Strategic Planning and Management

This course introduces the student to new and better ways of planning and managing local development where the public sector is but one of the important actors in local development. It discusses the failures of the conventional planning approaches and introduces strategic planning and management. The course then introduces the student to the application of strategic planning and management in government agencies and non-profit making organisations. In the latter stage the course introduces the student to concepts and practices of negotiation for consensus building as one of the models of strategic planning for local economic development. Case studies in Uganda context are discussed.

Learning Objectives
At the end of this course students will be able:
• To understand the role of strategic planning as a useful alternative approach to comprehensive normative planning, in the present environment for public decision-making, where the state has limited resources and limited powers;
• To understand the logic of strategic planning, the assumptions on which it is based and its limitations;
• To understand the basic principles of negotiation and the logic of negotiation processes;
• To identify the main steps of the strategic planning process, describe its basic components, steps and activities, and explain the importance of negotiation in the whole process;
• To organise and participate actively in strategic planning exercises; and
• To use negotiation in the context of strategic planning as a means to achieve political and operational consensuses among different development actors.

Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course unit students should:
• Appreciate the role of strategic planning as a useful alternative approach to comprehensive normative planning, in the present environment for public decision-making, where the state has limited resources and limited powers;
• Understand the logic of strategic planning, the assumptions on which it is based and its limitations;
• Appreciate the basic principles of negotiation and the logic of negotiation processes;
• Explain the main steps of the strategic planning process, describe its basic components, steps and activities, and explain the importance of negotiation in the whole process;
• Participate actively in strategic planning exercises; and
• Use negotiation in the context of strategic planning as a means to achieve political and operational consensuses among different development actors.

Course outline
1. Introduction: Strategic planning, an alternative to formal prescriptive planning
a. Definition of strategic planning and strategic management
b. The failure of conventional planning
c. Today's environment for public decision-making and management.
d. Strategic planning: organisational origins and adaptation to public sector planning.
e. Successes and failures: how to decide when strategic planning is useful.
2 Strategic planning and strategic management
a. Stakeholder Analysis
b. SWOT Analysis
c. Steps towards developing strategic management capacity
3 Strategic Planning for Government Agencies and Non profit Organisations
a. Mission, vision, goals, objectives, strategies.
b. Data gathering: beliefs and values, identity, the mission.
c. Stakeholder analysis and the definition of the organisation's system of values and philosophy.
d. Scanning the environment of relevance: external opportunities and risks; internal weaknesses and strengths.
e. Strategy formation, implementation and follow-up.
4 Strategic Planning for Local Economic Development
a. Strategic Planning and Management in Local Government
b. Local economic development (LED)
c. An introduction to strategic planning for LED.
d. The fives stage strategic planning process.
e. Some main programme options for LED.
f. Institutionalizing LED.
5 Negotiation for consensus building in strategic planning and strategic management
a. Local development and negotiation: generating local consensus for politic legitimacy.
b. Who negotiates with whom: actors in regional and local development promotion.
c. Negotiation and empowerment.
d. The negotiation process: the general structure.
e. Orientation and position-taking.
f. Search for solutions; deadlocks and crisis.
g. Settlement and finalisation.
h. Getting agreements implemented.

6. Case Studies

Teaching and Learning Methods
The teaching and learning methods will consist of lectures, tutorials and group discussions, and an individual exercise that entails a short oral/written presentation of the key issues read/analyzed in an article/study material distributed in advance.

List of Reading Materials
Bryson, J.M. and Roering, W.D (1987) "Applying Private Sector Strategic Planning in the Public Sector'. JAPA, Vol. 53, No. 1, Winter, 1987, pages 9-22.
Courtney, R (2002) Strategic Management for Voluntary non-profit organizations. London: Routledge.
Girishankar, M. D (1998) Strategic Management for Government agencies: an institutional approach for developing and transitional economies World Bank discussion papers
Goldsworthy, D (1988), "Thinking Politically about Development". Development and Change, London, Vol. 19, No. 3, pages 505-530.
Gordon, G.L. (1993) Strategic Planning for Local Governments, ICMA, Practical Management Series, chapter 2, pp 15-26
Lyddon, J. W. (1999) Strategic Planning In Smaller Nonprofit Organizations: A Practical Guide for the Process. Downloadable from: http://www.wmich.edu/nonprofit/Guide/guide7.htm
Martinelli, F. (1999) Strategic Planning Manual. Downloadable from:
Poister, T. H and Streib,G. (1997). ‘Strategic Management: A Core Responsibility of Local Government Administrators’. In John J. Gargan, Handbook of Local Government Administration. New York: Marcel Dekker, pp101-129
World Bank (2002) Local Economic Development: A Primer.
World Bank Urban Development Unit (2002) “LED Quick Reference”.www.uwex.edu/li/learner/spmanual.pdf