Technical Assistance – Strategic Planning

Facilitation for planning purposes is available for small and large groups including board of directors, department managers, community members, network members and other. A nominal group process is generally used as a facilitation technique. The identification of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats is addressed followed by the development of action plans. Incorporation of the Balanced Scorecard framework is also an available option. The Balanced Scorecard is a performance improvement tool which translates an organization's mission and strategy into a comprehensive set of performance measures that provides the framework for a strategic measurement and management system. This integrated management system consists of three components:

• Strategic management system
• Communication tool
• Measurement system

It focuses on a balance between finance, customers and community needs, internal processes, and learning and growth of staff. A flexible approach is used when assisting hospitals with the development and implementation of a performance improvement plan.

Benefits to the Hospital

The primary outcome is to develop consensus around a goal(s) and a set of actions to achieve the goal(s). It can assist administration in developing more clearly defined goals and action steps. It can be used to engage staff or the community as a whole and key constituencies in particular. It can be an effective tool to not only set direction, but also a vehicle to implement action. It is also critically important for the organization to be committed to the process. In other words, planning implies action, implementation, and carry-through. Achievable goals, clear and reasonable time lines, and identified individuals and/or groups to implement the action is necessary to reach the goals.