CS Consulting Group LLC

How well developed is your organization's strategic plan? Does it include all of the important components necessary for good planning? Have the areas which influence your success been considered within the plan? If you don't have a written strategic plan, should you? Most importantly, how effective is your firm in taking the written plan and translating it into action? Do you really achieve the crucial process of strategic management?

You can answer these questions for your own organization by completing the strategic planning self-evaluation below. It is intended to serve as a guide for senior management to evaluate the general effectiveness of your planning process. It is divided into two sections: Section A analyzes your written strategic plan; Section B reviews your strategic management effectiveness. Be candid and honest with your responses in order to enhance the accuracy of your own assessment.

SECTION A -- Strategic Planning
1)	Is your company characteristic of any of the following:	Yes	No
a.	Has a level of complexity which necessitates a number of professionals to manage;
b.	Operates in either a turbulent or competitive environment;
c.	Is highly regulated where plans are reviewed; or
d.	Requires long lead times to produce your product or service?
2)	If yes, does your company have a written comprehensive strategic plan?
3)	Does your strategic plan have the following components:
a.	Written mission statement?
b.	Assessment of the current and future environment (e.g., economic, regulatory, etc.)?
c.	Assessment of internal strengths and weaknesses regarding products/services, operations, etc.?
d.	Critical issues that must be addressed?
e.	Objectives (i.e., what to do) and strategies (i.e., how to be done)?
4)	In developing the mission and objectives, was input and involvement from the board of directors obtained?
5	In preparing the plan, was input and involvement obtained from your senior management group?
6)	Does the plan have a planning horizon of at least 3 years?
7)	Does the plan's strategies position the firm to best succeed in the predicted future environment?
8)	Does your plan specify the product/market arenas in which you will operate?
9)	Are all of the components of the plan congruent with and work in unison with one another?
SECTION B -- Strategic Management		Yes	No
10)	Is the strategic plan prepared prior to and used extensively in preparation of the annual budget?
11)	Have sufficient resources been allocated to achieve objectives with respect to product/market arenas and those actions required to meet the competition?
12)	Have the individual strategies been translated by each affected department/office into a specific operational plan of how each department will contribute towards its attainment, including assigning responsibilities, deadlines, milestones, and quantitative goals?
13)	Are these goals, milestones, and deadlines carefully monitored?
14)	Has your board of directors formally approved the plan, and its implications for resource deployment?
15)	Has the board sincerely embraced the plan's strategies and direction?
16)	Is the plan an integral part of every board meeting, referred and used to formulate/maintain the direction of the organization?
17)	Is the plan an integral part of long term directional meetings with your senior management group?
18)	Is any new strategic direction contrary to the plan introduced or implemented by management or the board only after careful consideration of the existing plan's findings?
19)	Is the entire plan reviewed and updated at least annually or sooner if a significant shift in the environment or the position of the firm has occurred?
20)	Is the environment scanned, internal position reassessed, and implications identified on an ongoing basis?
21)	Has the organization been effective in accepting and implementing changes as they are specified within the plan?
22)	Is the plan viewed credibly by all levels of the organization?

23)	Rate the effectiveness of your strategic planning process (4 being highly effective, 1 being highly ineffective) with respect to:
23)		4	3	2	1
a.	Environmental scanning?
b.	Formulation of the plan?
c.	Linkage to budget/resource allocation?
d.	Implementation?
e.	Overall?


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Feel free to submit your completed form to Joseph Cady, Managing Partner of CS Consulting Group, for an objective, confidential, and no obligation evaluation of your organization's planning process. NOTE: We will never disclose any of your personal information to any other parties.