Stage 5: Writing A Strategic Plan

Executive summary

A summary of the plan; you may wish to make this summary something you can promote outside the organisation, to build support and keep stakeholders informed.

Introduction

The purpose of the plan; background about where the is in its development; brief statistics about the numbers of staff/volunteers; a description of service users (snapshot).

Purpose

Cover the (new) mission, vision and values for the organisation – this is the backdrop for the plan; say how you use these important statements.

Internal appraisal

Provide a concise review of the current health of the organisation; summarise the strengths and weaknesses and their implications; make sure you cover key achievements in the previous period.

Future potential

Outline what the challenges are for the future (external opportunities, threats, other player potential, stakeholder needs etc.).

Cover the main areas of work the organisation needs to focus on for the next three years. Each objective should have key tasks and outcomes associated with it – from which you can develop annual goals and teams and individuals can develop their work plans.

Resourcing the plan and timetable

This is where you need to be convincing about the organisation’s ability to resource the plan. Attach a budget and a ‘timeline' to show when and how the strategic objectives will be met (covering all the main areas of work of the organisation).