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| FUNDAMENTALS OF PLANNING |
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INTRODUCTION
 | "The process of determining organizational
objectives and selecting a future course of action for their accomplishment." |
| Planning should be used by anyone involved and be a
critical part of any program or project. |
Reasons for Planning
| To help organizations succeed. |
| To provide direction and a sense of purpose. |
| To help managers cope with change. |
| To contribute to performance of other managerial
functions. |
| Planning at Different Managerial Levels |
| Types of Plans
 | The period of time over which they are projected (short
Vs. long range). |
| The frequency of use. (standing Vs. single use). |
| The focus on ends or means (strategic Vs.
administrative). |
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| The Organizational Mission |
The Cooperative Extension
System’s Mission
Source: Framing the Future: Strategic
Framework for a System of Partnerships.
| Our Mission:
| The cooperative Extension System’s mission is to
enable people to improve their lives and communities through learning partnerships that
put knowledge to work. |
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| Our Values: The Cooperative extension System holds
these values:
| Collaboration |
| Credibility |
| Democracy |
| Diversity |
| Learner-centered, Lifelong Education |
| Scholarship |
| Self-reliance |
| Teamwork |
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| Our Vision:
| The Cooperative Extension System will be recognized as
the national lifelong education network on the land-grant universities with strong,
continuing support of local, state, and federal governments. Extension will be innovative,
flexible, and adaptable, and will take risks to create new ways of thinking, learning, and
addressing issues. |
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| Extension’s vision will:
| connect research and knowledge from all parts of the
land-grant universities, USDA, and other agencies to individual, business, and community
needs for informed decision making and action; |
| access information globally to anticipate and respond to
emerging issues and critical local needs; |
| form partnerships that transcend boundaries among and
between land-grant institutions and other colleges and universities. |
| establish cooperative ventures with private and public
institutions and agencies to achieve mutually agreed-upon goals, and |
| practice scholarship leading to continual improvement of Extension’s
organization, methods, and outcomes. |
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| The Time Frame of Plans
| To determine how far into the future an
organization’s fixed commitments extend. |
| The degree of uncertainty associated with the future. |
| Lead time, or the amount of time needed to bring a program or
service on line. |
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| Standing Plans
| A Policy
 | Time is saved by making advanced decisions concerning
those situations that are likely to occur; |
| Consistency is assured in the manner in which similar
situations are decided. |
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| Procedure |
| Rules |
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| Single-use Plans
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Summary of Standing Plans
| Policy:
| Definition: A general statement that guides decision making. |
| Example: "The Extension Service is an equal opportunity
employer." |
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| Procedure:
| Definition: A series of related steps that are to
be followed in an established order to achieve a given purpose. |
| Example: Filing for travel expense reimbursement. |
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| Rule:
| Definition: A statement that either prescribes or
prohibits action by specifying what an individual may or may not do in a specific
situation. |
| Example: "No Extension staff member is authorized to
accept gifts, donations, or merchandise without prior approval of the Director." |
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| Budget:
| Definition: A plan that deals with the future allocations
and utilization of various resources to different organizational activities over a given
time. |
| Example: Allocation of funds to publications for current
fiscal year. |
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| Program:
| Definition: A plan typically intended to accomplish a
specific objective within a fixed time. |
| Example: Agriculture and Forestry Profitability Program |
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| Project:
| Definition: A subset or component of a specific program. |
| Example: Soybean production demonstration Project. |
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Strategic Planning
| Questions:
| What is our role? What should it be? |
| What role should we have in five years form now? Ten Years? |
| Who are our clientele and who should they be? |
| Should we try to grow into this role or other roles? |
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| Goals:
| Define the specific markets to be served. |
| Identify the capabilities required to serve target markets. |
| The Plan should outline a realistic program to develop and
maintain these capabilities. |
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| Issues in and components of Strategic Planning:
| Historical perspective |
| Mission, Objectives, and Strategy |
| Strategic Analysis |
| Conclusion from Strategic Analysis |
| Recommendations |
| Action |
| Evaluation |
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| Developing an Effective Strategic Plan |
Strategic Planning
Characteristics of Strategy Alternatives
for Extension
| Stable Growth:
| Decisions:
| Pursue same objectives |
| Maintain or incrementally expand existing programs |
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| Typical Conditions:
| Good public acceptance; no glaring weaknesses |
| Adequate funding from all sources |
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| Growth:
| Decisions:
| Establish additional objectives |
| Develop new programs |
| Greatly expand existing programs |
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| Typical Conditions:
| Strong base of effective programs |
| Increased competition for clientele |
| Additional sources of funds |
| Untapped markets |
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| Retrenchment:
| Decisions:
| Delete objectives |
| Cut back all or most programs |
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| Typical Conditions:
| Poor image |
| Ineffective programs |
| Loss of clientele |
| Reductions in funding from all or most sources |
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| Combination:
| Decisions:
| Reestablish overall objectives |
| Cut back languishing programs, expand prospering ones, and hold
steady on others |
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| Typical Conditions:
| Areas of strengths and weaknesses |
| Adequate funding from some sources |
| Funds available for specific purposes. |
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Review and Discussion
| Why is planning the most basic of the managerial
functions? |
| Why do managers at different levels vary in both the
amount of time they devote to planning and in the type of planning they do? |
| Explain the differences between policies, procedures, and
rules. How do they relate to each other? |
| Review the programs conducted by your organization. Can
you find examples of stars, fat cats, and question marks? Are there any dogs? |
| With a view toward accomplishing the purpose in a more
efficient manner, develop a flow chart for an administrative process. |
| Conduct a strategic analysis of your unit. Identify at
least three strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. |
    
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