What is strategic planning?

The long answer :

Strategic planning is a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization like the Town is, what it does, and why it does it.

Through strategic planning, the Town can:

1. examine the environment in which it exists and operates
2. explore the factors and trends that affect the way the Town does business and carries out its role
3. seeks to meet its mandate and fulfill its mission(s)
4. frame the strategic issues which it must address
5. find ways to address these issues by re-examining and re-working organizational mandates and missions, product or service levels and mix, costs and financing, management or organization

To be effective, strategic planning must be action oriented and must be linked to tactical and operation planning.

The short answer:

A strategic plan is a plan that sets out a long term vision with clear objectives as to how to reach that vision over the next three years or more. It includes all of the different groups involved with an organization such as the Town: residents, businesses, community organizations, schools, staff, councillors, the Mayor and others interested in the Town=s future such as the provincial government, neighbouring municipal governments and neighbouring residents and businesses.