How to develop a strategic plan

Strategic planning helps organisations answer three key questions:

• Where are we now?
• Where do we want to go?
• How will we get there?

A strong strategic plan:

• Provides direction and clarity
• Aligns teams around a shared purpose
• Improves decision-making and resource allocation
• Strengthens accountability and learning
• Increases chances of funding and partnerships

For advocacy organisations, it is especially important because it helps navigate complex and changing environments while staying focused on long-term impact.

In one of the programmes I manage, an organisation developed a strategic plan but struggled with implementation.

By introducing:

• Clear SMART goals
• Practical workplans
• Simple monitoring frameworks

They were able to:

• Improve programme delivery
• Track progress more effectively
• Adapt activities based on real-time learning

This resulted in stronger outcomes and better alignment with community needs.

Key lessons learned:

• Strategic planning must be participatory, not top-down: Involving staff, partners, and community members ensures the strategy reflects real needs and realities. It also builds ownership, making it more likely that the plan will be implemented successfully.
• Simplicity is key, avoid overly complex plans: Many organisations create detailed strategies that are difficult to use in practice. A good strategy should be clear, focused, and easy for the whole team to understand and apply in their day-to-day work
• Data should be useful, not just collected: Organisations often collect a lot of data but do not use it. Monitoring and evaluation systems should focus on collecting information that helps decision-making, learning, and improving programmes.
• Flexibility is essential in changing contexts: Advocacy work often takes place in unpredictable environments. Strategies should allow room for adjustment so organisations can respond to new challenges, opportunities, and shifts in context.
• Learning and reflection are as important as planning: Regular reflection helps organisations understand what is working and what is not. This allows teams to adapt their strategies and improve their impact over time.

• Start small, don’t overcomplicate your strategy
• Involve your team and stakeholders
• Be honest about challenges
• Align everything (vision → goals → activities → indicators)
• Regularly review and adapt

Think of your strategic plan like a roadmap:

• Your vision is the destination
• Your mission is the route
• Your workplan is the journey
• Your M&E system is your GPS

And like any journey, you may need to adjust along the way.