The key to strategic planning is that it is action-oriented; its focus is on the allocation of scarce resources to critical issues. The implementation phase is thus the most crucial one.
If the strategic planning process has been effective, there will be a broad consensus about what the critical issues are, how the external environment will affect the municipality in the future, and what the community’s key strengths and weaknesses are. Also, an effective, permanent partnership of business, government, and community leaders will have been formed with a commitment to specific strategies and the strategic plan. Finally, the process will have identified leaders who will take on the responsibility to make sure the strategies are implemented and the objectives met.
As was stated at the beginning, the success of the strategic planning process evolves as much from the process itself as from the strategies and actions.
The key to implementation is organization. In other words, who should be doing what? The various organizations that have helped to identify the components of the Action Plans will now be involved in implementing them. To do this, the specific projects and actions defined in the plan must be clearly assigned. Therefore, the final act will be to adopt an implementation management plan as an integral part of the strategic plan.
This will require commitments from each organization. Therefore, it is essential that each participant:
- Knows its responsibilities for action.
- Knows the desired results.
- Accepts responsibility for its actions and their results.
- Knows the time frame within which the strategies are to be completed.
- Is committed to achieving the desired results.
The Commission will recommend the appointment of an Implementation Management Commission and deliver the strategic plan to the mayor for submission to the Municipal Council.
