It is necessary for organisations to have a strategy to ensure an appropriate organisational structure, together with effective and efficient systems. A company that has developed a strategy reduces its risk of failure and increases its chance of success.

The objectives of developing a strategy is to develop a plan which determines where an organisation should go in the long term – next coming years or even longer term.

Several approaches to strategy exist but most strategies involve:

• Identifying the organisations purpose
• Selection of Goals to be reach for the organisation to accomplish its purpose.
• Identification of specific strategies for the organisation to reach the Goals.
• Create an action plan to implement each strategy.
• Monitor and update the plan.

The strategic plan is a creative, original and rigorous thinking process, supported by tools, frameworks and documents. The formats of strategic plans vary but they all contain common elements – where we wish the organisation to be, where we are starting from and how we are going to achieve our vision, together with milestones, responsibilities, risks and performance measurement.

In formulating a strategic plan it can be useful for an organisation to ask the questions:

What do we do?

Who do we do it for?

How do we become the best at what we do?

The strategic plan will have to be presented to the board/trustees for a formal review and approval. It is important that the minutes from such meeting is recorded and approved to have clear evidence that the strategic plan has been approved and can form the basis for the future work of the organisation. 
 

David Hemery CBE - Setting your Vision and Mission

Downloads:

Performance Hub Newsletter.pdf

Performance Hub Newsletter from Spring 06 - How strategic planning can help you.

BEF Strategic Plan.pdf

Example: British Equestrian Federation Strategic Plan for the period of 2009-2013.

England Athletics Strategic Plan.pdf

Example: England Athletics Strategic Plan for the period of 2009-2013