All organisations need to plan effectively for their future.  They need to make sure that their activity meets the needs of their stakeholders and beneficiaries and fits within the objects of their organisation.

Strategy is about defining the direction your organisation wants to take and then allocating the resources and managing the risks to get the organisation to where it wants to be.  Organisations need to analyse their external environment to identify opportunities and threats and look at their existing strengths and weaknesses as part of this process.

Strategy is not just about planning, it is also having a clear and simple vision for the direction your organisation wants to go.  The plan follows and helps you manage the steps to get there.  The plan also needs to be reviewed as circumstances change; sticking to a strategic plan which has become outdated can be damaging for an organisation.

For a step-by-step approach to strategic planning see below:

1. Determine who should be involved in the process and at what stage
2. Analyse where the organisation is now
3. Discuss where the organisation wants to be
4. Determine how the organisation is going to get there
5. Produce a written strategic plan
6. Monitor and review your strategic plan