Strategic Management (4 days)

From Strategic Planning to Implementation

Next courses

  • 27 – 30 March 2012, Geneva, Switzerland
  • 16 – 19 October 2012, Geneva, Switzerland

Registration and course fees

First course: Places still available.

Second course: Registration and payment deadline: 16 September 2012. Early bird fee available for payments until 16 August 2012.

Early bird fee /Full fee :

Above fees are in Swiss francs (CHF). Online currency converter: CHF to USD CHF to EUR CHF to GBP. These are indicative rates, provided by XE Currency Converter.

10% discount for returning students (within 12 months since the last course) or additional course participants from same organisation.

To register, please fill in the online registration form, or download the form and send it to us by email. For further inquiries, please contact us.

Course overview

Click here to download the course leaflet (PDF format).

A coherent strategy is critical to achieving an organisation’s desired impact. It provides an organisation with clear direction as a basis for important decision-making concerning the use of available resources. Strategic and operational planning helps an organisation to formulate its strategy for how best to achieve its goals and the steps necessary to get there. This introductory course focuses on the strategic management of non-profit organisations and its importance to the success of an organisation. It provides you with core knowledge, practical skills and tools to encourage strategic thinking and to prepare you to undertake strategic and operational planning in your organisation. Emphasis is placed on “action learning” and the course features presentations, structured learning experiences, facilitated discussions, individual and group activities.

Who should attend

All managers and leaders involved in the development of an organisation’s strategy and strategic and operational planning activities, in particular:

  • Executive Directors
  • Senior Managers
  • Department Directors
  • Programme Coordinators and Managers
  • Directors of Administrations or Operations
  • Senior Project Managers
  • Board Members

How you and your organisation will benefit – Learning Objectives

On this course, participants will be able to:

  • Understand why strategy is important to the success of an NGO
  • Identify the main strategic challenges facing NGOs
  • Identify the key elements of a strategic plan and learn what is involved in strategic planning
  • Practice using different strategic planning frameworks and tools
  • Understand how to translate strategy into an operational plan
  • Recognise and address the potential challenges and risks associated with translating a strategic plan into action
  • Practice formulating an annual operating plan
  • Monitor and evaluate implementation of strategic and operational plans

Course programme

DAY 1

Introduction to Strategic NGO Management

Identifying strategic challenges facing NGOs

  • Introduction to the international development system
  • Accountability, performance, impact, relevance and value
  • Strategy in context: competitive strategy, strategic positioning and “fit”

Using strategy and strategic thinking for NGO management

  • Introduction to strategy and strategic thinking
  • Characteristics of good strategy
  • Key principles and common pitfalls, distortions and deceptions of strategic thinking

Strategic Planning: Achieving your Vision

Identifying the key elements of a strategic plan

  • Understanding the importance of strategic planning
  • Key stages of strategic planning: 1. Where are you now? (Analysis) 2. Where do you want to go? (Choice or appraisal) 3. How do you get there? (Implementation or action)
  • Essential components of a strategic plan: vision, mission, objectives, strategies and action plans
  • Characteristics of a good strategic plan

Prerequisites for successful strategic planning:

  • Dimensions of “Analysis”: a) investigation of your mandate, b) identification of stakeholder requirements, c) internal (7S) and external (PEST) environmental analysis d) SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats), and e) identification of strategic issues
  • Dimensions of “Choice or appraisal”: a) identification of options, b) establishment of decision-making criteria, and c) decision-making
  • Practicalities of strategic planning: Who should be involved? How long will it take? How to structure the process? What will it cost?
  • Strategic planning readiness assessment
DAY 2

Strategic Planning: Achieving your Vision (continued)

Prerequisites for successful strategic planning: (continued)

  • Dimensions of “Choice or appraisal”: a) identification of options, b) establishment of decision-making criteria, and c) decision-making

Selecting appropriate strategy frameworks and formulating a strategic plan

  • Introduction to different strategic planning tools: Bridgespan’s Theory of Change, Porter’s Competitive Forces, Moore’ Public Value Strategic Triangle, MacMillan’s Matrix, and Kaplan’s Balanced Scorecard
  • An experience in formulating a strategic plan (introduced)
DAY 3

Strategic Planning: Achieving your Vision (continued)

Selecting appropriate strategy frameworks and formulating a strategic plan (continued)

  • An experience in formulating a strategic plan (continued)
  • Comparing and contrasting the application and limitations of different strategic planning tools

Operational Planning: Translating Strategy into Action

Identifying the key elements of an operational plan: Programmatic and institutional dimensions

  • Understanding the importance of operational planning
  • Key stage of operational planning: How do you get there? (Implementation or action)
  • Essential components of an operational plan: from desired impact to key result areas, programmes and projects (action plans), results based management, organisational milestones, human resources, budgeting and resource mobilisation
  • Characteristics of a good operational plan

Selecting appropriate operational planning tools

  • Introduction to different operational planning tools for the effective operationalisation and rapid deployment of an organisation’s strategy
  • Comparing and contrasting the application and limitations of different operational planning tools
DAY 4

Operational Planning: Translating Strategy into Action (continued)

Selecting appropriate operational planning tools (continued)

  • An experience in formulating an operational plan

Addressing the challenges associated with translating strategy into action

  • Potential challenges and risks associated with translating strategy into action at the programmatic and organisational levels
  • Strategies for mitigating these risks: communications and managing change

Developing an operation plan based on your strategy

  • An experience in formulating an annual operational plan.

Defining success: Monitoring and evaluation

  • Measuring progress towards the achievement of your strategic plan.
  • Monitoring the implementation of your operation plan.
  • Managing uncertainty and adjusting to change

Wrap-up

  • Lessons learned

Individual consultation

Participants can obtain an individual consultation from the trainer during or the course.