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PUA 5307, Strategic Planning 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit IV Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

5. Conduct a SWOT analysis to help clarify agency mission and goals. 5.1 Develop a SWOT analysis. 5.2 Consider key areas of concern when deciding on strategic issues to devote significant time to

managing.

Course/Unit Learning Outcomes

Learning Activity

5.1

Unit Lesson Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Reading: SWOT Analysis: Questions for Conducting an Analysis with your Team Video: Do a SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis

5.2

Unit Lesson Chapter 5 Chapter 6 SWOT Analysis

Required Unit Resources Chapter 5: Assessing the Environment to Identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Challenges Chapter 6: Identifying Strategic Issues Facing the Organization In order to access the following resources, click the links below. This short memo is an excellent primer and cheat sheet for assisting with SWOT analysis development. Louisiana Department of State Civil Service. (n.d.). SWOT analysis: Questions for conducting an analysis with

your team. Retrieved from http://www.civilservice.louisiana.gov/files/divisions/Training/Job%20Aid/Supervisor%20Toolbox/Quest ions%20for%20Professional%20SWOT.pdf

This video segment examines how to do a SWOT analysis in more detail. Seven Dimensions (Producer). (2016). Do a SWOT analysis (Segment 2 of 6) [Video file]. Retrieved from

https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPl aylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=111711&loid=408034

The transcript for this video can be found by clicking the “Transcript” tab to the right of the video in the Films on Demand database.

Unit Lesson In Unit I, we learned about the effects of the rapidly changing world on different classifications of organizations and entities and how these disruptive forces can result in added complexity when executing objectives and plans. Because of this, organizations must be more open to accommodating the results of

UNIT IV STUDY GUIDE

SWOT Analysis and Strategic Issues Management

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changing circumstances and periods of change. Oftentimes, these changes originate both within the organization as well as in the environments surrounding the organization, making proper self and situational awareness important attributes throughout the strategic planning process. SWOT Analysis In this phase of strategic plan development, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) are assessed both internally and externally to give the organization an idea of where it currently stands and to reveal relevant issues that it is needs to contend with currently or in the future (Bryson, 2018). Accommodating the types of changes alluded to above and addressing challenges and periods of uncertainty is more easily facilitated when a more intimate knowledge of the organization’s capacities exists and is factored into corresponding responses., Organizations, however, need to be leery about conducting SWOT analyses at the surface level; instead, organizations need to ensure that they are locating and contemplating theoretical underpinnings that may or may not be apparent throughout analyses (Valentin, 2015). Being mindful of the contextual environment of the SWOT is arguably as important as the analysis itself (Comino & Ferretti, 2016). Accompanying this type of self-analysis, organizations can develop critical success factors (CSFs), which are objectives that should be accomplished in order for the organization to effectively address desired outcomes that were previously established in the strategic plan. By coming to a consensus regarding these areas (i.e., SWOT components and CSFs) as well as deciding on associated short-term desired outcomes, planners can feel emboldened to prepare for future steps in the plan. The completion of a SWOT analysis often results in the development of a management information system (MIS), which identifies various program or organization inputs, processes, outputs, and outcomes that can add information and self- knowledge about developing plan or organization-wide applications (Bryson, 2018). Think about times when you may have participated in a personal SWOT analysis without even realizing it. For instance, this may come in the form of contemplating your current situation in relation to some goal or objective and recognizing how inherent strengths and perceived personal weaknesses may help or hinder your progress. You probably also took some time to think about or even research opportunities available to assist you with your progress as well as entities that could possibly threaten your progress. Does this process seem familiar to you? Maybe you even conducted a SWOT as you prepared to apply to or enroll in school.

We mentioned that SWOT analyses often look at assessment components in both an internal and external manner with the external assessment being arguably as important as the internal analyses. Thorough and

SWOT analysis chart

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close monitoring of external environments can result in potential problems being spotted early (Ofori & Atiogbe, 2012). These components of the SWOT can help planners to gain an understanding of relevant outside trends, resource controllers, and possible collaborators and competitors (Bryson, 2018). Additionally, Aithal and Suresh Kumar (2016) contend that consistent application of these analyses can assist organizations with forecasting changing trends, and that can assist them with current and future decision- making processes. Of particular interest to public and third sector organizations should be the blurring of sectors that we discussed previously, continued technological expansion, increased workforce diversity, civic responsibility, continuous peaceful transition, and an emphasis on continued learning (Bryson, 2018). With external environments adapting and changing at a seemingly exponential rate, would it be reasonable to forecast the same outcomes or results within an atmosphere that has experienced minor or major changes? If such changes would likely have resulted in dramatically different recommended courses of action at a personal level, how much more significant do you think that changing external conditions would have at an organizational or public agency level? Internal and External Assessments Internal assessments are most useful for determining organizational strengths and weaknesses while also helping to pinpoint distinct competencies (Bryson, 2018). As such, the types of internal assessment practices that produce tangible performance information are of utmost importance as this information will more clearly identify areas of strength and weakness. When organizations are assessing their internal and external environments, they should focus on the following areas:

 making regular efforts to discern what is really going on inside and outside of the organization,

 being mindful that simple assessment procedures are generally preferable to longer and more complicated or intricate procedures,

 considering what is going on outside of the organization before trying to make sense of what is happening inside the organization because it is easier to get an idea of how external factors could be affecting internal processes in this manner,

 re-analyzing the results of the SWOT analysis to determine what new considerations should be incorporated, and

 taking quick actions on projects where sufficient information exists to address them (Bryson, 2018). Ultimately, though, those involved with the strategic planning process should keep some of the perceived weaknesses of SWOT analyses in mind and recognize that they are often nonquantitative and can be extremely subjective in nature, which makes close analysis of perceived takeaways an ever-important process (Agarwal, Grassl, & Pahl, 2012). Identifying the strategic issues facing the organization is a key component of the strategic planning process as this process addresses fundamental policy questions and develops the paths that ultimately assist in the construction of a new social reality (Bryson, 2018). The strategic issue management (SIM) process also serves as the missing step between SWOT analyses and the development of strategies for developing and implementing strategic plan initiatives (Lawal, Elizabeth, & Oludayo, 2012). The general organizational culture as well as the issues discovered throughout the proceeding analyses (i.e., SWOT) will help to frame these issues. As riveting as the issue identification process can be, it is also a process that can be laden with conflict due to the passion that involved parties can often feel for particular topics or issues. Because of this, it is important that coordinating parties effectively manage these conflicts and create an inviting and welcoming environment for discussion to ensue, although such fears should not be permitted to decisively dictate the manner in which strategic issues are managed as this will lessen the likelihood of success for the plan (Eden & Ackerman, 2004). This step should lead to the creation of a strategic issues agenda that is comprised of a comprehensive list of issues facing the organization and categorization of the list’s components. This agenda ultimately encompasses a confirmation of what strategic issues are of utmost importance to the organization—a tension that can inspire a commitment to organizational change, clues on how the strategic issues may be resolved, and a signal that the process has become real, which may actually create some uncertainty among participants and make them further question their individual or overall plan involvement (Bryson, 2018).

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Thinking back to your personal SWOT analysis, it was probably pretty easy to come to an internal consensus about strategic issues to be managed. After all, you only had to consult one person—you! However, would identifying these issues have been as easy with one other person, partner, or teammate? How about with two others? Thinking about friends or coworkers, do most of them share the same fears or areas of personal or professional uncertainty? They probably do not. Because of these inherent differences between people, the identification process for strategic issues, even in small groups, deserves significant time and attention. Approaches to SWOT Analyses In the process of identifying strategic issues, there have been some common themes in recent years, and issues related to information technology, human resources, and financial management have been extremely popular. Although these issues will be different for every organization, these are some of the most common themes. Additionally, there are a number of different ways that organizations can proceed with identifying strategic issues. These include a direct approach, which is where planners simply review the existing mandates and SWOT analyses and proceed directly to identifying strategic issues, and a goals approach, which is where desired outcomes are presented first before identifying strategic issues that must be addressed in facilitating or reaching the goals (Bryson, 2018). The more visual, action-oriented strategy mapping approach involves the creation of diagrams linking causes and effects of potential actions (or non- actions) in determining which areas are most pressing or present the most strategic issues (Kyeremanteng & D’Egidio, 2015). Also, an alignment approach is used to identify existing gaps in the manner in which the organization self-governs, manages itself, and engages in general operations in order to determine which strategic gaps need to be filled (Bryson, 2018). In describing a selected issue, wording the issue as a workable problem with multiple solutions and discussing consequences for not addressing the issue are desirable for inclusion. Upon compiling and describing each of the strategic issues that the organization faces, it is possible to compare the extent to which each issue is truly strategic, both individually and in relation to each of the other identified issues (Bryson, 2018).

References Agarwal, R., Grassl, W., & Pahl, J. (2012). Meta-SWOT: Introducing a new strategic planning tool. Journal of

Business Strategy, 33(2), 12–21. Retrieved from http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/02756661211206708

Aithal, P., & Suresh Kumar, P. M. (2016). Applying SWOC analysis to an institution of higher education.

International Journal of Management, IT and Engineering, 5(7), 231–247. Retrieved from https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2779000

Bryson, J. M. (2018). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and

sustaining organizational achievement (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Comino, E., & Ferretti, V. (2016, January). Indicators-based spatial SWOT analysis: Supporting the strategic

planning and management of complex territorial systems. Ecological Indicators, 60, 1104–1117. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X15004872

Eden, C., & Ackerman, F. (2004). Making strategy: The journey of strategic management. London, United

Kingdom: Sage. Kyeremanteng, K., & D’Egido, G. (2015). Guide to strategic planning in critical care medicine. Journal of

Hospital Administration, 4(3), 93–96. https://dx.doi.org/10.5430/jha.v4n3p93 Lawal, F. M., Elizabeth, O. O., & Oludayo, O. (2012). Effect of strategic issue management on organisational

performance. Transnational Journal of Science and Technology, 2(10), 17–29. Retrieved from http://www.tjournal.org/tjst_november_2012/2.pdf

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Ofori, D., & Atiogbe, E. (2012). Strategic planning in public universities: A developing country process. Journal of Management and Strategy, 3(1), 67–82. Retrieved from http://sciedu.ca/journal/index.php/jms/article/view/761

Valentin, E. K. (2015). SWOT analysis from a resource-based view. Journal of Marketing Theory and

Practice, 9(2), 54–69. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10696679.2001.11501891?src=recsys