Urban development | 10 key elements of strategic planning

Task Force – identify a core team to create and implement a strategic plan.

Communication Strategy – determine who will be involved in the planning process, how they will be involved and what needs to be communicated to each of them.

Vision and mission statement – this is a definition of the implementing body and a roadmap for the future which identifies a clear path of action.

Goals and objectives – identify the broad goals needed to achieve the vision and mission.

Objectives should be specific, measurable, realistic and time-bound strategies to achieve the previously identified goals and vision.

Conduct a SWOT analysis to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for implementing the strategic plan.

Conduct a capacity and resource assessment to identify the human, financial and technology resources required.

Implementation Strategy – this should pulls all the elements together to ensure nothing has been overlooked and that the plan is feasible. This should include resource allocation, accountability measures, specific tasks that are assigned to individuals/departments.

Create a realistic timeline for implementation and monitoring.

Monitoring and evaluating – monitor the progress, taking into account the success and challenges of planning assumptions and initiatives, looking objectively at the measurement criteria defined in the goals and objectives.