We often talk with clients who identify barriers to their success, but they don’t realize that they may need to create a strategic plan in order to accomplish their goals. In other cases, our clients do recognize their need for a new strategic plan, but they lack the expertise and capacity to develop it on their own. We help organizations navigate the process of how to create a strategic plan!
Should My Organization Create a Strategic Plan Now?
We wrote a blog to answer the question, When Is It Time to Change Your Program? The factors in that blog may also indicate that your organization needs a new strategic plan:
- Are your programs not having the desired impact?
- Do you lack sufficient funding?
- Has new industry research emerged?
- Are your community’s demographics changing?
In addition, there are other factors that signal a need for strategic planning:
- Was your current strategic plan completed 5+ years ago?
- Is your organization newly created?
- Is large-scale systems change underway?
Newly Created Organizations
We work with clients impacted by many of these factors. One example was a newly created organization, LaunchPad. LaunchPad was established in October 2018 as Kosciusko County’s Child Care and Early Learning Coalition. In their first year, the coalition hired a director and gathered stakeholder feedback. However, they struggled to gain momentum without a strategic plan. Within their coalition, they didn’t have the strategic planning expertise they needed. They reached out to us for assistance with creating a strategic plan.
Our team came alongside LaunchPad, meeting them where they were in their work. Instead of restarting the process of gathering stakeholder feedback, we used the information already available. Due to that, we could shorten the first two steps of our strategic planning process. Then, we quickly moved on to facilitating consensus and creating a strategic plan. This enabled us to meet LaunchPad’s time frame and set them up for their next steps to accomplish their goals!
Large-Scale Systems Change
Another client we partnered with was Building Blocks (previously known as 4C of Southern Indiana). One of Building Block’s primary functions is their role as a Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency. In 2019, the state of Indiana enacted large-scale systems change that impacted CCR&Rs and other agencies. 
In order to adjust to these changes and plan for the future, Building Blocks asked us to facilitate a strategic planning process for them. In our work with Building Blocks, we connected with diverse stakeholders for feedback. We reached consensus on a new plan with the board, staff, and key partners. We created an implementation plan for them, and now they’re putting it into action!
Have you determined that you need help with your strategic planning to mobilize the community? Contact us today to chat about your goals and how we can help!
