Approach

Our approach is to use the process of strategy formulation and business planning to develop the strategic thinking capacity of the senior team and other managers.  We start by working with the top team to establish or reaffirm the organisation’s purpose, mandate and values. 

We facilitate external environmental scanning and analysis to identify opportunities and threats, evaluate the organisation’s strategic positioning and also the internal organisational operating environment to identify strengths and weaknesses.  This part of the process can also involve vision building to create a desired picture of the future which is compelling and energising.  The emerging strategic priorities are action planned and used as a framework for the next 12 months operational business planning.

Throughout the process relevant people are involved - staff, customers, users, stakeholders, funders and managers.  The aim is to create ownership and commitment to the future sustainability of the organisation.

Methods

• Use of a strategic planning framework and models
• Information gathering using a variety of methods including interviews, surveys, focus groups
• Use of vision building tools to help develop scenarios and make sense of the complexities of the external environment
• Value clarification
• Planning tools to prioritise and action strategic issues
• Ongoing monitoring and accountability planning using techniques such as the Balanced Scorecard
• Cumulative process to secure involvement of significant stakeholders
  

Experience

Anne McMurray Consulting Ltd has been involved in Strategy Development and Business Planning with a range of organisations in health and social services, housing, local government, enterprise development, human rights and private business.