This document discusses initiating and agreeing on a strategic planning process. It outlines the key steps in reaching an initial agreement, which should cover the purpose of the effort, who will be involved, the process steps, and committing resources. An opening retreat can help key decision makers reach agreement. The initial agreement establishes an oversight committee and planning team. It's important to initiate the process, get sponsorship, and do stakeholder analysis to identify the right people to forge the agreement. The goals are to get widespread recognition of the effort and maintain support throughout the process.

1. Chapter 3 Bryson
Initiating and Agreeing on a Strategic
Planning Process

2.  The initial agreement is essentially an
understanding among key internal ( and at
times also external) decision makers or
opinion leaders concerning the overall
strategic planning effort.
 The agreement should cover the purpose and
worth of the effort; the persons ,units,
groups, or organizations to be involved; the
steps to be followed; the form and timing of
the reports; the role, functions, and
membership of the strategic planning team,
if one is formed; and the commitment of
necessary resources to begin the effort.
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3.  Planning Focus and Desired Outcomes
A. Ideally, the first step will produce agreement
on several issues:
1. The purpose and worth of the strategic
planning effort
2. The organizations, units, groups, or persons
who should be included, and the ways which
they should participate
3. The specific subsequent steps to be followed
4. The form and timing of reports
B. The agreement should also make clear what the
givens are
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4. C. The process of reaching an initial agreement
Proceeds through the following stages:
1. Initiating the process
2. Introducing the concept of strategic
planning
3. Developing an understanding of what
strategic planning means in practice
4. Thinking through the important
implications of the process
5. Developing a commitment to strategic
planning
6. Reaching the actual agreement
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5.  Benefits
1. The purpose and the worth of the strategic
planning effort is likely to be widely
recognized by the affected parties, leading to
broad sponsorship and legitimacy.
2. A well-articulated initial agreement provides a
clear definition of the network to be involved
and the process by which it is to be
maintained.
3. A good initial agreement includes an outline of
the general sequence of steps in the strategic
planning effort.
4. The agreement should specify exactly what is
to be taken as a given- at least at the start.
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6. 5. A good agreement provides mechanisms, such as
a strategic planning task force or coordinating
committee, for buffering, consulting,
negotiating, or problem solving among units,
groups, or persons involved in or affected by the
effort.
6. A good initial agreement guarantees the
necessary resources.
7. A good initial agreement provides preparation
for any major changes that may be forthcoming.
8. A good initial agreement signifies the political
support of key decision makers or opinion
leaders at several levels in the organization, and
helps maintain support throughout the process.
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7.  Developing an Initial Agreement
A. Whose Process Is It, and Who Should be
Involved- Some individual or some group must
initiate and champion the strategic planning
process. The organization’s key decision makers
should be involved.
B. How Do You Find the Right People? – Some initial
stakeholder analysis work will need to be done
before the “right” people can be found to forge
an effective initial agreement. The purpose of
the stakeholder analyses at this point is to help
process sponsors decide who should be involved
in negotiating an initial agreement.
C. Should You Hold an Opening Retreat?- For an
organization, often the best way to reach initial
agreement is to hold a retreat. See text for
agenda, ideas, etc.
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8. D. What Should the Initial Agreement Contain
1. The purpose and worth of the strategic
planning effort
2. The organizations, units, groups, or persons
who should be included, and the ways which
they should participate
3. The specific subsequent steps to be followed
4. The form and timing of reports
Additionally:
1. A committee is established to oversee the
strategic planning effort
2. A team to carry out the staff work is usually set
up
3. The necessary resources to begin the endeavor
is committed
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9.  Process Guidelines
1. Some person or group must initiate or champion the
process.
2. It may be desirable for the initiators to do a quick
assessment of the organization’s readiness to engage in
strategic planning.
3. Some person or group must sponsor the process to give it
legitimacy.
4. Some initial stakeholder analysis work is likely to be
needed before the right group of people can be found to
forge an effective initial agreement.
5. Decide whether or not a detailed, jointly negotiated
initial agreement is needed.
6. Form a strategic planning coordinating committee or
task force, if one is needed.
7. If a coordinating committee is formed, use it as a
mechanism for consultation, negotiation, problem
solving, or buffering among the organizations, units,
groups, and persons involved.
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10. 8. The process ia likely to flow more smoothly and effectively
if the coordinating committee and any other policy board
that is involved are effective policymaking bodies.
9. Form a strategic planning team if one is needed.
10. Key decision makers may need orientation and training
about the nature, purpose, and process of strategic
planning before they can initiate an initial agreement.
11. A sequence of initial agreements among a successively
expanding group of key decision makers may be necessary
before a full-scale strategic planning effort can proceed.
12. Recognize that things will change over the course of the
Strategic Change Cycle.
13. Keep in mind that a good initial agreement ahould
provide useful preparation for any major change that may
be forthcoming.
14. In complex situations, development of a initial
agreement will culminate in the forst big decision point.
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11.  Have Realistic Hopes for the Process
One way to develop reasonable hopes for the
process is to have the members of the
sponsoring group and planning team
explicitly discuss , together, or separately,
their hopes and concerns ( or fears) for the
process. The hopes can be a source of goals
for the organization, or at least for the
process, and the process can be designed in
such a way that it deals effectively with the
concerns.
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