Perspectives on Strategic Planning in the Public Sector

According to Bryson, the ten-step strategic planning process is as follows:
1) Commence and agree upon a strategic planning process (i.e., “plan to plan”);
2) Recognize all organizational mandates relating to the organization (i.e., laws, regulations, rules and procedures);
3) Spell out and make clear the organization’s mission statement and shared values;
4) Conduct a SWOT (i.e., analyze the organization’s strengths and weaknesses, and its opportunities and threats);
5) Identify any relevant issues that may impact the strategic planning process;
6) Make plans to confront and manage issues facing the organization;
7) Re-evaluate the strategic plan (steps #1—6) and come to agreement;
8) Based on the adopted strategic plan, construct an appropriate vision statement;
9) Put together a logical and workable implementation plan (viz., in Baldrige terms “action plans”);
10) Conduct a final reassessment of the strategic plan and the strategic process (steps 1—9) (Bryson, 1995, p. 23).