Robert Palestini in Chapter Seven, “The Strategic Planning Process,” of his book, and John M. Bryson in his article “Strategic Planning Process for Public and Non-profit Organizations” both present their own separate yet similar perspectives on the Strategic Planning Process. It is apparent that strategic planning is central to the work of any organization, and as Palestini writes, “has currently been adopted by a variety of educational institutions throughout the nation” (Palestini, 2011, p.133). Although Palestini gets straight to the point, Bryson takes his time to define strategic planning as a plan to help public and non-profit organizations (and communities) respond effectively to their new situations” (Bryson, 1988, p.74). It is not surprising that the components of strategic planning that both authors highlight seem to be quite similar.
The strategic planning process ensures that actions can be connected to the larger vision of an organization. Practically, any organization exists because it has a specific mission. Perhaps this is why both authors’ works consider the mission statement as a key component of the strategic planning process, and Bryon seems to suggest that a mission statement is a means of developing and clarifying the mission and values of an organization (Bryson, 1988, p.74). For educational institutions, “[t]he educational vision [] is derived from the mission statement” (Palestini, 2011, p.133). In other words, a sense of purpose of an educational institution is conveyed through the mission statement. In the strategic planning process, the direction in which a company should go is set by developing a mission statement.
Palestini admits that the strategic planning process he initially mentions “focuses exclusively on the academic program” (Palestini, 2011, p.135). However, overall both Palestini and Bryson agree that in the strategic planning process, the preferred future vision of an organization should be identified, the successful implementation of the plan should be demonstrated through measurable outcomes, the” resources necessary to make it work” (Bryson, 1988, p.79) should be identified, etc. Both authors seem to agree that every organization, whether a business or an educational institution, has certain goals, and the strategic planning process helps in developing the actions necessary to achieve those goals. Strategic planning is not just a plan but a thought process, and as Bryson concludes, “[s]trategic planning for public and non-profit organizations is important” (Bryson, 1988, p.81).
References
Bryson, J. M. (1988). A strategic planning process for public and non-profit organizations. Long Range Planning, 21(1), 73-81. Retrieved from http://docushare.usc.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-8775/
Palestini, R. (2011). Educational administration: Leading with mind and heart. (3rd ed.). Estover Road, Plymouth: Rowman & Littlefield Education.
