Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group 2018 Conference strategic planning mini-course

1. Improving Your Strategic and Program Planning for Measurable
Results
Presenter: Tamara Jones
January 20, 2018
Chattanooga TN
WELCOME

2. Exercise #1 - Goals and Outcome Measures
Exercise #2 - SMART Objectives
Exercise #3 - Strategies
Why most strategic plans fail
Course evaluation
Keys to success
Purpose / Qualifications / Agenda review
Course objectives
Benefits of planning
Defining strategic plan(ning)
7 Steps of strategic planning process
Cascading framework
Introduction of strategic planning template
Definitions of terms
BREAK
Agenda
1:00 - 1:15
1:15 - 2:00
2:00 - 2:30
2:30 - 2:45
2:45 - 3:15
3:15 - 3:45
3:45 - 4:15
4:15 - 4:30
4:30 - 4:45
4:45 - 5:00

3. Text here
Tamara Jones
2011 White House Champion of Change
M.A. Political Science - Yale University
B.A. Political Science – Long Island University
Our core services are:
● Strategic Planning ● Facilitation
● Business Process Improvement
● Long-range financial and budget planning
● Cost Savings Analysis
We transform communities by helping social impact organizations enact their mission more efficiently and effectively.
We help our clients to translate their vision of success into measurable results.
We help organziations to better communicate their impact so they can attract the resources and support they need to achieve their vision.

4. Selected Clients

5. By the end of this workshop, you will:
Understand the difference between strategic plan as a
document vs. a management tool
Understand the benefits of strategic planning
Understand the 7 steps in the strategic planning process
Understand the basic terms of strategic planning
Understand how to use the strategic planning template
Understand best practices to create a strategic plan that is
impactful
Course Objectives

6. To set direction and priorities
To get everyone on the same page
To align use of resources
To simplify decision-making
To adapt i.e. act versus react
To identify new opportunities
To analyze (the right) problems
To communicate effectively
To allocate resources effectively
Why should we plan?

7. Which would you rather be?
Workhorse or Racehorse

8. Most common definition
Strategic planning determines where an
organization is going over the next
several years, how it's going to get there
and how it'll know if it got there or not.

9. What is strategic plan(ning)?
A strategic plan is a document used to communicate the
organization’s desired impacts and the actions needed to
achieve them.
● What is the problem you are trying to address?
● What is your proposed solution, intervention or approach?
● Why do you think your approach will make a difference?
● What specific changes or impacts will you bring about?
● What actions will you take to achieve desired impacts?
● What evidence will tell us if you have made a difference?

10. What is strategic plan(ning)?
Strategic planning is a management process that is used to
● strengthen operations
● assess and adjust direction in response to changing
environment
● ensure staff and stakeholders work toward common goals
● establish agreement around intended outcomes/results
IT IS A TOOL TO HELP YOU MAKE DECISIONS
AS YOU CARRY OUT YOUR WORK

11. EVALUATE DEFINE PURPOSE IDENTIFY PRIORITIES ALIGN RESOURCES EXECUTE & MONITOR
Identify critical issues
to address
(Re) focus on
Mission & Vision
Goals & Outcome
Measures
Assign Accountability
Leaders
Develop and implement
work plans
Identify sector
opportunities &
threats
Theory of Change SMART Objectives
Refine staffing plan (incl.
volunteers, Board
Committees, etc.)
Monthly review of strategies
(staff, committes)
Identify internal
strengths &
weaknesses
Our Unique Value
Proposition
Critical Success Factors &
Barriers
Align budget
Quarterly review of
Objectives (Board)
Assess past
performance
Our target clients
Strategies
Communicate plan with
stakeholders
Report against Strategic
Performance Dashboard
Identify Partners and
Competitors
Identify new research
and evidence
Set performance
milestones
Learning culture > pivot and
scale

12. STEPS OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
STEP 1: PREPARING TO PLAN
STEP 2: INFORMATION GATHERING
STEP 3: ANALYSIS OF CRITICAL ISSUES FACING THE ORGANIZATION
STEP 4: DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIC PLAN DOCUMENT
STEP 5: RESOURCE PLANNING & WORK MANAGEMENT
STEP 6: IMPLEMENTATION
STEP 7: MONITORING & EVALUATION

13. STEP 1: PREPARING TO PLAN
Is there organizational readiness for strategic planning?
Who should be involved? Will there be a formal Strategic Planning
Committee?
How will the key stakeholders (internal and external) be oriented
to the process?
How much commitment is there to the process?
What do you expect to accomplish?
How long will it take?
How will we encourage boldness, risk-taking &creativity by
planning participants?
Where should the planning be done?
What parts of the process can be conducted by internal
stakeholders versus a consultant?

14. STEP 2: INFORMATION GATHERING AND ANALYSIS
INTERNAL ASSESSMENT
• Assess organization’s internal structure, process and operations
• Examine paid and volunteer personnel, fundraising, facilities,
equipment, technology, location, financial condition,
management, governance, programs, etc.
MARKET ASSESSMENT
• Identify changes in the needs and perceptions of your
constituencies and markets (funders, interns, staff, members,
partners, etc.)
• Who are the key markets and constituents?
• What are the emerging market trends?
EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT
• Evaluate local, regional and global trends likely to have impact
• Political, economic, technological, social, demographic, lifestyle
and philanthropic trends.

15. STEP 3: IDENTIFICATION OF CRITICAL ISSUES FACING THE ORGANIZATION
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
• Review summaries of internal,
external and market assessments
• Identify critical issues for the
future
• Get feedback on critical issue
statements from other
stakeholders

16. IENT
Steps 4: DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIC PLAN DOCUMENT
Use planning template to define
• Vision
• Mission
• Problem Statement
• Solution Statement
• Clients & Strategic Partners
• Unique Value Proposition
• Goals & Outcome Measures
• Objectives & Milestones
• Success Factors & Barriers
• Strategies & Metrics
• Accountability List

17. IENT
Steps 4: DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIC PLAN DOCUMENT
COMPLETE PLAN DOCUMENT
● Have Planning Team create straw man drafts to
focus input
● Use iterative process for feedback and revisions
● Engage ALL key stakeholders, especially those
responsbile for plan implementation
● Formally communicate plan to key stakeholders

18. STEP 5: RESOURCE PLANNING & WORK MANAGEMENT
DEVELOP ACTION PLANS
• Conduct action plan workshops
• Use templates for quality and consistency

19. STEP 6: IMPLEMENTATION
Success is learning what works
How to create true value for clients?
How can we grow our program?
Experimental method
Strategies as hypotheses
Testing
Data-driven decisions
Agile adjustments
Build-Learn
Feedback Loop

20. STEP 7: MONITORING & EVALUATION
DEVELOP MONITORING FRAMEWORK
● Identify testing & evaluation process
● Develop monitoring process
○ Dashboards
○ Staff meetings focused on learning
and problem solving
● Develop monitoring schedule

21. Our focus today is….
STEP 1: PREPARING TO PLAN
STEP 2: INFORMATION GATHERING
STEP 3: ANALYSIS OF CRITICAL ISSUES FACING THE ORGANIZATION
STEP 4: DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIC PLAN DOCUMENT
STEP 5: RESOURCE PLANNING & WORK MANAGEMENT
STEP 6: IMPLEMENTATION
STEP 7: MONITORING & EVALUATION

22. Cascading Plans have greater chance of effective implementation & success
Individual Work Plans
Organizational Objectives
Strategies
Goals
What do we want to change in the world?
How will we change the world?
What general, long-term results do we want?
What specific, shorter-term results do we want?
How will we achieve our desired results?
How will we achieve our desired results?

23. Strategic Plan Template

24. Key definitions
GOALS – Broad results; what you hope to achieve in qualitative terms. Does NOT include specific
measurement or deadline
OUTCOME MEASURES - Units of measurements that will be used to track progress towards Goals
OBJECTIVES – Specific results; what you hope to achieve in quantitative or measurable terms and
with a deadline
CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS - Key conditions that must be met in order for the Objective to be
achieved
BARRIERS - Key conditions that must be overcome in order for the Objective to be achieved
STRATEGIES – How you will accomplish an Objective. Broad type of work to be carried out (e.g.
project, campaign, initiative). They should leverage Critical Success Factors and Barriers.
TASKS - Specific actions to be carried out to execute strategies

25. Mission - What must we do to realize our purpose?
Clients - What must we do to better serve our clients and
stakeholders?
Operations - What must we do to be more efficient and
effective as a business entity?
Leadership - What must we do to provide sound governance
and management?
Financial - How do we look to our funders & financial
supporters?
Learning & Growth - How can we continue to improve,
create value and innovate?
Types of Goals

26. IMPORTANT
#1 Reason why most plans fail
URGENT
LOW HIGH
HIGH
LOW
Get it done now Delay
Delay
Ignore
Strategic
Plan

27. WHY DO STRATEGIC PLANS FAIL?
Having a plan simply for plans sake
Pretending to be objective in assessment phase
Over reliance on little or poor data
Ignoring marketplace & organizational reality
Lack of focus on measurable or verifiable results
Unrealistic goals & objectives
Not having the right people involved
No accountability or follow through
Inability to adapt when things do not go as expected
Confusing strategic planning with consensus building

29. 1. Start with an honest assessment of where you are today (internal & external)
2. Create SMART Objectives that are shared by all (buy in)
3. Understand your Critical Success Factors and Barriers
4. Create Strategies that leverage CSF & Barriers
5. Create Milestones to track progress
6. Create Action Plans to implement Strategies
7. Monitor progress
a. Review and report on Objectives - quarterly
b. Review and report on Strategies & Action Plans - (bi)monthly
c. Review and adjust overall plan - annually
8. Adapt and adjust based on data
9. MOTIVATE your team to stay engaged e.g. Think Tank meetings
Keys to success

30. Must Reads

31. Tamara Jones
Cell: 404-606-0974
tamara@evidentimpact.com