Strategic Planning

Abstract

Strategic planning may be defined as ‘a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization (or other entity) is, what it does, and why it does it’ (Bryson Sect. 1995, pp. 4–5). Strategic planning thus is not a single thing, but is instead a set of concepts, procedures, and tools that must be carefully tailored to situations if desirable outcomes are to be achieved. Strategic planning is compared and contrasted with related phenomena, including strategic thinking and acting, leadership, strategy, comprehensive or structure planning, and strategic management. A brief history of strategic planning and its use are presented. Purported benefits are outlined, including promotion of strategic thought and action, improved decision making, enhanced organization responsiveness and improved performance, and direct benefit to the people involved. Typical approaches are discussed, including their characteristics, assumptions, strengths, and weaknesses. Approaches covered include: the Harvard policy model, strategic planning systems, stakeholder management approaches, strategic issues management approaches, logical incrementalism, strategic planning as a framework for innovation, portfolio models, and competitive analysis. Conclusions include the observation that strategic planning is becoming a standard part of the repertoire of public and nonprofit leaders, managers, and planners; every process in practice is a hybrid; and an extensive research agenda remains.