Better Strategic Plans for Social Services Agencies

Creating a formal strategic plan is one of the best ways to develop consensus and public value. After all, if you’re running a social service agency, your organization depends on support for funding and cooperation. Strategic plans can help create public value by integrating the perspectives and priorities of government policymakers, public administrators, mental health experts, and other stakeholders.

The Importance of Strategic Planning Every Year

Strategic plans are never a “once and done” proposition. Updates should be an annual activity.  The first strategic plan and the mission statement were a lot of work, but these are not static documents. They must evolve to meet changing environments and situations.

Each year, management should inventory the needs and performance of employees, the concerns of stakeholders, and the state of financials. Then, compare these findings with the organization’s mission statement or vision. Revisiting these three sectors and finding a way to balance them with the mission will be at the heart of any annual plan.

Since employees, stakeholders, and financials tend to change, your agency’s situation will also shift over time. Every year, taking a fresh look at the business and stakeholders affects priorities, initiatives, and budgets. It will also ensure you don’t lose ground or stray too far from your mission.

Revisit Goals and Take Time to Measure Progress

Revising any plan should start with a thorough review of the existing strategy. You’ll want to assess everything with a critical eye. Are your objectives still relevant? Which goals were achieved, and which ones went by the wayside?

Of course, tracking performance isn’t always easy. While financial comparisons are fairly straightforward, other measurements are less tangible. How do you measure employee satisfaction, public awareness, or the perception by public officials?

In fact, revisiting goals and measuring progress can be the most time-consuming part of planning. It often requires surveys, interviews, or focus groups. That’s why it’s essential to allow the weeks or even months for the strategic evaluation portion. After all, if you’re not sure where you’re at, you won’t be able to set the next milestone.

Revising Old Strategies and Developing New Ones

When you revisit your strategic plan each year, it’s easy to see how some initiatives are going well while others need work. By working on the plan every year and adjusting over time, you can make incremental adjustments each year. These adjustments should provide more effective ways to meet deliverables, ideas for efficiencies, improve capabilities, or increase the standard of service.

However, annual planning is also a good time to develop new strategies. As your agency grows and evolves, opportunities arise. Natural partnerships become apparent. New services are needed. Annual planning is the perfect time to recognize the changing nature of your firm and think of new ways to address emerging needs.

Vet Your Strategies Using SWOT Analysis

The SWOT analysis was developed to be a tool for vetting new and existing strategies. It is a way to inventory Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Strengths refer to internal assets. Weaknesses refer to internal deficits. Opportunities are outside support factors, and threats are external barriers.

For example, if your strategy is to expand counseling services to the families of your clients, a SWOT might look like this:

Strengths:

• Meets a well-defined need
• Have existing relationships with families
• Have experienced counselors on staff
• Have established process for counseling

Weaknesses:

• No existing spaces or rooms for this kind of counseling
• Counselors already carry a full load
• Would require additional counselors and admin staff
• Not sure how to cover expenses

Opportunities:

• State policymakers are supportive of more holistic approach
• A popular documentary focused on the value of this approach, driving public support
• A key stakeholder has asked us to do it, implying they will push for financial support for the initiative

Threats:

• School groups consider this approach counterproductive
• State agencies had big problems with the approach five years ago
• No well-established model to emulate

As you can see by these examples, a SWOT doesn’t “solve” issues; it simply inventories them. However, by being aware of a range of related considerations, it’s easier to evaluate new initiatives and calculate the probability of success.

Watch Outs

Strategic planning is absolutely necessary, but it’s not always easy. Here are a few ways things can go wrong.

No Champion

Someone must head up strategic planning and keep it going. This should be a very senior employee, preferably c-level or board level. Without close senior support and input, strategic planning will face delays, get pushed down the list of priorities, or simply not get done.

Lack of Sound Financials

Strategic plans must include detailed financial evaluations and projected budgets. If initiatives are challenged, the financials are usually the first aspect to be scrutinized. Therefore, the validity of the numbers must be beyond reproach. It makes sense to include a senior financial officer in the process.  

Unsound Evaluations

Many agencies skimp on evaluations. Instead of taking the time (and money) to measure thoroughly, they include guestimates or the opinions of just a few people. This leads to significant problems if the plan, or associated funding, is ever challenged.

Unclear Public Value

In social services, public value is critical. Ensure its stated clearly in the strategic plan and vetted by key influencers such as industry leaders, university experts, government officials, nonprofits, educators, law enforcement, or other affected stakeholders. Make sure your value and impact are easy to understand. And make sure it matters to your stakeholders.

Ready to Get Started?

I spend a lot of my time working on strategic plans for CIS, so I understand how the process works in a social services agency. If you’re having trouble with your plans, shoot me a line, and I’m happy to chat.