Using outside
consultants
An outside consultant or
professional facilitator brings
impartiality, focused questions,
and the facilitation skills needed
to balance differences of
opinion. Associations should
be aware that consultants will
take different approaches to
strategic planning, as no one
right way exists. While hiring a
calls for specific management participation, make sure it is spelled out in the consultant can be expensive, he
management contract. or she will greatly accelerate the
• • Listen and take notes to ensure that the plan that is finally executed is, indeed,
a strategic one.
association’s learning curve and
help to ensure that the strategic
• • Develop and prioritise long-range goals to address the critical issues identified planning process will complete a
through the needs assessment and SWOT analysis, and then prioritise those full cycle. If budgetary restraints
goals. do not allow for such assistance,
• • Develop short-term goals and specific action plans, along with scheduled
completion dates.
associations may want to
consider using a consultant for
• • Establish a monitoring process to assess the progress made on both short-term
and long-range goals.
the initial sessions, where an
objective assessment of the
association’s current position is
necessary.
Plan implementation
Plan implementation (or execution) is the second phase of strategic planning. In this
step, an association puts its plan into action through the allocation of resources.
This step has three components:
• • Programmes serve as blueprints for converting objectives into realities –
Pitfalls
according to the agreed-upon strategy. If the plan development phase was put
together well, then the plan execution phase is much easier.
Bernard Steiner lists some
• • Procedures are the tasks – and sequence of tasks – required to complete the
pitfalls that are easily fallen into
programmes. Many of the previously discussed items such as teamwork, roles, but that should be avoided:
communication and education are essential elements for ensuring successful • • Becoming so engrossed
implementation.
in current problems that
• • Budgets ensure adequate funding of programmes, but it is important that the
association be strategy-driven, not budget-driven. The budget must enable the
strategy, not drive it.
insufficient time is spent on
long-range planning and the
process becomes discredited.
• • Failing to assume the
Lastly, adaptability is crucial to the plan implementation phase since all plans will necessary involvement in the
have flaws. If the team members are not adaptable, there may be simple issues that planning process by other
will not be resolved in a reasonable manner, and the community will suffer.
association committees.
• • Failing to use plans as
standards for measuring
Plan monitoring and evaluation
performance.
• • Consistently rejecting the
Plan review is required constantly to improve the plan and ensure its execution. formal planning mechanism
Part of the plan review occurs naturally when there is board turnover, a new home by making intuitive decisions
owner, or changes in the law. In addition, plan review needs to be scheduled to that conflict with the formal
ensure the plan is meeting the community’s goals. This can be achieved through
long-range plan.
surveys, management review conferences, or discussions at meetings. If the • • Failing to develop association
community fails to update the plan, the plan will eventually fail the community. goals suitable as a basis for
Industry experts suggest that associations and their managers review their strategic formulating long-range plans.
plans annually, and completely overhaul their strategic plans every three to five
years.
Steiner, B (1986) A roadmap to the
future: The importance of long-range
planning. Common Ground 2: 10–14
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