SAMPLE WORKSHEET FOR CASE STUuDY: COUNTY LEGAL AID SocIlETY (CLAS) . workKsHEET 1.1 Identify Planning Process Issues and Outcomes 3 What would success look like at the completion of the planning process? What does your organization wish to achieve from a planning process? 1 What issues or choices do you think need to be addressed during the planning process? O Are there any nonnegotiables that need to be articulated up front? Any constraints regarding the planning process? What would success look like at the completion of the planning process? What do we wish to achieve from a planning process? Many of the strategic issues discussed during a strategic planning process address fall under these five categories: 1. External Environment. Are there some important forces or changes in our external environment to which our plan must respond? (Are there political, economic, social, demographic, technological, or legal forces that are significantly impacting our organization?) 2. Mission. Are we achieving our mission with our current portfolio of programs, and how could we have a greater impact? 3. Business Model. Are our operations financially viable, and how can we ensure the long-term financial stability and sustainability of our organization? 4. Organizational Capacity. What would it take to maximize our organizational capabilities in terms of our human resources, information systems, financial reporting, organizational structure, organization culture and communication, PR and marketing, program evaluation, planning, and our technology and facilities infrastructure? 5. Leadership. How well do our senior staff leaders and the board carry out their respective roles and work together? Are we paying sufficient attention to building an organization that promotes leadership? (continued) Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations: A Practical Guide for Dynamic Times, Third Edition. Michael Allison and Jude Kaye. 3 & 2015 Michael J. Allison and Judith Kaye. Published 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. WORKSHEETS . WORKSHEET 1.1 (continued) What are the specific strategic questions or choices that our organization wants to address during the planning process? Short-term focus: Are there some operational questions that need to be addressed in the near future? If yes, list below: Strategic (longer term) issues to be addressedframed as a question: Are any issues nonnegotiable (not open for discussion)? Any constraints regarding the planning process that we need to address as part of our preplanning thinking? SAMPLE WORKSHEET FOR CASE STUDY: COUNTY LEGAL AID SOCIETY (CLAS) . WORKSHEET 1.2 5et Up Your Planning Process for Success 1 Are the conditions and criteria for successful planning in place at the current time? Can certain pitfalls be avoided? 3 Is this the appropriate time for our organization to initiate a planning process? Yes or no? If no, where do we go from here? The Following Conditions for Successful Planning Yes Unsure Are in Place: or N/A Commitment, support, and active involvement from top leadership, especially the executive director and board president Commitment to clarifying roles and expectations for all participants in the planning process, including clarifying who will have input into the plan and who will be the final decision makers Balanced mix of board and staff members on the Planning Committeebig-picture visionaries thinkers and detail- oriented thinkersa group who is committed to participating fully, and is likely to be able to work together well (including the ability to disagree with each other) Willingness to encourage participation of board and staff and, as appropriate, external stakeholders Commitment of organizational resources to complete the planning process as designed, including time of staff and board members, money for consultants and needed research, etc. (continued) WORKSHEETS . WORKSHEET 1.2 (continued) The Following Conditions for Successful Planning Are in Place: Board and staff understand the purpose of planning and have agreement regarding the desired outcomes of the process and the important issues to be addressed. A willingness to question the status quo, to look at new ways of doing things; a willingness to ask the hard questions and face difficult choices No serious conflict between key players within the organization No high-impact decision (e.g., a major funding or policy change) is about to be made by an external source that would potentially and dramatically change the course of direction of the organization The organization is not in the middle of merger discussions Board and top management are willing to articulate constraints and nonnegotiable issues up front Intention to tie the strategic planning process to the organization's annual planning and budgeting process Other Issues/Concern That Would Influence the Success of the Planning Process Based on your assessment, is this the appropriate time for our organization to initiate a planning process? Yes or No? If no, what steps need to be put in place to ensure a successful planning processwhere do we go from here? Or, should the organization consider doing something other than a formal strategic planning process? SAMPLE WORKSHEET FOR CASE STUDY: COUNTY LEGAL AID SOCIETY (CLAS) . wWoRKSHEET 1.3 Develop a Preliminary Plan for Gathering Information from Internal and External Sources 1 Using the strategic issues you identified in Worksheet 3.1, start to develop a plan for gathering information from both internal and external sources so as to answer those questions and get greater buy-in and support for the planning process and your plan. Data Collection from Internal StakeholdersHow Might We Engage the Board and Staff and Other Internal Stakeholders? Outcome of Contact with Them? (Such | How Best to Involve as perceptions Them (Such as about the surveys, discussions Internal organization, at regularly Stakeholders specific answers to | scheduled meetings, strategic questions, | retreats, in-depth greater buy-in and | program evaluation support for SP worksheets, etc.) decisions, etc. TimingWhat might be the best point in the process to engage this stakeholder group? Any early outreach required? Staff Do we want to engage: AllL of the staff Management team Some staff (specific) Volunteer staff Entire department/ program units Others Do we want to engage others, such as advisory board members, former staff members, former board members, etc. (continued) Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations: A Practical Guide for Dynamic Times, Third Edition. . WORKSHEET 1.3 (continued) Data Collection from External StakeholdersHow Might We Involve External Stakeholders? External Stakeholder Group: (List specific names if possible) Constituents/ Clients (current, past) Institutional Funders (foundations, corporations, government agencies) Individual Outcome of Contact with Them? Questions to answer? What information do we want to gather from this stakeholder? Is relationship building the primary reason to engage this stakeholder? How Best to Involve Stakeholders (i.e., questionnaires, interviews [face-to- face or phone], focus groups, meetings, TimingWhat is the best point in the process to engage this stakeholder group? Any early outreach required? . WORKSHEET 1.3 (continued) External Stakeholder Group: (List specific names if possible) Government Organizations Others to Outcome of Contact with Them? Questions to answer? What information do we want to gather from this stakeholder? Is relationship building the primary reason to engage this stakeholder? How Best to Involve Stakeholders (i.e., questionnaires, interviews [face-to- face or phone], focus groups, meetings, TimingWhat is the best point in the process to engage this stakeholder group? Any early outreach required? (continued') . WORKSHEET 1.3 (continued) Which of the Following Documents Would Help Pravide Important Background Information and,/or Inform Our Strategic Issue Decisions? (Check appropriate documents to assemble.) Program-Related Documents Mission, vision, values statements Current strategic plan; annual plans Program descriptions/workplans Needs assessments Client satisfaction surveys Previous evaluation designs and results Evidence of organization's innova- tion or reputation in the field Other data on major developments in the field Financial-Related Documents Fundraising plans and results Budgets Audits Recent financial reports Organizational Capacity Documents Organizational chart Internal newsletters or other communication vehi- cles Personnel policies Previous organizational effectiveness surveys and/ or climate surveys (or other formal review of cul- ture and staff satisfaction) Volunteer management plan Information technology plan Previous strategic plans Leadership Documents Senior team membership, background Succession planning and leadership development documents Board minutes Board roster and committee structure Previous board self-evaluations Board manual Other Data: Where else should we look outside of our organization for information about trends, competitors, innovative programming, etc.? SAMPLE WORKSHEET FOR CASE STuDY: COUNTY LEGAL AID SoclETY (CLAS) . WoRKSHEET 1.4 Choices to Consider When Developing a Planning Workplan 1 What has been our previous experience with strategic planning? 3 What are some of the choices we want to consider when designing our strategic planning process? O Are there other considerations that need to be factored into the writing of the strategic planning workplan? What has been our previous experience with strategic planningwhat has worked or not worked in the past that might inform the design of our strategic planning process? Some of the choices we want to consider when designing our strategic planning process: Who will lead the process? * Membership of Strategic Planning Committee? * Who makes what decisions (who decides the strategic direction for the organization, and what degree of input is sought from the board and the staff?) * How extensive a planning process to have? * Will we involve external stakeholders in addition to internal (board and staff) stakehold- ers? * Do we want to hold some retreats or other large group gatherings, and what might be the appropriate timing of these meetings? (Are there special events, preset meetings, or deadlines that we might want to keep in mind?) (continued) WORKSHEETS . WORKSHEET 1.4 (continued) Who will be the primary writer of the plan (with guidance from a consultant if necessary)? Are we going to use a consultant and, if ves, how best to use a consultant (what are our expectations regarding the consultant's role)? How will we keep the board and staff informed about the SP discussions and decisions? Are there other considerations for the SP process that need to be factored in when designing our workplan? . worKsHEET 1.5 Create an Organization Profile 1 Make sure you have an overview of your arganization's profile including key programs. Current Mission Statement: Then & Now: * First Year of Operation (Date, Services and Numbers Served; number of staff) * Current Operations: (Date, Services and Numbers Served) Executive Director: Number of Board Members: Number of Staff (full time, part time, volunteers): Current-Year Budget: Current Programs: Overview of Key Programs 1. * Short Description of Program: * Program Budget: * How Funded: * Number Served: * # of Staff: * Short Description of Program: * Program Budget: * How Funded: * Number Served: * j of Staff: (continued) . WORKSHEET 1.5 (continued) 3. Short Description of Program: * Program Budget: * How Funded: * Number Served: * # of Staff: Short Description of Program: * Program Budget: * How Funded: * Number Served: * j of Staff: Short Description of Program: * Program Budget: * How Funded: * Number Served: * of Staff: Short Description of Program: Program Budget: How Funded: * Number Served: * # of Staff