CMM Strategic Planning & Performance Management 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which document typically serves as the foundational long-range guide for a municipality's physical development, land use, and growth patterns?
- Comprehensive plan (Correct answer)
- Capital improvement program
- Operating budget
- Strategic action plan
Correct answer: Comprehensive plan
A comprehensive plan (also called a general or master plan) is the long-range policy document guiding a municipality's land use, physical development, and growth over a 20–25 year horizon.
Question 2: In the SWOT analysis framework used in municipal strategic planning, what does the 'T' represent?
- Targets
- Threats (Correct answer)
- Timelines
- Tactics
Correct answer: Threats
SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats — with Threats representing external factors that could negatively impact the organization.
Question 3: A city council adopts a resolution directing the city manager to develop a five-year strategic plan. Which step should occur FIRST in the planning process?
- Draft goals and objectives
- Conduct an environmental scan (Correct answer)
- Identify funding sources
- Hire a consulting firm
Correct answer: Conduct an environmental scan
An environmental scan (assessing internal and external conditions) must precede goal-setting so that plans are grounded in current realities and trends.
Question 4: Which performance measurement framework organizes metrics into four perspectives: financial, customer, internal processes, and learning & growth?
- Logic model
- Balanced scorecard (Correct answer)
- GASB Statement 34
- Benchmarking dashboard
Correct answer: Balanced scorecard
The Balanced Scorecard, developed by Kaplan and Norton, organizes performance measures across financial, customer, internal process, and learning & growth perspectives.
Question 5: A municipality wants to compare its service costs and quality against similar-sized cities. This practice is best described as:
- Benchmarking (Correct answer)
- Gap analysis
- Regression analysis
- Trend forecasting
Correct answer: Benchmarking
Benchmarking is the practice of comparing an organization's performance metrics against peer organizations or best-practice standards to identify improvement opportunities.
Question 6: In strategic planning, an 'outcome measure' differs from an 'output measure' in that it tracks:
- The volume of services delivered
- The actual impact or change produced by services (Correct answer)
- The cost per unit of service
- The number of staff hours worked
Correct answer: The actual impact or change produced by services
Outcome measures capture the real-world impact or change resulting from services (e.g., reduced crime rate), while output measures only count activities performed (e.g., number of patrols).
Question 7: Which element of a well-written strategic goal statement is described by the acronym 'SMART'?
- Strategic, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, Timely
- Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound (Correct answer)
- Systematic, Manageable, Attainable, Realistic, Targeted
- Strategic, Monitored, Assigned, Resourced, Tracked
Correct answer: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound
SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound — a widely accepted framework for writing effective objectives.
CMM Strategic Planning & Performance Management 1
Which document typically serves as the foundational long-range guide for a municipality's physical development, land use, and growth patterns?