Strategic Planning Process in Local Government

A comparative analysis by N. Nyathi and D. Korver

D. Korver

BACKGROUND TO SNV’s involvement

• Organisational Analysis Mat South RDCs (2001-2002)

• Joint Analysis of OA with 5 RDCs (2002)• Priority listing of issues for capacity

development (2002-2003)• URDC, IRDC, BMRDC Strategic

Planning Priority #1• SNV development of strategic planning

process for local government in Zimbabwe

D. Korver

What is Strategic Planning?

• It is a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organisation is and what it does and why it does it (Bryson 1995)

D. Korver

What does Strategic Planning do?

• Focusses on achievement of the best ‘fit’ between an organisation and its environment

• Encourages a participative process to development that is medium term , innovative and flexible to meet strategic objectives in line with available resources

D. Korver

Characteristics of Strategic planning• cross sectoral coordination and

integration• Financial feasibility• Agreement on roles of public &

private sector in development• Enabling role of public sector in

support of private sector• Linkage to and from national

policy issues• Regular monitoring and evaluation• Source UNDP Global Report 1996

D. Korver

Major assumption about Strategic Planning• The major assumption of

strategic planning is that an organisation must be responsive to a dynamic, changing environment, it emphasises the organisation’s need to understand the changing environment and to develop organisational decisions responsive to those changes.

D. Korver

Strategic Planning Process

• This can be split into 4 broad phases i.e.

• 1.Environmental scanning: Internal & External • 2. Strategy Formulation• 3. Strategy Implementation• 4. Monitoring and control• Many organisations break these

further down into manageable processes as shown below

D. Korver

The Process

– Prepare– Define

» Shared Values» Shared Vision» Mission

– Scan» Environmental Scan (OT)» Internal Audit (SW)

– Formulate» Set Strategic Goals» Set Areas of Key Results» Set Key Result Objectives» Action Planning» Sub Unit Integration

– Implement– Monitor

D. Korver

The Process - Timetable

– Prepare (8 weeks)– Define (4 weeks)

» Shared Values 2 weeks» Shared Vision 1 week» Mission 1 week

– Scan (16 weeks)» Environmental Scan (OT) 8 weeks» Internal Audit (SW) 8 weeks

– Formulate (24 weeks)» Set Strategic Goals 4 weeks» Set Areas of Key Results 4 weeks» Set Key Result Objectives 4 weeks» Action Planning 4 weeks» Sub Unit Integration 8 weeks

– Implement (depends on plan)– Monitor (ongoing)– TOTAL 52 weeks

D. Korver

Summary on Strategic Planning

• Strategic• Goals & values Scanning the environment• ‘where we want to go’ ‘what the world is like’

• Policies & Strategies• ‘How we intend to get there’

• Targets• (milestones along the way)

• Operational• Activity Planning

• Performance Standards Appraisal• (inputs, outputs, outcomes) (Annual reviews, audits)

• Monitoring (Resource and service plan monitoring)

D. Korver

What makes SP unique in Zimbabwe?

• Economic hardships for RDCs– Limited financial resources– Limited time– Other priorities: e.g. food distribution

• Decentralisation Policy GoZ• Clear requests from Min of LG

regarding need for strategic planning for local authorities

• Political environment

D. Korver

Benefits for local governments

• Strategic (long term) Thinking by staff and councillors

• Community involvement• Improved relationships Councilors-Staff• Ability to get buy-in from stakeholders

in region• Improved Coordination of NGO

activities• Compliance with GoZ regulations

D. Korver

GoZ involvement, pros and cons

• Positive• Local authorities

have a platform to learn from each other– Healthy

competition (who has the first/best plan)

– Becomes a legitimate process, councils willing to cooperate

• Negative– Less ownership

felt (is something that has to be done for Min of Local Govt)

D. Korver

Lessons learned from SNV viewpoint• The process can take a long time to complete (up

to 1,5 years)• Once people involved understand the process and

the purpose they become motivated• Keeping a good record of all meetings,

documentation of outcomes throughout the process is crucial to come up with a good document

• The composition of the strategic planning committee determines the success of the process (motivated people at influential positions such as CEO, Councilors, HoDs, people from the RDDC).

• The process is often to expensive for RDCs given the current situation and priorities. This affects the quality and time it takes to complete.

D. Korver

Different process developments for different local authorities

Time

Lev

el o

f m

oti

vati

on

& w

ork

LA A

LA B

LA C

D. Korver

Major challenges and solutions

1. Little money for process.

2. Limited CEO availability.

3. Other priorities (e.g. food security, AIDS/HIV).

1. Scale down process, hold internal meetings with less people, make use of existing documentation and parallel activities (e.g. scans), be realistic in planning.

2. Delegate to capable, motivated HoDs.

3. Address these priorities first and also take them into account as strategic objectives.

D. Korver

Pitfalls observed

• Rushing through the process to save time and money and dragging the process resulting in loss of momentum

• Delegate to someone who is not in a position to command authority

• Not acknowledging other more important priorities• Not documenting process, not keeping important

documents (minutes, sheets)• Copying parts from other local authorities

documents• Seeing Strategic Planning as something that will

solve everything• Seeing Strategic Planning not in connection to

other activities/processes that take place in a local authority

D. Korver

Best practices

• Prepare budget for process (to understand steps involved and financial implications)

• Involve 1 or 2 people from other organizations to participate in the SP committee

• Meet frequently with a small core team of 3-4 people• CEO to delegate responsibilities early on if CEO is to

occupied with other priorities to champion process• Involve 1 or 2 councilors to facilitate acceptance and

information flow between staff and councilors• Document extensively to capture not only the

outcome (e.g. lists of points) but also the (strategic) thinking involved

• Relate Strategic Planning to other activities taking place (e.g. performance management, annual planning, project definition, NGO activities)

• Be positive (e.g. look at strengths and opportunities)

D. Korver

SNV Advice

• There can be a standard approach, but the process varies. Any approach chosen should be flexible.

• GoZ could allocate funding for this process to facilitate it.

• Ministry of Local Government could produce guiding manuals, standards to assist local authorities.

• A platform could be further developed at national or provincial level where local authorities share their experiences and learn from each other regarding the strategic planning process.

• The SP should guide annual planning. It should not only be a bookshelf document nicely bound.

D. Korver

Way Forward SNV

• To continuously relate capacity development activities to the organisation’s strategy.

• THANK YOU