How Do We Keep Our Strategy and Strategic Plan Current?

One of the challenges with strategic planning is that both the process of planning and the output (your organisation’s written strategic plan) can lead to the illusion that planning is a linear process that has a set starting point—the day you begin planning—and end point—the day you stamp “Final Draft” on your strategic plan. It is tempting to believe that, in the past, strategic planning was simpler and easier, that organisations created plans in stable environments that allowed them to predictably plan their activities for 3, 5 or even 10 years. Whether that simplistic view of the past is accurate is debatable. And certainly, it is not the case today. Organisations are faced with rapidly changing technologies, political environments and funding realities. In such circumstances, looking even a year into the future can seem impossible.

Still, even in the face of change, it is essential to plan—and to constantly revisit your plan. Organisational strategies should be constantly evolving, which means that they must be revisited regularly, assessed and adjusted. Linear planning is out. Cyclical planning is in.

Cyclical planning means that your organisation must put time aside to revisit, review and adjust your plan. This involves:
• Reviewing progress on goals and assessing the factors that have helped or hindered that progress
• Assessing challenges that have emerged
• Integrating knowledge about new trends and factors that will influence your work and goals
• Adjusting your plan in response

“But won’t we always be planning, then?” The answer is yes—but this approach to planning will also alleviate some of the burden involved in a burst of planning that takes place intensively every three years, versus an approach to planning that integrates it into your organisation’s work cycle on an ongoing basis.

How do we integrate cyclical planning into our work? The creation of your annual plan—which should also be tied to your budgeting process—is an ideal opportunity to revisit your overall plan.
• Look at trends in your sector. Has there been any significant change since your last planning sessions? Do you need to adjust your annual plan or overall plan to account for these changes? Use the IFEX Strategic Planning Tool: Trend Map to assist you in your analysis.
• Look at your competitors. Have there been any significant shifts in who is in your competitive set? Refer to the “IFEX Strategic Planning FAQ: What is your organisation’s competitive advantage?” and the IFEX Strategic Planning Tool: Competitive Strength Map to review your competitive set.