STRATEGIC PLANNING

Planning is a key aspect of the management process. Basically, it is a decision – making process by which an organisation decides what it wants to achieve, how it intends to achieve it, and in what manner. It is thus concerned with ends, means and conduct.

Planning is a process, directed by top management, to determine the fundamental aims or goals of the organisation, and ensure a range of decisions which will allow for the achievement of those aims or goal in the long term, while providing for adaptive response in the shorter term.

Strategic planning

Strategic planning is a major component of the management process, which is concerned with defining ends, means and conduct at every level of organisational life. It is an activity which begins by considering, or redefining, the aims and objectives of the organisation, or unit within it, i.e. ends. 

This activity requires organisations and their sub-units, to make a thorough assessment of their external environments and their internal structure, processes and resources. 

This activity requires organisations and their sub-units, to make a thorough assessment of their external environments and their internal structure, processes and resources. Strategic planning is also about steps to agree on the means by which aims, and objectives will be fulfilled.

This is as much concerned with decision – making processes as with the provision of resources and the allocation of time schedules.