Overview Introduction to Strategic Planning and FacilitationStrategic PlanningStrategic planning is the ongoing, systematic process of guiding members of an organization to make decisions about its future by developing procedures and operations necessary to achieve that future goal and determine how success will be achieved. Oppenheim (2006) defines strategic planning as the methodical process by which an organization anticipates and plans its future by undertaking an examination of the organization and its environment by those with an interest in its future. success. Strategic planning is a long-term action plan designed to achieve a particular goal, differentiated from immediate tactics or actions. May use methods such as SWOT analysis to help clarify goals and strategies. Strategic planning uses “the big picture” to pursue large-scale, long-term goals. (Wikipedia - Strategic Planning, 2006). The main reason organizations carry out strategic planning is to learn and make decisions about the future of the organization based on that learning. The basic strategic planning process includes: 1. Identify your purpose (articulate mission and vision); 2. Assess the situation; 3. Develop strategies, goals and objectives; 4. Identify specific approaches or strategies that must be implemented to achieve each objective; 5. Identify specific action plans to implement each strategy and 6. Monitor and update the plan. A challenge in strategic planning is deciding which parts and where information will be used to support business decisions. In general, strategic plans can fail for two types of reasons: inappropriate strategy and poor implementation. Good strategic planning is typically based on a rich mix of conceptual, qualitative and quantitative information about what works for whom. The amount of time it takes an organization to complete a strategic plan varies greatly depending on a number of factors, including; the size and complexity of the organization, past experience with strategic planning, accessibility of planning data, and the time and availability of the board of directors and staff. Strategic planning results in a written document that serves as a blueprint to guide the organization toward its future goals, but Far more important than the strategic plan document, is the strategic planning process itself. FacilitationWikipedia - Facilitation (2006) defines facilitation as any activity that makes the tasks of others easy. From a business and/or organizational development perspective, Gaffney (2000) explains that facilitation “is the process of enabling groups to work cooperatively and effectively.” In particular, facilitation is important in circumstances where people with different backgrounds, interests and abilities work together.