Operations management teams design the method of conversion of inputs

(materials, labor, proprietary information, etc.) into outputs (goods, services,

value-added products, etc.) that is most beneficial to the organization. Operations
management teams attempt to balance costs with revenue to achieve the highest
net operating profit possible.

The important things to remember about operations management are,

 All types of organisation must ‘do’ operations management because all

organisations produce some mixture of products and services. Remember
though that in many organisations the term ‘operations management’ will
not be used. In many smaller organisations operations management may be
done by people who perform many other types of task such as marketing
and accounting.

 Operations management is important. The decisions it makes have a major

impact on both the cost of producing products or services and how well the
products and services are produced and delivered which has a major impact
on the revenue coming into the organisation. So, operations management
has an important impact on both revenue and cost and therefore profits.
This also applies to not-for-profit organisations. In a local government
service, for example, good operations management can produce services
which satisfy the community and are produced efficiently. So the
community are getting value for money from their local services.

 Operations management has strategic importance. The box on IKEA in the

text illustrates a company which has been strategically successful because
of the way it manages its operations.

As we have seen, total quality management has impacts on every aspect of the
organization. Every person and every function is responsible for quality and is
affected by poor quality. For example, recall that Motorola implemented its six-
sigma concept not only in the production process but also in the accounting,
finance, and administrative areas. Similarly, ISO 9000 standards do not apply only
to the production process; they apply equally to all departments of the company.
A company cannot achieve high quality if its accounting is inaccurate or the
marketing department is not working closely with customers. TQM requires the
close cooperation of different functions in order to be successful. In this section
we look at the involvement of these other functions in TQM. Marketing plays a
critical role in the TQM process by providing key inputs that make TQM a success.
Recall that the goal of TQM is to satisfy customer needs by producing the exact
product that customers want. Marketing’s role is to understand the changing
needs and wants of customers by working closely with them. This requires a solid
identification of target markets and an understanding of whom the product is
intended for. Sometimes apparently small differences in product features can
result in large differences in customer appeal. Marketing needs to accurately pass
customer information along to operations, and operations needs to include
marketing in any planned product changes. Finance is another major participant
in the TQM process because of the great cost consequences of poor quality.
General definitions of quality need to be translated into specific dollar terms. This
serves as a baseline for monitoring the financial impact of quality efforts and can
be a great motivator. Recall the four costs of quality discussed earlier. The first two
costs, prevention and appraisal, are preventive costs; they are intended to prevent
internal and external failure costs. Not investing enough in preventive costs can
result in failure costs, which can hurt the company. On the other hand, investing
too much in preventive costs may not yield added benefits. Financial analysis of
these costs is critical. You can see that finance plays a large role in evaluating and
monitoring the financial impact of managing the quality process. This includes
costs related to reventing and eliminating defects, training employees, reviewing
new products, and all other quality efforts. Accounting is important in the TQM
process because of the need for exact costing. TQM efforts cannot be accurately
monitored and their financial contribution assessed if the company does not have
accurate costing methods. Engineering efforts are critical in TQM because of the
need to properly translate customer requirements into specific engineering terms.
Recall the process we followed in developing quality function deployment (QFD).
It was not easy to translate a customer requirement such as “a good looking
backpack” into specific terms such as materials, weight, color grade, size, and
number of zippers. We depend on engineering to use general customer
requirements in developing technical specifications, identifying specific parts and
materials needed, and identifying equipment that should be used. Purchasing is
another important part of the TQM process. Whereas marketing is busy
identifying what the customers want and engineering is busy translating that
information into technical specifications, purchasing is responsible for acquiring
the materials needed to make the product. Purchasing must locate sources of
supply, ensure that the parts and materials needed are of sufficiently high quality,
and negotiate a purchase price that meets the company’s budget as identified by
finance. Human resources is critical to the effort to hire employees with the skills
necessary to work in a TQM environment. That environment includes a high
degree of teamwork, cooperation, dedication, and customer commitment. Human
resources is also faced with challenges relating to reward and incentive systems.
Rewards and incentives are different in TQM from those found in traditional
environments that focus on rewarding individuals rather than teams. Information
systems (IS) is highly important in TQM because of the increased need for
information accessible to teams throughout the organization. IS should work
closely with a company’s TQM development program in order to understand
exactly the type of information system best suited for the firm, including the form
of the data, the summary statistics available, and the frequency of updating.
MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHIES

Two popular theories are Douglas McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y, which talk about
how managers create self-fulfilling prophecies based on how they treat their employees.

Another theory by Chris Argyris centers on what he refers to as the mature worker. In
his book Personality and Organization, Argyris contrasts the management practices
found in traditional organizations with the needs and capabilities of the mature adult
personality.

For example, the concept of work specialization is supposed to make people work more
efficiently because the tasks are very defined. Argyris believes that this concept may
actually be counterproductive because it will limit an employee from reaching self-
actualization.

Like McGregor, Argyris is concerned about how managers treat people. He believes that
if managers treat their employees in a positive manner—as responsible adults—their
employees will be more productive. However, Argyris takes this concept one step
further. He believes that mature workers want additional responsibilities, a variety of
tasks, and the ability to participate in decisions. If not, he believes that the result will
be employee absenteeism, apathy, and even alienation.

There is no faster way to motivate your employee's than to be honest with them. Don't
forget any forman, for-person is only as good as the employee's who work under him or
her. Be honest with them, tell them the truth about how you may receive bonuses if indeed
that you do receive production bonuses and when you receive these bonuses, you will make
sure that something comes there way. Of course no one gives money out of their pockets,
but there are other ways of rewarding employee's and that is speaking up for them when it
comes time for their raises or if upper management decides that one of your group needs a
written warning while the manager may not be able to stop it, he or she can warn the
employee that a warning is coming their way and whatever it is that will cause upper
management to give them a warning, it had better stop right away or else you won't be able
to stop any further warnings. You can't imagine how this goes well with most employee's
knowing that their immediate boss has spoken up for them.
Although the advice above is sound, a management philosophy should be a broad set of
principles which help managers make all types of decisions. Keep them short and general
and make sure everyone (including non-managers) believes in them and sign up to them.
From there you'll be able to make consistent decisions on all manner of issues. Visit the
www.manageasmile.com link to see an example of such a management philosophy and the
experiences from using it.
Public Relations Program

Strategic Planning for Public Relations

Updated Summer 2011 as a supplement to Professor Ron Smith's textbooks,
Strategic Planning for Public Relations and Becoming a Public Relations
Writer (Routledge/Taylor and Francis)
Here is an overview of the four-phase, nine-step
planning process presented in the textbook Strategic
Planning for Public Relations. The steps are equally
applicable to campaign planning in public relations,
advertising, and integrated communication.

The process of these steps is deliberate, and they must be taken in sequence. After
identifying a problem, our tendency too often is to skip ahead to seeking solutions,
leaping over research and analysis. This can result in unwarranted assumptions that
later prove to be costly, counterproductive and embarrassing. Careful planning
leads to programs that areproactive and preventative, rather than to activities that
are merely reactive and remedial. At the same time, the steps in this process
are flexible enough to allow for constant monitoring, testing and adjusting as
needed.

Ask experienced communication managers, and you may find that they don't
necessarily articulate their planning specifically along the lines of these nine steps.
But talk with them about their work, and you are likely to find that they go through
a process pretty much like the one being presented here, whether they identify
"steps" or not.

A few practitioners may admit (somewhat guiltily) that they don't do much
planning. If they are being honest, they'll tell you they know they've been lucky so
far with their hunches. Perhaps they don't do formal planning because they don't
have the time or because the environment is so unstable that all they can do is
react. Some practitioners may tell you their bosses and clients want action rather
than planning (though such shortsighted bosses and clients usually don't remain in
business very long). If you could observe how professionals work, however, you'd
probably find that effective communication managers do plan. The good ones have
learned how to build the research and planning components into their work and
"sell" it to their clients and bosses.

Strategic Planning for Public Relations & Integrated

Communication
Phase One: Formative Research
 Step 1: Analyzing the Situation
 Step 2: Analyzing the Organization
 Step 3: Analyzing the Publics

Phase Two: Strategy

 Step 4: Establishing Goals and Objectives
 Step 5: Formulating Action and Response Strategies
 Step 6: Designing Effective Communication

Phase Three: Tactics

 Step 7: Selecting Communication Tactics
 Step 8: Implementing the Strategic Plan

Phase Four: Evaluative Research

 Step 9: Evaluating the Strategic Plan

Formative Research
During the first phase of the nine steps, Formative Research, the focus is on the
preliminary work of communication planning, which is the need to gather
information and analyze the situation. In three steps, the planner draws on existing
information available to the organization and, at the same time, creates a research
program for gaining additional information needed to drive the decisions that will
come later in the planning process.

Step 1: Analyzing the Situation.

Your analysis of the situation is
the crucial beginning to the
process. It is imperative that all
involved-planner, clients,
supervisors, key colleagues and
the ultimate decision makers-are
in solid agreement about the
nature of the opportunity or
obstacle to be addressed in this
program.
Worksheet for Step 1Analyzing the
Situation
Begin with the basic planning questions. Then address the expanded
planning items to the extent they help. Skip any items that don't address
your planning needs.

Basic Planning

What is the situation facing the organization?

What is the background of the situation?

What is the significance or importance of the situation?

Expanded Planning

Background on the Issue

Is this the first time your organization has dealt with this situation, or are you
setting out to modify an existing communication program?

What is the cause of this situation?

Is there any dispute that this is the cause?

What is the history of this situation?

What are the important facts related to this situation?

Does this situation involve the organization's relationship with another group? If
yes, what groups?
Consequences of the Situation

How important is this situation to the organization's mission?

How consistent is this situation with the mission statement or vision statement?

How serious of a response is warranted to this situation?

What is the likely duration of this situation? (one time? Limited/short-term?

Ongoing/long term?)

Who or what is affected by this situation?

What predictions or trends are associated with this situation? (These can be
organizational, industry-related, community relations, nation-related, etc.)

What potential impact can this situation make on the organization's mission or
"bottom line"?

Do you consider this situation to be an opportunity (positive) or an obstacle

(negative) for your organization? Why? If you consider this an obstacle, how might
you turn it into an opportunity?

Resolution of the Situation

Might information (quality or quantity) affect how this situation is resolved?

How can this situation be resolved to the mutual benefits of everyone involved?

What priority does this situation hold for the public relations/communications staff?
for the organization's top management?

How strong is the organization's commitment to resolve this situation?

Step 2: Analyzing the Organization. This step involves a careful and candid look
at three aspects of the organization: (1) its internal environment (mission,
performance and resources), (2) its public perception (reputation) and (3) its
external environment, (competitors and opponents, as well as supporters).
Worksheet for Step 2

Analyzing the Organization

 Begin with the basic planning questions. Then address the expanded
planning items to the extent they help. Skip any items that don't address
your planning needs.

2.1 Internal Environment

2.2 Public Perception

2.3 External Environment

2.1 Internal Environment

Basic Planning

What is the quality of your organization's performance?

What communication resources, including budget, are available?

How supportive is the organization of public relations activity?

Expanded Planning

Performance
What service/product do you provide related to the issue identified in Step1?
What are the criteria for determining its quality?
What is its quality?
Within the last three years, has the quality improved, remained unchanged, or
deteriorated?
How satisfied is organizational leadership with this quality?
What benefit or advantage does the product/service offer?
What problems or disadvantages as associated with this product/service? (Consider
environmental, health/safety/ financial, social, political and other problems)
What is the niche or specialty that sets you apart from competitors?
How has the service/product changed within the last 3 years?
How is the service/product likely to change within the next 2 years?
Should changes be introduced to improve the service/product?
Are organizational leaders willing to make such changes?

Structure
What is the purpose/mission of your organization related to this issue?
How does this issue fit into the organizational vision?
Is this expressed in a strategic business plan for your organization?
What communication resources are available for potential public
relations/marketing communication activity: Personnel, equipment, time, budget
Within the next three years, are these resources likely to increase, remain
unchanged or decrease?
How strong is the public relations/communication staff's role in the organization's
decision-making process?

Internal Impediments
How supportive is the internal environment for public relations activities?
Are there any impediments or obstacles to success that come from within your
organization among top management, or among public relations/marketing staff, or
among other internal publics? Are these impediments caused by policy/procedure?
Are these impediments deliberate? If you have identified impediments, how can you
overcome them?

2.2 Public Perception

Basic Planning

How well known if your organization?

What is the reputation of your organization?

How do you want to affect this reputation?

Expanded Planning

Reputation
How visible is your service/product?
How widely used is your service/product?
How is the product/service generally perceived?
How is your organization generally perceived?
Is the public perception about your organization correct?
What communication already has been done about this situation?
Within the last three years, has your organization's reputation improved, remained
unchanged or deteriorated?
How satisfied is organizational leadership with this reputation?

2.3 External Environment

Basic Planning Questions

What is the major competition for your organization?

What significant opposition exists?

Is anything happening in the environment that can limit the effectiveness of the
public relations program?

Expanded Planning

Competition
How competitive is the external environment of your organization?
What other organizations compete on this issue?
What are their performance levels?
What are their reputations?
What are their resources?
What does the competition offer that you don't?
How has the competition changed within the last three years?
Within the next three years, is the competition likely to increase, remain unchanged
or deteriorate?

Opposition
What groups exist with a mission to resist or hinder your organization?
How effective have these groups been in the past?
What is their reputation?
What are their resources?
How have these groups changed within the last three years?
How have their tactics changed?
Within the next three years, is the opposition likely to increase, remain unchanged
or deteriorate?

External Impediments
Is the environment in which you are operating currently growing, stable, declining,
or unstable/unpredictable.
What changes, if any, are projected for this environment?
What impediments deal with customers?
What impediments deal with regulators?
What impediments have financial or economic origins?
What impediments have political origins?
What impediments originate in society at large?

Reputation
How visible is your service/product?
How widely used is your service/product?
How is the product/service generally perceived?
How is your organization generally perceived?
Is the public perception about your organization correct?
What communication already has been done about this situation?
Within the last three years, has your organization's reputation improved, remained
unchanged or deteriorated?
How satisfied is organizational leadership with this reputation?

Step 3: Analyzing the Publics. In this step you identify and analyze your key
publics-the various groups of people who interact with your organization on the
issue at hand. Strategic Planning for Public Relations provides an objective
technique for setting priorities among the various publics, helping you select those
most important on the particular issue being dealt with. This step includes an
analysis of each public in terms of their wants, needs and expectations about the
issue, their relationship to the organization, their involvement in communication
and with various media, and a variety of social, economic, political, cultural and
technological trends that may affect them.
Worksheet for Step 3

Strategy
The second phase of the planning process, Strategy, deals with the heart of
planning: making decisions dealing with the expected impact of the communication,
as well as the nature of the communication itself.

Step 4: Establishing Goals and Objectives. Step 4 focuses on the ultimate

position being sought for the organization and for the product or service. This step
helps you develop clear, specific and measurable objectives that identify the
organization's hoped-for impact on the awareness, acceptance and action of each
key public. A good deal of attention is given to objectives dealing with acceptance
of the message, because this is the most crucial area for public relations and
marketing communication strategists.
Worksheet for Step 4
Step 5: Formulating Action and Response Strategies. A range of actions is
available to the organization, and in this step you consider what you might do in
various situations. This section includes typologies of initiatives and responses.
Worksheet for Step 5

Step 6: Designing Effective Communication. Step 6 deals with the various

decisions about the message, such as the sources who will present the message to
the key publics, the content of the message, its tone and style, verbal and
nonverbal cues, and related issues. Lessons from research about persuasive
communication and dialogue will be applied for the ultimate purpose of designing a
message that reflects the information gained through Step 3.
Worksheet for Step 6

Tactics
During the Tactics phase, various communication tools are considered and the
visible elements of the communication plan are created.

Step 7: Selecting Communication Tactics. This inventory deals with the various
communication options. Specifically, the planner considers four categories: (1)
face-to-face communication and opportunities for personal involvement, (2)
organizational media (sometimes called controlled media), (3) news media
(uncontrolled media) and (4) advertising and promotional media (another form of
controlled media). While all of these tools can be used by any organization, not
every tool is appropriate for each issue. Following the menu review, the planner
packages the tactics into a cohesive communication program.
Worksheet for Step 7

Step 8: Implementing the Strategic Plan. In Step 8, you develop budgets and
schedules and otherwise prepare to implement the communication program. This
step turns the raw ingredients identified in the previous step into a recipe for
successful public relations and marketing communication.
Worksheet for Step 8

Evaluative Research
The final phase, Evaluative Research, deals with evaluation and assessment,
enabling you to determine the degree to which the stated objectives have been met
and thus to modify or continue the communication activities.

Step 9: Evaluating the Strategic Plan. This is the final planning element,
indicating specific methods for measuring the effectiveness of each recommended
tactic in meeting the stated objectives.
Worksheet for Step 9

Strategic Planning

Tip Sheet

Step 3 calls for the development of a comprehensive prevention plan. By all

intentions, this can also be called a Strategic Plan –separate from an Evaluation
Plan or Sustainability Plan. The Strategic Plan drives all these other plans by
articulating basic concepts of vision, mission, goals, objectives and activities. The
following information provides some general guidelines about key elements of a
strategic plan. As you will see, there is great flexibility about how your County
wants to approach the strategic planning process.

Background

Strategic planning determines where an organization is going over the next several
years, how it's going to get there and how it'll know if it got there or not. The plan
includes specific products that will direct the County’s prevention activities. Even
though you may have previously developed vision and objectives, the planning
process provides an opportunity for partners and staff to establish common
language and involvement in the County’s prevention system. Prevention services
can be greatly enhanced by developing clear vision and mission statements,
objectives, comprehensive strategies, and detailed action plans. The Partners for
Substance Abuse Prevention (PARTNERS), whose web site is sponsored by the
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) /Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, defines strategic planning as follows:
A deliberate set of steps that

• assesses needs and resources;

• defines a target audience and a set of goals and objectives;

• plans and designs coordinated strategies with evidence of success;

• logically connects these strategies to needs, assets, and desired outcomes; and

• measures and evaluates the process and outcomes.

Strategic Planning

There are a variety of ways to approach strategic planning. The way that a
strategic plan is developed depends on the nature of the County prevention
leadership, culture of the County, complexity of the organization's environment,
size, expertise of planners, etc. Similarly, the specific process, planning period, and
specific stakeholder participation can all vary. Most agree that annual review of
action plans is critical, but the shelf life of a Strategic Plan can vary from one to
three to five years.

STRATEGIC PLANNING 3 - 16

TIP SHEET 5/17/06The 11 core elements are described below as a template,

followed by discussion of each:

1) Preparation for planning

2) Vision

3) SWOT analysis

4) Context (Needs Assessment/Demographic Profile)

5) Mission

6) Problem Statement

7) Strategies (Determine Rational for approach)

8) Goals

9) Objectives

10) Action plans/activities

11) Evaluation

1. Preparation for Planning:

In order to be ready for the planning process: 9 Be sure all the participants
understand the basics of strategic planning; share a draft agenda prior to the
sessions, along with any relevant reading materials. 9 Schedule at least two three-
hour sessions (this is a minimum estimate) with plenty of notice to your
participants. Secure a facility that facilitates open thinking and that is comfortable
for all. 9 Consider whether you need an independent facilitator, or whether this
task can be shared among participants. If you want an independent facilitator, the
Community Prevention Institute (http://www.ca-cpi.org/) can probably provide
one at no cost. 9 Carefully consider who should participate. Be sure that key
leadership in your department is included in the process. Many prevention
departments might also want to include essential community partners. 9 Finally,
figure out a plan to evaluate your sessions. The most basic outcome is that your
plan is completed, but consider ways to evaluate other features, such as
communication, productiveness of session, other training or assistance needs and
so forth.

Who Should Be Involved in Planning?

Strategic planning should be conducted by a planning team. Consider the

following guidelines when developing the team. 9 The Alcohol and Drug
Administrator and Prevention Coordinator should be included in the planning
group, and should drive development and implementation of the plan.9 Establish
clear expectations and clarify roles for participants; there are roles for those
directly involved in planning, those who will provide key information to the
process, those who will review the plan document, those who will authorize the
document, etc. Each participant should understand the overall direction of the

process and her/his independent roles.

STRATEGIC PLANNING 3 - 17

TIP SHEET 5/17/069 Always include at least one person who ultimately has
authority to make strategic decisions, for example, to select which goals will be
achieved and how. 9 Ensure that as many stakeholders as possible are involved in
the planning process. 9 Involve someone to administrate the process, including
arranging meetings, helping to record key information, helping with flipcharts,
monitoring status of preparation, etc. The number of meetings depends on the
amount of prior planning and the number of pending strategic issues. In addition,
every “culture” has preferences about short or long meetings, and how much time
they can commit. Given these parameters, the planning should be completed over
no more that two to three months, with sessions spaced no more than two to
three weeks apart or momentum will be lost.

2. Vision

Your department or agency may already have a vision statement with which you
want to align. If there isn’t such a vision statement, or if the vision is not specific
enough to alcohol and other drug prevention, you can begin your planning with
the development of a vision statement. Vision is a long range picture of how the
“world will be” if you’re successful in your work. The California Department of
Alcohol and Drug Programs vision is: ADP's Vision Statement Healthy individuals
and communities free of alcohol and other drug problems. ADP's Strategic Vision
Statement Californians understand that alcoholism and drug addiction are chronic
conditions that can be successfully prevented and treated.

3. SWOT: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats

SWOT analysis can be done at both internal and external levels. SWOT provides
additional context for strategic decision making. An internal analysis helps you
plan for the future by articulating how the organization operates right now. It can
reveal trends, irregularities, limitations, and opportunities. To perform an internal
analysis, gather information about the organization's strengths and weaknesses,
services, programs, activities, staffing, and finances. This can be done via self-
assessment by planning participants, or by gathering input from stakeholders
ahead of the planning session through a survey.

STRATEGIC PLANNING 3 - 18

TIP SHEET 5/17/06An external analysis helps you understand how the
organization is perceived externally and what societal factors may affect its future.
External factors may include things like the economy, funding trends,
demographics, social factors, technology changes, competition, politics, regulatory
factors, and public opinion. Here is some information on SWOT Analysis taken
from the University of Kansas Community Tool Box (http://ctb.ku.edu): What is a
SWOT analysis and why should you use one? The name says it: Strength,
Weakness, Opportunity, Threat. A SWOT analysis guides you to identify the
positives and negatives inside your organization (S-W) and outside of it, in the
external environment (O-T). Developing a full awareness of your situation can help
with both strategic planning and decision-making. The SWOT method (which is
sometimes called TOWS) was originally developed for business and industry, but it
is equally useful in the work of community health and development, education,
and even personal growth. SWOT is not the only assessment technique you can
use, but is one with a long track record of effectiveness. Compare it with other
tools found in the Community Tool Box (especially Chapter 3:
http://ctb.ku.edu/tools/en/chapter_1003.htm) to determine if this is the right
approach for your situation. The strengths of this method are its simplicity and
application to a variety of levels of operation.

When do you use SWOT?

A SWOT analysis can offer helpful perspectives at any stage of an effort. You might
use it to:

• Explore possibilities for new efforts or solutions to problems.

• Make decisions about the best path for your initiative. Identifying your
opportunities for success in context of threats to success can clarify directions and
choices.

• Determine where change is possible. If you are at a juncture or turning point, an

inventory of your strengths and weaknesses can reveal priorities as well as
possibilities.

• Adjust and refine plans mid-course. A new opportunity might open wider
avenues, while a new threat could close a path that once existed.

SWOT also offers a simple way of communicating about your initiative or program
and an excellent way to organize information you've gathered from studies or
surveys.

STRATEGIC PLANNING 3 - 19

TIP SHEET 5/17/06What are the elements of a SWOT analysis?

A SWOT analysis focuses on the four elements of the acronym, but the graphic
format you use varies depending on the depth and complexity of your effort.

Remember that the purpose of performing a SWOT is to reveal positive forces that
work together and potential problems that need to be addressed or at least
recognized. Before you conduct a SWOT session, decide what format or layout you
will use to communicate these issues most clearly for you.

We will discuss the process of creating the analysis below, but first here are a few
sample layouts-ideas of what your SWOT analysis can look like. You can list
internal and external opposites side by side. Ask participants to answer these
simple questions: what are the strengths and weaknesses of your group,
community, or effort, and what are the opportunities and threats facing it?

4. Context

Separate from SWOT, many groups find it helpful to place their prevention work in
the context of some very basic facts, including: 9 Population demographics 9
Economic trends
9 Area growth forecast

9 Operating considerations, such as time or staff constraints, budget issues, etc.

9 Guiding principles or philosophy in the department or county government

The participants can identify and discuss these items as a backdrop for planning.

5. Mission

Your department or agency may already have a mission statement that you want
to align with. If there isn’t such a mission statement, or if the mission is not
specific enough to alcohol and other drug prevention, you can work with your
participants to draft a mission statement.

A mission is at the core of why you’re doing the work you do. A mission statement
reflects purpose and may include some strategy reflection.Crafting a good mission
statement can be challenging. Sometime it is helpful to seek consensus on core
elements, and then have volunteers later put the core pieces together for the
group’s later review.

Here are some examples of mission statements:

STRATEGIC PLANNING 3 - 20

TIP SHEET 5/17/06ADP's Mission Statement

To lead California's strategy to reduce alcohol and other drug problems by

developing, administering, and supporting prevention and treatment programs.

Prevention by Design’s Mission Statement Assist California counties and

prevention providers in having effective, outcomebased AOD prevention programs
through our relationship-driven Regional Trainer network, supported by the
Berkeley office and by work with other technical assistance providers.

6. Problem Statement
Many planners include a problem statement in their strategic plan. A problem
statement summarizes key issues facing the county, and provides a helpful
backdrop to understand strategic choices. A good problem statement includes
information about:

9 Community needs

9 Community AOD assessment, including data

9 Current knowledge

9 Contributing factors and root causes

9 Assessment of community readiness

9 Assessment of existing leadership and resources

The University of Kansas Community Tool Box identifies four criteria for functional
problem statements:

1. They name one problem at a time;

2. They avoid blame;

3. They do not frame the problem as the absence of the solution; and

4. They frame the problem as too much of a bad condition/behavior or not

enough of a good condition/behavior. Also, problem statements should be
framed as either:

• Lack of/too few of a positive condition (e.g. all children should feel safe in their
schools)

• Presence of/too much of a negative condition (e.g. Too many middle school
students are using inhalants)

7. “Our Approach” Rationale

This is a narrative section in the Strategic Plan where Counties can spell out and
justify their choices about their targets and strategies. What target population or
setting? And why? Why this strategic priority? Why some strategies and not
others? This rational should rely heavily on the countywide assessment, and on
the County’s view of best practices.

STRATEGIC PLANNING 3 - 21

TIP SHEET 5/17/068. Goals & Objectives

Goals are simply a clear statement of the mission, specifying the accomplishments
to be achieved if the mission is to become real. The target objectives are even
clearer statements of the specific activities required to achieve the goals, starting
from the current status.

At this point, strategic planning begins to produce lots of ideas and action steps.
Often the scope of this activity can be managed by delegating different topics to
different teams.

Objectives basically address the difference between where we are (current

status), and where we want to be (vision and goals), by spelling out what we do
(target objectives and action plans) to get there. Objectives are specific,
measurable results produced while implementing strategies. While identifying
objectives, keep asking “Are you sure you can do this?” For best results within the
County internal team, integrate the objectives as performance criteria in each
“implementer’s” job description and performance review.

Some Definitions:

Goal: Goal is the end toward which the program is directed. It is the general
statement of a long-range purpose. Goals should directly address needs. Goals are
outcome and not process oriented. They clearly state, specific, measurable
outcome(s) or change(s) that can be reasonably expected at the conclusion of a
methodically selected intervention.

1
Objective: Objective is a statement of the results to be achieved, and includes a
time frame, target of change, specific results to be achieved, method of measuring
the results, and criteria for successful achievement. Objectives state results, not
activities. Objectives, when accomplished, lead to the goal. Objectives should be
stated in ways that describe what you will do and how you will do it. A
performance indicator is an example of a program objective.

STRATEGIC PLANNING 3 - 22

TIP SHEET 5/17/069. Action plans/ Activities

Action plans basically translate the Strategic Plan into implementation steps. Some
Counties may put these two items (Strategic Plan + Action Plan) into one
document, others keep them separate. Ideally the people who will be responsible
for implementing the plan are involved in developing the Strategic Plan. Use a
cross-functional team to ensure the plan is realistic and collaborative. A few tips
about Action Plans:

9 Organize the overall strategic plan into smaller action plans for each objective.

9 Specify who is doing what and by when.

9 While these may be separate documents, keep them linked in everyone’s mind.

9 Build in regular reviews of status of the implementation of the plan.

9 Translate the strategic plan’s actions into job descriptions and personnel
performance reviews, especially for key leaders.

9 Communicate the role of follow-ups to the plan. If people know the action plans
will be regularly reviewed, implementers tend to do their jobs before they’re
checked on.

9 Be sure to document and distribute the plan, including inviting review input
from all.
9 Be sure that one internal person is identified as the lead in managing
implementation.

9 Integrate the plan’s goals and objectives into the chief executive’s performance
reviews.

Format of Action Plans

There are many ways to structure an Action Plan, but many look like a work plan
along these lines:

Goal #__

Objectives

Tasks/

Activities

Timeline

Lead

Role

Strategies

Used

Measure /

Document

Resources

needed
STRATEGIC PLANNING 3 - 23

TIP SHEET 5/17/0610. Evaluation

Evaluation itself is covered as part of Step 5 in the Planning Guide, but at this
point we must emphasize that thinking about evaluation must begin in Step 1.
Evaluation plans are required as part of SPF implementation, but more
importantly, an evaluation plan helps you see if you’re on track and achieving the
goals you intended to. Fortunately, good work during Step One Assessment makes
it easier to track outcomes, as you hopefully have set up a system to return to
measures and note change. Data collection i