are carried out by stakeholders
which contain organizations mission and vision statement. Stakeholders are crucial to the
decision-making process and strategic planning of the organization. The operational plan
provides day to day departmental activities that achieve the mission and vision of the
organization. Finance, risk, and human factors impact on the operation plan. Important factors
included in the lack of technical support and portfolio management indicate the organizations’
lack of readiness for assessment. Strategic planning is the process of executing the mission and
vision of the organization, which forms the components of the strategic plan.
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Works Cited
Allison, Michael, and Jude Kaye. Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations: A Practical
Guide for Dynamic Times. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2015.
Bryson, John M. Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A Guide to
Strengthening and Sustaining Organizational Achievement. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass,
2011.
Nelson, Sandra S, and Sandra S. Nelson. Strategic Planning for Results. Chicago: American
Library Association, 2008.
Tatum, Charles. Measuring Up: Personnel and Organizational Assessment. , 2018.