Strategic Planning for Public Organizations Flashcards

A public manager uses 'scenario planning' during strategic planning. The MAIN benefit of this technique is:

Answer: Preparing the organization to respond to multiple plausible futures

Scenario planning builds organizational resilience by developing strategies that can succeed across multiple possible futures rather than betting on a single forecast.

Which approach to strategy formation describes a pattern of decisions that emerge over time from day-to-day organizational actions rather than from formal planning?

Answer: Emergent strategy

Emergent strategy (Mintzberg) recognizes that effective strategies often develop organically from organizational learning and adaptive responses rather than planned intent.

A public agency's strategic plan identifies 'reduce homelessness by 20% in five years' as a goal. To make this SMART, it also needs:

Answer: Baseline data, defined measurement methods, and intermediate milestones

A SMART goal requires a baseline, clear measurement methodology, and interim checkpoints to track whether the 20% reduction is achievable and on track.

When conducting a gap analysis in strategic planning, a public manager is comparing:

Answer: The current state of performance against the desired future state

Gap analysis identifies the difference between where the organization is now and where it wants to be, revealing what must change to achieve strategic goals.

Which of the following BEST describes the role of the public in a participatory strategic planning process?

Answer: Citizens and stakeholders provide input that shapes goals, priorities, and accountability mechanisms

Participatory planning engages citizens and stakeholders as active co-designers who help shape what the agency prioritizes and how success is defined.

A county manager reviews strategic plan performance data and finds that outcomes are not improving despite high output production. The MOST appropriate next step is to:

Answer: Conduct a program evaluation to test the logic model assumptions

When outputs are high but outcomes are not improving, program evaluation helps determine whether the theory of change is valid or needs revision.

In public sector strategic management, 'policy coherence' refers to:

Answer: The alignment of policies across government levels and agencies to avoid contradictions that undermine strategic goals

Policy coherence ensures that different government programs and policies reinforce rather than undermine each other in pursuit of shared strategic objectives.