BUS 311 Week 8 | Assignment Help | Excelsior College
- excelsior-college / BUS 311
- 03 May 2021
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BUS 311 Week 8 | Assignment Help | Excelsior College
M8.4 Case
Study: Strategic Planning
For this assignment, you will be asked to read a case study and
then answer some questions related to the case. This case deals with assessing
and evaluating programs within an organization.
Before
You Begin
Read the Case Study: Strategic Planning for a Youth
Services Organization below or download
the pdf version.
Robert Morris University Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management:
The client needed upgrades to its governance, leadership, and fundraising. The
Bayer Center helped them transition in all three areas – now well-equipped for
the future.
The
Client
The client was a youth-serving nonprofit (among the largest in
the state) with administrative headquarters and 3 regional offices. It had a
longstanding history and wide community recognition as well as stable and
successful leadership -an executive director who had served for 37 years and
who had grown the organization’s budget by almost 30 million, as well as an
energetic and visionary second-in-command.
However, the organization did not have a history of advanced
planning. They also were somewhat constrained by hierarchical decision-making
and leadership structures. Its board, while filled with capable and gifted
people, was largely following the executive director’s lead. Furthermore, its
funding stream was almost entirely from the government and needed
diversification.
These issues were taking on increased urgency as the executive
director was considering retirement. After discussion, the organization
contracted with the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management for a strategic
planning process that would focus on these issues.
Bayer
Center Intervention
Bayer Center staff started the process with an assessment, which
collects information from a variety of different perspectives in order to get a
full and updated picture of the organization. Board members, staff, and clients
(children and families) participated in focus groups and one-on-one
discussions. Because of the state-level profile of this organization, the lead
consultant also interviewed a variety of top policymakers on their perceptions
of the agency.
The picture that developed was somewhat unexpected. Before the
assessment, the organization didn’t feel confident in its reputation at high
levels – overly focused on any mediocre result. The assessment revealed both
great concerns over enormous needs for the target audience as well as huge
confidence in the organization and a desire for it to take on much more.
As the planning process continued, board committees formed to
guide progress towards key goals. Each goal had accompanying tasks,
responsibilities, and timelines, which helped communicate expected progress as
well as keep everyone accountable for results.
The
Result
The project went through phases of consultant engagement but
maintained a strong connection over the course of 3 years. That allowed not
only for the strategic planning process but support and troubleshooting of the
implementation stage.
Over the course of the contract, the executive director’s plans
for transition, which had been on a frequently-shifting timeline, became firm.
Both director and organization received support in navigating the difficult
path through letting go and navigating an internal promotion with integrity.
Board members shifted from passivity into true governance. The
relationship between the board and director matured, becoming collaborative and
transparent. The assessment work crystallized the organization’s understanding
of its potential and possibilities waiting for their involvement. The intervention
moved them from a place of strength to a place of power, with increased ability
to vet opportunities according to strategic objectives and to leverage their
talents for increased community outcomes.
Case
Analysis Instructions
After reading this case, provide answers to the following
questions:
1. What
strategies used in this case do you believe can be used by other organizations?
(400 words)
2. If
you had to consult with this organization, what 3 recommendations would you
offer them on what to learn from this incident and apply it to subsequent
issues with which they are dealing? (400 words)
3. Identify
3 reasons you believe board members shifted into “true governance.” (400 words)
USA 
India