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Business and Strategic planning, Helping people to see the whole picture,…
Business and Strategic planning
Chapter 1 Introduction
Why bother writing a business plan?
Funders require it
It helps create confidence in the organisation
It helps you keep a grip on reality
Exercises
Why bother with strategy
The difference between strategy and business planning
Terminology
Chapter 2 Strategic thinking
Two types of strategy
[emergent and deliberate – missing detail on why the reader needs to know this and what we recommend]
ALSO NOTE THIS INCLUDES SOME DETAIL/DEFINITION ON WHAT A STRATEGY IS WHICH COULD FIT IN INTRO
Thinking strategically
Establishing your horizon
Working out the why how and what
[Appears mentioned in passing. Sub-sections that follow should help the reader to work out the what, how and what. It's not obviously clear how they do that. One of the subsections, 'Managers and strategic thinking', now seems particularly out of place. Might work to address by just explaining before the sub-sections how they help with working out the three elements. 'Managers' section might need more attention, though.]
Strategy – a chance to go deeper
Understand the past to move forward
Managers and strategic thinking
Errors to avoid in the strategic process [just the table to cover the heading specifically, but OK; also includes an exercise and
needs a sum-up section para for the chapter (ending)
]
Chapter 3 The planning process
The planning process outline
Starting out
Who gets involved?
Preparing the ground
Make time
Agree the questions you want the plan to answer
Listen and engage with people
Set up a planning task group
Hire a consultant
Chapter 4 Leading the planning process
Managing participation in the planning process
Be clear about the process
Manage time
[quite short]
Support the process
[
very
short; also this is all about involving external consultants (covered in ch. 3)]
Be clear about decision-making
Dealing with avoidance
Chapter 5 Working out the big picture
Vision
How to create a vision
Outputs and outcomes
Focusing on outcomes
Are the intended outcomes clear?
Is there a shared agreement about the outcomes?
How do we measure outcomes? How will we know if we achieve the outcome?
Are all outcomes expected?
Mission
Drawing up a mission statement
Values
Theory of change
What roles does your organisation play?
[MOSTLY BOXES]
Chapter 6 Analysis
Using a SWOT analysis to get started
Taking a SWOT exercise further
Thinking about the whole system
Predicting change
Predicting external trends
Five types of trend
Ways to identify
real
and future trends
After you identify trends
Making comparisons with similar agencies
Benchmarking
Internal appraisal
Understanding organisational lifecycles
Stages in the development of activities
Start-up
Growth
Maturity
Decline
Portfolio analysis
Question marks
Stars
Cash cows
Dogs
Comparing resources and results
Chapter 7 Setting the strategic direction
Setting out the assumptions behind your business plan
Clarifying your organisation’s limits
Thinking about the future
Scenario planning
Where to focus
[this speaks of commercial context but never gives the equivalent of charity world]
Developing ideas and strategic choices
Identifying strategic choices
Backward planning
Evaluating ideas
Business case
Agreeing and setting the strategic direction
Saying ’no’ strategically
[short section with problems]
Drafting strategic aims
Ten ways in which funding can distort your strategic direction
Chapter 8 Working with the numbers
The link between finance and strategy
The financial information needed in a business plan
Forecasting income
Cliff-edge funding
Establishing the break-even point and break point
Establishing what an activity costs
Beyond budgets
Agree the strategy first, then budget
Spot options
Start from scratch
Carry out full costing
See budgeting as a continual process
Cost centring
Direct and indirect costs
Creating a business model
The Business Model Canvas
Developing the business model
[two CS in a row]
Voluntary sector business models
Earning money from what you do: social enterprise
Getting started on social enterprise
Chapter 9 Showing that you can deliver the plan
Evidence of your past achievements
Evidence of organisational competence
Policies and procedures
Sound financial management
Quality-assurance systems
Membership of a national organisation
Audits and inspections
Staff competence
Proving that new activities are feasible
Demonstrating how you will achieve the plan
Dealing with internal changes
Critical success factors
Showing that you have considered risk
Identifying risks
What to do once you have identified the risks
[Possibly change to incorporate the exercise provisionally deleted in the previous sub-section – instead of the five points to the right]
Develop safety nets
Work to reduce the risk
Accept the risk
Pass the risk on
Withdraw from the risk
Chapter 10 Putting the plan on paper
The structure of a business plan
The style and format of your plan
The executive summary
Before you start
Drafting your plan
1 Always suggest a solution to a problem
2 Think about the needs of different readers
Use active language
4 Use charts and diagrams to illustrate or emphasise points
5 Beware of using abbreviations or insider-speak
6 Include the executive summary
7 Highlight the first steps
8 Attach measures
9 Edit it as a whole document
10 Ask someone outside the organisation to be a critical reader
Chapter 11 Making it happen
Planning the implementation of your business plan
From big ideas to clear actions
[CS]
Work breakdown schedules
Gantt charts
Managing organisational change
First-order and second-order change
Start early
Explain the context
Acknowledge uncertainty
Make it personal
Manage the pace of the process
Check that the process doesn’t regress [CSs]
Managing performance: ensuring that
things get done
An emphasis on outcomes
A bias for action
How managers can ensure that the plan happens
Stage one
Stage two
Stage three
Stage four
Building a performance culture
Be prepared to act
Check your systems and processes
Manage failure and setbacks
Take the right approach
How trustees can ensure that the plan happens
[two CS in a row]
Regularly revisit the plan
Make sure managers keep to the plan
Monitor key performance indicators for the plan
Set aside review sessions for the plan
Highlight successes
Circulate the plan to new trustees
Focus on the plan’s key priorities: don’t allow your strategic direction to drift
Strategy in hard times
Monitoring the progress of a plan
Traffic light system
Strategic dashboard
When and how to update the plan
What to consider when updating the plan
Using the plan
Chapter 12 Organisational implications
Organisational
development
Starting out
Designing organisations
Stages in the development of organisations
First stage: early days/start-up
Second stage: start-up/growth
Third stage: mature stage
Fourth stage: transformation/renewal
Potential challenges
Disruption
A culture clash develops
The funding model changes
The skill basis changes
Designing organisational structures
[this is just a number list of tips]
Renewing your organisation
[this is just a table]
Building a leadership team
[doesn't explain the building]
Managing culture at work
From strategy to culture
Bridgate Care Charity: open for business
Background
Strategic direction
New or intended culture
Change programme elements
Millway: command and control
Background
Strategic direction
New or intended culture
Change programme elements
Focuscare: service users matter
Background
Strategic direction
New or intended culture
Change programme elements
Building an organisational culture that supports strategy.
Managing the implications of organisational growth
Managing collaboration with other organisations.
Types of collaboration
Taking a strategic view of funding
Helping people to see the whole picture
Build in flexibility
Be persistent
Work back from the service user
Remind people of the organisation's vision
Encourage learning
Be clear how people fit in
Explain the context
Mix people up
Let people meet and work together
Use exercises (such as those in this book)
People need to feel safe
Feelings are important
Often there is not one single correct answer
Ensure that the discussion moves on
Make sure the exercise is followed up
Key financial questions to consider
Do we have sufficient working capital?
Do we know what it costs to operate?
How do we price our work?
Can we control the patterns of cash flow?
How much does it cost to use other people’s money?
Is the balance between direct and indirect costs right?
Are we managing our income as well as our expenditure?
What sort of contingency fund do we need?
How will we replace capital items that depreciate over time?
Do we have sufficient financial skills?
What can happen if you don’t have a strategy
You become funder-led
The organisation turns into just a collection of projects
You lose your vision and end up focused only on survival
You feel unable to say ‘no’ to ideas, opportunities and demand
You want to be all things to all people
Your organisation’s activities are only undertaken because you have always done them
Your organisational culture becomes resistant to change
Forecasting cash flow
Managing cash flow