Strategic Planning - Tools and Approaches

Tools and Approaches

Among the most useful tools for strategic planning is SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats). The main objective of this tool is to analyze internal strategic factors, strengths and weaknesses attributed to the organization, and external factors beyond control of the organization such as opportunities and threats.

Other tools include:

• Balanced Scorecards, which creates a systematic framework for strategic planning;
• Scenario planning, which was originally used in the military and recently used by large corporations to analyze future scenarios.
• PEST analysis (Political, Economic, Social, and Technological)
• STEER analysis (Socio-cultural, Technological, Economic, Ecological, and Regulatory factors)
• EPISTEL (Environment, Political, Informatic, Social, Technological, Economic and Legal).
• ATM Approach (Antecedent Conditions, Target Strategies, Measure Progress and Impact). Once an understanding of the desired endstate is defined, the ATM approach uses Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to understand the threats, barriers, and challenges to achieving the endstate. Not all antecedent conditions identified through RCA are within the direct and immediate control of the organization to change. Therefore, a review of organizational resources, both human and financial, are used to prioritize which antecedent conditions will be targeted. Strategies are then developed to target the prioritized antecedent conditions. Linking strategies to antecedent conditions ensures the organization does not engage in activity traps: feel good activities that will not lead to desired changes in the endstate. Once a strategy is defined then performance measures and indicators are sought to track progress toward and impact on the desired endstate.