The strategic plan can sometimes be seen as something that only large and complex organisations need to have but they are just as important for small organisations that may have one or two employees or is run by volunteers.

The reason why a strategic plan is important is that it provides a framework and plan for the management of the organisation to achieve the short and long term strategic objectives.  Linked to these are actions that provide the steps in a clear and concise way so each objective can be achieved efficiently.  The strategic plan should also include key performance indicators as this provides a method to monitor the success and the achievement of each objective.

Another important function of the strategic plan is that it guides the way the resources of the organisation will use.  It links to other operational issues such as the budget, cash flow, fundraising, marketing, investing activities, grant acquisition just to name a few.

Furthermore, the strategic plan usually covers a short, medium and long time frame.  In some organisations this may be 3, 6 and 12 months or in others it might be I, 3 and 5 years.  The length of time is important to ensure the each strategic objective can be achieved in a realistic timeframe without putting too much pressure on the organisation.  This also highlights why a strategic plan should not be seen as a static document that never changes.  To effectively manage a strategic plan it should be regularly reviewed and if need updated to incorporate changes.

This is the first in a series of posts which are intended to discuss some of these points in more detail.  They have also been written in a way that hopefully demystifies the strategic plan and the processes needed to prepare one.