VISIONING AND STRATEGIZING EXERCISES

1. VISIONING AND STRATEGIZING EXERCISES Prof. Ben Kiregyera NSDS Workshop, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 11 August 2005

2. COVERAGE • Generic strategic management model • SWOT Analysis • Visioning exercise • Strategizing exercise • Example of strategic objectives/goals

3. I. GENERIC STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT MODEL Performance Feedback loops Perform Internal Audit Monitor, Control and Evaluate Implement & execute strategies Develop & select strategies Develop Strategic Objectives Visioning exercise Perform External Audit Strategy Formulation Strategy Implementation Evaluation

4. II. STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS (SWOT) ANALYSIS • Strengths and weaknesses (Internal ) • controllable activities within an organization which are performed especially well or poorly • need to be identified and evaluated in functional areas • strategy - to build on organization’s strengths and mitigate or eliminate weaknesses • Opportunities and threats (External ) • economic, social, environmental, political, legal, governmental, technological trends and events that could benefit or harm the organization • largely beyond the control of a single organization • strategy - take advantage of opportunities and avoid or reduce impact of threats

5. Internal assessment/audit • organization’s strengths which cannot be easily matched • called “distinctive competencies” • strategies should build on these competencies • assessment/audit process involves • gathering, assimilating and evaluating information about organization’s operations • determining and prioritizing important strengths and weaknesses • determining between 10 –20 most important strengths and weaknesses • should involve managers and staff in assessment/audit • excellent vehicle or forum for improving communication • in organization

6. External assessment/audit– environmental scanning • identifies and evaluates trends and events beyond • control of organization • develops a finite list of opportunities that could benefit • organization and threats that should be avoided • process should involve as many managers and staff • as possible • gather, assimilate and evaluate information • List in order of priorities critical success factors Strategy formulation involves aligning key external and internal factors

7. Defined • Process that seeks to create a compelling and pen picture of a desirable future state that often represents quantum • changes from the present • Vision answers the question: What do we want to become? • “Where there is no vision, a people perish” – Proverbs 29:18 • “A corporate vision can focus, direct, motivate, unify and even excite a business into a superior performance.” – John Keane • This is possible if people engaged in process III. VISIONING EXERCISE

8. What is a mission? • an enduring statement of purpose that distinguishes • an organization from other organizations • a declaration of an organization’s “reason for being” • answers pivotal question: What is our business? • also called a creed statement; it is a statement of: • purpose • philosophy • beliefs • business principles • is foundation for priorities, strategies, plans and work • assignments • N.B: preparation of a mission statement is 1st step in • strategic management

9. A good mission statement should: • describe an organization’s purpose, customers, • products or services, markets, philosophy and • basic technology • be comprehensive and broad in scope • be inspiring, supplying energy, motivating and • galvanizing organization • generate the impression that the organization is • successful, has direction and is worthy of time, • support and investment • create acommonality of interestthat lifts workers • into a new world of opportunity and challenge • create an “emotional bond” and “sense of mission” • for managers and staff of the organization

10. Examples of vision/mission statements Office of Chief Government Statistician – Zanzibar Vision: to become a “center of excellence” for statistical production and for promoting a culture of evidence-based policy and decision-making Mission:to coordinate production of official statistics, provide high quality statistical data and information and promote their use in planning, decision-making, administration, governance, monitoring and evaluation Statistics South Africa Vision: to become a premier knowledge centre that provides leadership in statistical production and promotes a culture of empirical evidence-based policy, planning and decision- making Mission:tocollect, process, analyse and disseminate high quality official and other statistical data and information and co-ordinate the national statistics system in support of economic growth, socio-economic development, democracy and good governance

11. Uganda Bureau of Statistics • Vision: to become a “centre of excellence” in statistical • production in Africa • Mission: to produce, coordinate and disseminate official • statistics in order: • support decision-making processes in all aspects of • life • inform and underpin the national and local • government planning processes • inform public policy analysis and debate, and • monitor the impact of government initiatives, policies • and programmes.

12. Statistics Denmark Vision: Statistics Denmark must be among the best statistical institutions, measured on the results achieved. Mission: to produce and disseminate all trustworthy statistics on social and economic trends in society, which are an essential condition for its democracy and economy to work Statistics Norway • Vision: An institution that counts • Mission: Through collection, processing and dissemination of • statistics and analysis, Statistics Norway shall contribute to: • strengthen and further develop democracy and a more • informed public debate • ensure that economic and social policy and • management are based on the best possible factual • basis • improve the functioning of the market system

13. Developing Core Values • an organization needs core corporate values that guide • the conduct and behaviour of staff and decision-making • inspire and galvanize individual efforts towards • improved performance • Examples of core values for Zambia CSO • user-focus • quality consciousness • integrity and credibility • empowerment

14. Gap analysis • Evaluate the gap between current situation and envisioned situation • Develop specific strategies & allocate resources to close gap Desired future situation Current situation

15. IV. STRATEGIZING EXERCISE • Strategy defined • is broad direction for achieving long-term objectives • a declaration of intent, defining where you want to be in the long-term • ensures that day-to-day decisions fit in with long-term interests of the organization • Strategizing • setting strategic objectives or goals – overall • accomplishments to be achieved • determining strategies – overall methods to achieve • strategic objectives or goals

16. Strategic objectives • are long-term objectives covering more than one year • without long-term objectives, an organization would • drift aimlessly towards some unknown end • no organization or individual can be successful • without clear objectives • purpose of strategic objectives is to convert vision • and mission into specific performance outputs and • outcomes • should be related to key functions of organization, • demonstrating broad coverage of key areas of service • specific objectives should be few in number (3 - 8)

17. Annual objectives • represent the basis for resource allocation • are a primary mechanism for evaluating managers • are the major instrument for monitoring progress • towards achieving long-term objectives • establish organizational, divisional, section priorities Objectives should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevantand Time-bound)

18. Outputs • key outputs represent milestones of organization’s • strategic objectives • represent achievements not the process or activities • importance of outputs: • customer satisfaction • promotion of image of an organization • motivating staff • measurement of performance of organization • staff appraisal • control of organization's operations • monitoring and evaluation • benchmarks for others to copy

19. Planning management process • Enables the organization to: • quantify long-term outcomes it wishes to achieve • establish short-term milestones • identify mechanisms and provide resources for • achieving them • invest in performance drivers • - people (e.g. skilling & re-skilling employees) • - information systemsand procedures, • - development of new products through innovation

20. Strategy analysis and choice • Strategy analysis and choice seeks to determine • courses of action that will benefit organization • objectives, mission, external and internal audit • information are the basis for generating and • evaluating alternative strategies • the information helps avoid personal biases, • politics, emotions, personalities andholo error • (tendency to put too much weight on a single factor)

21. manageable set of most attractive alternatives developed • look at advantages, disadvantages, trade-offs, costs • and benefits of strategies Balancing act • produce a prioritized list of best strategies • Criteria for making strategic choices • consistency: should not present inconsistent goals or • policies • Consonance: need for strategies to examine sets of trends • as well as individual trends. • Strategy must represent an adaptive response to external • environment (corporate agility).

22. feasibility: refers to ability of a strategy to be • attempted within physical, human and financial • resources of the organization • a strategy must neither overtax available resources • nor create unsolvable sub-problems • competitive advantage:strategy must provide for • creation and/or maintenance of competitive advantage

23. V. EXAMPLE OF STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES FOR NAMIBIA NSS • 1. Organizational development • (statistical awareness, coordination, networking, information sharing, statistical legislation)) • 2. Institutional development • (management systems, human resources, staff motivation, etc) • 3. Infrastructure development and equipment • (office, survey infrastructure, IT infrastructure, statistical library, etc.)

24. END • 4. Data development • (enhancing data quality, improving censuses and • surveys, improving administrative data, new • statistical products) • 5. Data management • (triangulation, integration, analysis, storage and • security, databases, reporting, dissemination & • access) • 6. Implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting (action plan, policies, performance • indicators, targets,benchmarking, reporting • system) • 7. Proposed budget and financing (recurrent and • development budget, investment plan, • sustainability)

25. Thank You