Review Past Strategic Plans to see what is still relevant and what needs to be released, and evaluating how the plan was used helps to understand what changes are required moving forward. 

Refresh the Organization's vision, mission, and values before diving into the strategic planning process.  Are your current guiding statements reflective of the work your organization is doing? Do they communicate your purpose? Do they inspire your team? Do they engage stakeholders? 

Engage the Community and Stakeholders using various techniques, including online surveys, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews with key stakeholders.  

Facilitate SOAR Strategic Planning to build upon the results of the community/stakeholder engagement outcomes.  These outcomes are shared with the board and selected staff to inform the SOAR discussion.

Prioritize Goals & Objectives and Define Metrics to ensure direction and desired outcomes are communicated to the management team to guide operational activities.

Discuss Communication and Reporting Mechanisms with the Board and Management team to ensure that a system is in place to evaluate and communicate progress during team and board meetings regularly.

Craft an Annual Operations Plan to guide staff activities based on priorities and outline clear expectations around desired inputs, outputs, and outcomes.

Design a Strategic Plan that can be used to communicate with stakeholders, funders, sponsors, donors, and other groups about organizational purpose and plans.  When done well, the strategic plan can be used as a marketing and fundraising tool helping to engage the community.