Needs Assessment or Gap Analysis
This 2.5-to-3 day program gives an organization an opportunity to assess what it is doing now, what it has set its sights on for the future, and how best to deploy resources to attain necessary or desirable goals. Consists of staff interviews and facilitated discussions.
Environmental Scan
Interviews to find out how the organization is meeting the current needs of the community and customers. Interviews with 12-15 community leaders. Research into plans and activities of similar organizations confronting similar future scenarios.
Shared Vision, Mission, Values Workshop
The shared vision and mission workshop takes three days and consists of staff interviews and three workshops – two for the shared vision and one for the mission.
Action Planning Workshop
Detailed development of goals, objectives and tasks comprising the action planning matrices typically takes two to three days of intensive workshop activity.
Issues Discussion
Issues raised by the staff during interviews for strategic planning, needs assessment or the formulation of the action plans are given a forum by this workshop. Systems and practices that impede effectiveness and efficiency are discussed to resolution.
Typically a 1-2 day discussion.
Annual Review of the Strategic Plan
Keeping a strategic plan current and effective generally requires an annual review.
It is carried out in a one- to two-day workshop
Effective Long-Range Planning
What Good Is a Plan?
Preparing for the future calls for comprehensive long-range planning. A successful plan offers focus for the activities of the organization, clarification of the organization’s identity, and a clear sense of priorities for the future. A good plan provides stability for the present and continuity for the future. It provides stability for the present and continuity for the future.
What Is a Good Plan?
As a framework for the future – a legacy from the present to those who will run the organization in the future – a plan must include ideas from staff, board and customers to both last and have practical value now. The plan must include a shared vision of the future, the organization’s missions, its core values, and a list of goals and objectives to accomplish the missions in light of the vision.
How Do You Get a Good Plan?
Consultants help the organization maintain control of the process. They serve as conduits and summarizers, who canvass good ideas and help build consensus behind them. They also bring experience and a different perspective, an eye trained to detect subtle differences in the aims and expectations of those involved. Good consultants stimulate and accelerate the process, turning it from a required exercise into a thought-provoking and productive experience.
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