What is Strategic Planning?

Strategic planning is used to determine mission, vision, values, goals, objectives, roles and responsibilities, timelines, etc. Strategic planning is a management tool used to help an organization do a better job –to focus its energy, ensure everyone is working toward the same goals, and to assess the organization’s direction.  It is an effort to guide the organization on what it is, what it does, and why it does it.

A successfully strategic planning process prepares the best way for the organization to respond to the circumstances around it, allowing the organization to effectively react to dynamic and ever-changing environments. Strategic planning is clear about the organization’s objectives, aware of its resources, and incorporates both into a plan to respond to a dynamic environment. The process involves intentionally setting goals and developing a plan to achieve the organization’s goals.