CPM Strategic Planning for Public Organizations 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which environmental scanning framework helps public managers analyze Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental factors?
- SWOT analysis
- PESTLE analysis (Correct answer)
- Balanced Scorecard
- Logic Model
Correct answer: PESTLE analysis
PESTLE analysis is an external scanning tool that examines six macro-environmental factors affecting public organizations.
Question 2: In strategic planning, a 'theory of change' primarily describes:
- The budget allocation process for new programs
- How and why a set of activities will lead to desired long-term outcomes (Correct answer)
- The legislative process for approving strategic plans
- Methods for evaluating employee performance against strategic goals
Correct answer: How and why a set of activities will lead to desired long-term outcomes
A theory of change articulates the causal logic linking program inputs and activities to intended outcomes and impact.
Question 3: When a public agency conducts a stakeholder analysis, the PRIMARY purpose is to:
- Determine which stakeholders should be excluded from the planning process
- Identify who is affected by or can influence the organization's strategy (Correct answer)
- Calculate the financial resources stakeholders can contribute
- Assign accountability for strategic plan implementation
Correct answer: Identify who is affected by or can influence the organization's strategy
Stakeholder analysis identifies individuals and groups with interests in or influence over the organization to inform engagement strategies.
Question 4: A public agency's strategic plan includes a goal to 'improve public trust.' This goal is best described as:
- An operational objective
- An outcome goal (Correct answer)
- A process milestone
- A performance benchmark
Correct answer: An outcome goal
Outcome goals describe the desired end-state or change the organization seeks to achieve through its programs and services.
Question 5: The 'competitive advantage' concept in public sector strategic planning most closely refers to:
- Outcompeting private firms for government contracts
- A distinctive organizational capability that enables superior public value delivery (Correct answer)
- Securing larger budget allocations than peer agencies
- Recruiting talent away from other government agencies
Correct answer: A distinctive organizational capability that enables superior public value delivery
Public sector competitive advantage refers to unique strengths that allow an agency to deliver greater public value than alternatives.
Question 6: Which strategic planning approach involves working backward from a desired future state to identify necessary steps?
- Incremental planning
- Backcasting (Correct answer)
- Rolling wave planning
- Scenario analysis
Correct answer: Backcasting
Backcasting starts with a defined future goal and works backward to determine what steps are needed to reach that state.
Question 7: In the context of public sector strategic planning, 'mandate analysis' involves examining:
- Employee performance mandates from HR departments
- Formal and informal expectations placed on the organization by external authorities (Correct answer)
- Budget mandates from the legislative branch only
- Internal directives from agency leadership
Correct answer: Formal and informal expectations placed on the organization by external authorities
Mandate analysis identifies what the organization is required or expected to do by laws, regulations, charters, and other authoritative sources.
CPM Strategic Planning for Public Organizations 2
Which environmental scanning framework helps public managers analyze Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental factors?