Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations, 5th Edition

PART ONEUNDERSTANDING THE DYNAMICS OF STRATEGIC PLANNING

The environments of public and nonprofit organizations have become not only increasingly uncertain in recent years but also more tightly interconnected; thus, changes anywhere in the system reverberate unpredictably—and often chaotically and dangerously—throughout society. This increased uncertainty and interconnectedness requires a fivefold response from public and nonprofit organizations (collaborations and communities). First, these organizations must think and learn strategically as never before. Second, they must translate their insights into effective strategies to cope with their changed circumstances and to ensure resilience and sustainability for the future. Third, they must develop the rationales necessary to lay the groundwork for the adoption and implementation of their strategies. Fourth, they must build coalitions that are large enough and strong enough to adopt desirable strategies and protect them during implementation. And fifth, they must build capacity for ongoing implementation, learning, and strategic change.

Strategic planning can help leaders and managers of public and nonprofit organizations think, learn, and act strategically. Chapter 1 introduces strategic planning, its potential benefits, and some of its limitations. The chapter discusses what strategic planning is not and in which circumstances it is probably not appropriate, and it presents my views about why strategic planning is an intelligent ...