Strategic Planning - Definition, Steps - Literature review Example

Chapter – 02: Literature Review Introduction This chapter presents a review of the literature on the strategic planning and management in public sector or non-profit organizations. The chapter presents an overview of different strategic planning models and also presents an overview of different strategic plans adopted by the police departments. Strategic Planning Planning is regarded amongst the most important activities of the management in organizations. In order to evaluate the standing of the organisation with respect to its performance, a public or private organisation needs to plan where it intends to be and how can it be achieved. Planning may be referred to as preparing for action intelligently, systematically, deliberately and continuously (Glaister & Falshaw, 1999). While formulating strategies at organisational levels, planning is construed as having a significant role to play and therefore, strategic planning is regarded as consideration of an entity’s future formally. Almost every strategic planning activity involves three main interrogative statements, which are: 1. What we do? 2. For whom we do it? 3. How do we excel? (Bradford & Duncan, 2000) In the modern world of today, strategic planning is regarded as an important aspect with regard to managing an entity and devising future plans. Both the public and private sector entities make use of strategic planning to ensure a secure and prosperous future for their organizations. With regard, to public sector organizations, those who are charged with managing their respective entities have well defined authorities as per the governmental or other institutionally formulated rules and regulations which are applicable to them. Therefore, the extent to which such managers of the public organizations can exercise their futuristic plans are subject to the authority being given to them by the code or regulatory framework within which they are bound to operate. In case of not for profit organizations, it is obvious that motivators for organisational performance are not related to financial well being of the entity, but in fact organisational performance is driven by the motivation to accomplish tasks within the predefined limits or in other words by utilizing the available limited resources (Kriemadis & Theakou, 2007). Models for Strategic Planning The below presented strategic planning models offer a variety of options amongst organizations may find the approach best suited to them and design their strategic plan accordingly (McNamara, 2000). 1. Basic Strategic Planning Model This strategic planning model, as the name suggests is a basic planning model for small organizations which are new into strategic planning. The model requires the planning to be carried out by strategic level management and involves the following key steps: Identification of purpose Selection of goals Identification of strategic for attaining goals Identification of execution plans Monitoring and updating the plan (Kriemadis & Theakou, 2007) 2. Issue-Based Planning Model After planning strategically while following the basic plan, organizations tend to follow issue-based or goal-based plans. This model includes different planning processes or stages out of which an organisation may opt what suits it best. The plan includes the following processes: SWOT Analysis Prioritizing of issues Statement of vision and mission Establishing execution strategies Documentation of all the above processes Extracting a yearly based plan Developing budgets for the execution of plan Executing the plan Monitoring the results and documenting them (Kriemadis & Theakou, 2007) 3. Alignment Model This model is used to ensure that the organisational resources are utilized in the fulfillment of its mission. This model helps in conducting the evaluation of the organisational performance by following these steps: Outlining the mission and the required resources Evaluating the existing operations Identification of ways to bring adjustments in the required areas Inclusion of finalized adjustments in the strategic plan (Kriemadis & Theakou, 2007) 4. Model – 4: Scenario Planning Model This model may be opted in combination with other strategic planning model. Scenario planning model is used in the identification of issues and objectives. It is erected as follows: Imagining changes in the environment around organisation while considering different environmental forces With respect to each selected force, forecasting the position of the organisation in the days to come Suggesting what can be done by the organisation Planning strategies to counter external forces Selecting forces which are more likely to affect organisation (Kriemadis & Theakou, 2007) 5. Self-Organizing Planning Model This model is based on the common values and moves around these values by consistently sharing the progressive in light of such values. The model is based on the following premise: Articulating the values Articulating the vision Continuously assessing the need for any change in the processes to reach vision Consistently persist for personnel development Being patient Focusing on learning Asking the strategic planning group about the ability of the model to show its strategic planning techniques to interested parties (Kriemadis & Theakou, 2007) Examples of Strategic Plans - Police Departments Since this report entails strategic planning for police department, following examples of strategic plans are adopted from three different police departments. Winston-Salem Police Department In its strategic plan for community safety, the Winston-Salem Police Department has prioritized its activities in five levels. As per these levels, the foremost priority of the department is to enhance quality of life and bring down the crime in the community, second priority is to enhance trust, increase interaction and involvement and become accountable to the citizens. The third priority aims at enhancing the road safety in the community, at fourth level the department aims at becoming more efficient and effective and finally it aims at developing itself into an organisation which allows the nurturing of talent, skills and quality personnel and creates further opportunities. For the purpose of achieving all these aims, each priority level is supported by various strategies. In order to measure the success which the police department is progressing towards achieving these aims, the plan entails the success measuring tools for each priority level (Winston-Salem Police Department, 2009). The Cincinnati Police Department The strategic plan for The Cincinnati Police Department is based on a strategic planning paradigm which comprises of three parts. The first part sets the strategic directions for the department which sets the foundations on which the strategic planning of the department is laid. The first stage sets the strategies, objectives and measurements of the accomplished objectives. The objectives include the enhancing and ensuring of public safety, community partnerships, developing personnel, management of resources and advancement in the technology. The second stage focuses on the logistics and demographics which would be utilized in order to execute the plans and the last stage of the strategic planning paradigm is the evaluation of the work done and a thorough review of the same (Streicher, 2007). Lincoln Police Department The strategic plan for Lincoln Police Department is based on four different areas which include “Equipment and Technology”, “Professional Development”, “Staffing and Facilities” and “Policing”. The strategies designed for these focus areas are executed by dedicated teams, which are headed by the senior officers of the department. For each focus area, the department has made recommendations which include the budgets and costs that are required to be considered while executing the plans under each area and also the mechanisms for executing the plans are also mentioned expressly (Lincoln Police Department, 2012). Summary This chapter presented a brief review of the literature related to strategic planning. The chapter presented five different strategic planning models which can be used by public or private sector organizations. At the end of the chapter three strategic planning examples are given related to the police departments serving different communities in the United States. References Bradford, R. W., & Duncan, P. J. (2000). Simplified Strategic Planning. Chandler House Press. Glaister, K. W., & Falshaw, R. (1999). Strategic planning: still going strong? Long Range Planning , 32 (1), 107-116. Kriemadis, T., & Theakou, E. (2007). Strategic Planning Models in Public and Non-Profit Sports Organisations. Sports Management International Journal , 3, 28-37. Lincoln Police Department. (2012). Lincoln Police Department Strategic Plan. Lincoln Police Department. McNamara, C. (2000). Field Guide to Nonprofit Strategic Planning and Facilitation. Minneapolis Minnesota: Authenticity Consulting LLC. Streicher, T. H. (2007). The Cincinnati Police Department Strategic Plan. The Cincinnati Police Department. Winston-Salem Police Department. (2009). Winston-Salem Police Department Strategic Plan. Winston-Salem Police Department. Read More