Task: Making Recommendations for Improvements

References
Definitions, concepts and some activities are located in:
Bryson, John M. And Alston, Farnun K. Creating and Implementing Your Strategic Plan: A Workbook for Public and Nonprofit Organizations . San Francisco : Jossey-Bass Publishers,1996.

Bryson, John M. Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A Guide to Strengthening and Sustaining Organizational Achievement . San Francisco : Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1988.

Implementing Strategic Planning For Maximum Impact, workshop offered by the National Center for Strategic Planning and Resource Development, Chicago , Illinois , April 1995.

Other References
Wildavsky, A.Speaking Truth To Power . Boston : Little, Brown, 1979.

Using Findings To Determine Strategic Issues, Outcomes, and Strategies
Step 1. Identify and Summarize Your Findings
Step 2. Review the Findings

A. Background Information
Use the following definitions to review your finding. Determine if the findings are opportunities, threats, strengths
or weaknesses.

Mandates
Mandates prescribe what must or should be done under the organization's charter and policies as well as under
federal, state and local laws.

Opportunities
Opportunities are factors or situations that can affect the organization in a favorable (positive) way (examples:
new funding for a program, political support for a project).

Threats
Threats are factors or situations that can affect the organization in a negative way (examples: loss of state funding,
increasing demand for a specific service, union/management conflicts).

Weaknesses
Weaknesses are deficiencies in resources and capabilities that hinder an organization's ability to accomplish
its mission (examples: lack of communication, absence of clear vision or mission).

Strengths
Strengths are resources or capabilities that help an organization accomplish its mission (examples: professional
staff, adequate resources leadership).

B. Worksheets
Complete worksheet #1.
Step 3. Identify and Frame Strategic Issues

A. Background Information
A strategic issue is a fundamental challenge affecting an organization's mandates, mission, product or service level
and mix, clients or users, costs, financing, organization, or management. The purpose of step 3 is to identify and
frame the fundamental challenges facing the organization.

The identification of strategic issues is the heart of the strategic planning process. The steps have been designed to provide information that will help frame the strategic issues in the most constructive way. The manner in which the issues are framed will have a powerful impact on how strategies are formulated and their costs. Issue framing will also directly affect the ease with which the plan can be implemented.
Issues fall into three main categories:

1. Current issues that probably require immediate action
2. Issues on the horizon that are likely to require action in the near future
3. Issues for which it is unclear whether any action will be required now or in the future, but need to be monitored

Possible Desired Planning Outcomes

1. A list of strategic issues faced
2. An ordering of the issues in terms of priority
Before completing the worksheet assignments, read the excerpt from John M. Bryson. Strategic Planning for Public
and Nonprofit Organizations (p57) .

Elements of a Strategic Issue
A statement of a strategic issue should contain three elements. First, the issue should be described succinctly, preferably in a single paragraph. The issue itself should be framed as a question that the organization can do something about. If the organization cannot do anything about it, it is not an issue - at least for the organization (Wildavsky, 1979). An organization's attention is limited enough without wasting it on issues it cannot resolve.

Second, the factors that make the issue a fundamental policy question should be listed. In particular, what is it about mandates, mission, values, or internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats that make this a strategic issue? Listing these factors will become useful in the next step, strategy development.
Every effective strategy will build on strengths and take advantage of opportunities while it minimizes or overcomes
weaknesses and threats. The framing of strategic issues therefore is very important because the framing will contain
the basis for the issues' resolution.

Finally, the planning team should define the consequences of failure to address the issue. A review of the
consequences will inform judgments of just how strategic or important, various issues are. For instance, if no
consequences will ensue from failure to address an issue, it is not an issue, at least not a strategic issue. At the
other extreme, if the organization will be destroyed by failure to address an issue, or will miss a highly significant and
valuable opportunity, the issue clearly is very strategic and should be dealt with immediately. The strategic issue
identification step therefore is aimed at focusing organizational attention on what is truly important for the survival,
prosperity, and effectiveness of the organization.

B. Worksheets
Identify Strategic Issue
See worksheet #2.
Prioritize the Issue
Prioritize the issues you have identified.
See worksheet #3.
Step 4. Formulate Strategies

A.Background Information
The purpose of step 4 is to create a set of strategies to address each issue that has been identified in step 3 so
that the organization can better fulfill its mission, meet its mandates, and achieve its issue and specific goals.
Strategy is a pattern of purposes, policies, programs, projects, actions, decisions, and resource allocations that
defines what an organization is, what it does, and why it does it. Strategies can vary by level, function, and time frame.
Possible Desired Planning Outcomes

1.Preparation of strategy statements of different kinds:
a. Grand strategy for the organization as a whole
b. Division or subunit strategy statements
c. Program, service, product, project, or business process strategies
d. Strategy statements for specific functions, such as human resources management, finance, and information
technology
Task force members will primarily develop grand strategies for the entire university (category "A"), but also may
need to develop strategies in categories "C" and "D," depending on the task force's charge.
2. Preparation of draft strategic plans
a. Action Planning
b. Evaluate the Strategy
3. Prepare the University Plan Worksheet (Worksheet #6).

B. Worksheets

Complete worksheet #4.
Complete worksheet #5.
Complete worksheet #6.

Worksheet #1 - - Review the Findings
List the findings and determine if they are strengths, weaknesses, opportunities or threats.

Worksheet #2- Individual Strategic Issues Identificatioon

Instructions:
The purpose of identifying selected strategic issues is to enable the organization to
focus on key challenges or policy choices. This worksheet is to be filled out by individuals. Complete a separate worksheet for each of the issue.

1. What is the issue? The issue should be one the organization can do something about. If the organization
cannot, then it is not an issue for the organization (Bryson, 1988, p57). All NCA weaknesses and concerns
are issues that must be addressed through strategic planning.

2. Why is this an issue? How is it related to the organization's mission, mandate, internal strengths and weaknesses, or external opportunities and threats?

MissiStrengths

WeaknessesOpportunities

Threats

Mandates

3. What are the consequences of not addressing the issue?

4. According to your review, what are the strategic issues? List them.

Worksheet #3 - - Prioritize the Issues (to be completed by the chair of the task force)

Prioritize and list the issues for which the entire task force has reached agreement. All NCA related items must be listed as priority #1. This is a 5-year plan (2005-2006 / 2010-2011).
Priority #1. Current issues that probably require immediate action (1-2 years).

Priority #2. Issues on the horizon that are likely to require action in the near future (3-5 years).

Priority #3. Issues for which it is unclear whether any action will be required now or in the future, but need to be monitored (6 or more years). List the items here, but do not include on worksheet #6.

Worksheet #4 - - Action Planning

Instructions: For each priority #1 and priority #2 issues listed on worksheet 3, explore the following aspects
of an action plan:

Strategic Issue:

Relevant Strategy:

1. What specific actions must be taken to implement the strategy?

2. What are the expected results and success indicators?

3. Who are the responsible parties? What are their roles and responsibilities?

4. When will the actions be taken?

5. What resources will be required and where will they be obtained? What is your recommendation for funding this strategy or strategic issue: current budget, internal reallocation, external funding or a combination? Please
specify. Do not list actions for which no funding has been identified.

6. How will the action plan implementation be reviewed and monitored and accountability assured?

Worksheet #5 - - Checklist of Suggested Criteria for Evaluating Strategies

Instructions:
Identify the issue and goals to be addressed and the performance measure to be used. Evaluate
how well the strategy performs against the criteria listed below:

Issue:

Goal:

Action/Activity (Strategy)

Indicator:

Performance Measures:

Evaluative Criteria

Acceptability to key decision makers, stakeholders, and opinion leaders

Acceptability to the general public

Client or user impact

Relevance to the issue

Consistency with mission, values, philosophy, and culture

Coordination or integration with other strategies, programs, and activities

Technical feasibility

Cost and financing

Cost-effectiveness

Long-term impact

Staff requirements

Flexibility or adaptability

Timing

Facility requirements

Other appropriate criteria

Worksheet #6 - UNIVERSITY PLAN WORKSHEET

Submit one sheet for each strategic issue. Indicate whether the issue is priority #1 or #2. Indicate if the strategic
issue is NCA related. DO NOT list strategies, if the funding source has not been identified .

Task Force Name __________________________________

Strategic Issue_________________________________Priority

Number _________ NCA Related: Yes ____ or No ____