Strategic Planning

Will Holmes à Court
Will Holmes à Court
Last updated 
How to identify and allocate resources to achieve our mission and goals

Overview

Introduction
  • Strategic planning is identifying and allocating resources to achieve our mission and goals.
  • Strategic planning should consider the six PESTLE factors:
    • Political
    • Economic
    • Social
    • Technological
    • Legal, and
    • Environmental situations.
  • As a service provider to those in the community with higher care requirements, our mission and goal should always consider how HWH can deliver the highest service levels to these clients.
  • We believe success comes from valuing and prioritising 
    • our clients and
    • our staff.
  • Strategic plans incorporate a long-term mission, achieved through shorter-term strategies and objectives (our tactical plan) that inform our annual or Operational Plan. 
  • While we have a mission with a 10-year horizon, we aim to have a strategic plan that reaches out 5 years. 
  • We run a rolling five-year process of strategic planning in four key phases with minor steps achieving each phase. The key phases are:
    1. Preparation
    2. Planning
    3. Implementation
    4. Revision.
Applies to
  • all areas of service practice
  • all HWH representatives, including key managers and home support workers
Related Items

Policy

1. Preparation
In the preparation phase, we will achieve three primary outcomes:
  • vision or mission statement
  • assessment
  • role and responsibility delegation.
Mission statement
  • The mission statement is a formal summary of an organisation's aims and values and what we are striving to be. Mission statements are dynamic, evolving as aspirations and circumstances change.
SWOT analysis
  • A SWOT analysis is a process used for identifying and assessing our Strengths, Weaknesses (internal factors), Opportunities, and Threats. (external factors).
  • To accurately conduct a SWOT analysis, we use reliable, tested information from a variety of resources, including but not limited to:
    • continuous improvement register
    • feedback and complaints register
    • advocacy and government publications
    • market information
    • bank statements and market analyses
    • worker appraisal information.
To ensure the analysis is aligned to maintaining a person-centred focus, we also draw information from the following stakeholders:
  • key personnel and management
  • workers
  • clients
  • client support networks
  • any other relevant stakeholders.
The SWOT analysis should uncover three to four strategic questions and issues that can be addressed through strategy formulation in the planning phase. We construct the questions as an objective. In the strategic plan template, these are labelled Objectives. 

Role and responsibility delegation
After identifying the three to four questions or issues, roles and responsibilities are delegated to develop a strategic plan.

The delegation of tasks may be given to a specific individual or a team based on the following:
  • expertise and knowledge
  • understanding of the desired outcome
  • suitability to ensure successful implementation.
If multiple individuals or teams are delegated roles, training and resources will be provided to ensure consistency, reliability and value alignment.

2. Planning
In the planning phase, we achieve three primary outcomes:
  • strategy formulation
  • plan development
  • a finalised strategic plan.
Strategy formulation
The team develops a plan using the information gathered in the SWOT analysis and stakeholder input. It organises strategies to advance our strengths and opportunities while addressing threats or weaknesses.

The strategy formulation describes the following factors:
  • objective focus definition and relation to values and mission statement
  • detailed strategies and action steps to achieve the strategic focus
  • timeline of achievement for action steps, objectives and strategic focus
  • roles and responsibilities of workers and key personnel to achieve objectives
  • Resource allocations, including but not limited to: 
    • financial requirements 
    • environmental needs 
    • technological / equipment requirements 
  • how success will be determined (e.g. measurements, KPIs, benchmarks and/or indicators)
  • How and when will success determinants be reported?
Plan development
  • Following the collation of the strategy formulation, the draft strategic plan is distributed to key stakeholders for review.
  • The review process ensures:
    • each strategic focus is aligned with our mission statement and organisation values
    • resource allocation is feasible and within budget
    • the timeline is practicable and aligned with the strategic plans’ timeline
    • roles and responsibilities are suitably delegated and within workers' capabilities (or suitable training is accounted for).
  • Following any feedback, amendments will be made by the appropriate team or individual.
Plan finalisation
  • Following the draft plan review, the plan is finalised and approved by the appropriate key personnel and/or board committees. It will be formally recognised and published as our strategic plan.
3. Implementation
  • Implementing a strategic plan is the most crucial phase. Clear and detailed guidance, with clearly defined performance indicators, ensures the highest chance of success.
  • The implementation phase achieves and maintains four primary outcomes:
    • communication of the strategic plan
    • strategic plan management
    • supervision of strategic plan implementation
    • monitoring and reporting on the progress of the strategic plan.
Communication of the strategic plan
  • The formal strategic plan is published and distributed to all stakeholders, including:
    • workers
    • clients
    • client support networks
    • any other relevant stakeholders.
  • The information in the distributed strategic plan will align with any relevant privacy legislation and HWH Practice Standards.
Strategic plan management
  • Strategic plan management is based on the roles and responsibilities defined in the strategy formulation.
  • HWH ensures that all management and workers are appropriately equipped to achieve the strategic plan and their role within it.
Supervision of strategic plan implementation
  • Key personnel and managers ensure workers actively work to achieve strategic outcomes and fulfil their responsibilities.
Monitoring and reporting on the strategic plan progress
  • Key personnel, managers, and workers undergo appraisal to meet their responsibilities (see: Staff appraisal).
  • Related key personnel and managers report on success measures as outlined in the strategic plan.
4. Revision
In the revision phase, two key outcomes will be achieved:
  • progress review
  • strategic plan revision.
Progress review
  • To ensure the plan is working towards our mission, we regularly review and monitor the plan's progress against our success measures. 
  • If the review indicates the strategy or an element needs to be fixed or has been completed, we revise the plan.
Strategic plan revision
  • Before formulating the annual operating plan, we will review the Strategic plan to consider where the objectives, strategies or success measures still need to be met.
  • Phase two or sections of phase two are reiterated to address areas of concern.
  • The plan is also revised if a strategy has been completed or the strategic plan has reached the end of the proposed timelines.