NGO support toolkit (English)  >  Strategic planning 

Defining purpose

The HIV/AIDS epidemic in any country or region affects and involves many different groups of people and organisations. Moreover, the responses to it are multiple, complex and often rapidly changing and developing. The process of defining, reviewing and redefining the purposes of an NGO support programme is therefore central to both strategic planning and replanning.

For example, an element of strategic planning needs to occur before fundraising (if not already funded). But, would need to happen again once funds were secured since the scope, parameters and constraints could change with time, or according to the level, security or type of funding received. Similarly, the initial assessment may include assumptions that are later found to be inaccurate or no longer applicable during the course of monitoring and evaluating the first year’s programming.

Once the landscape has been assessed, or reassessed, there are two equally important decision-making processes required to complete the strategic planning.

• Defining mission and objectives . This is a process which clarifies and records what the NSP is going to do and how it will set about doing it. It includes elements such as: the priority sites and areas to work in; the number and types of NGOs and CBOs to be supported in various areas; the type and extent of support to be offered (for example, the size of grants or the balance between an emphasis on policy and advocacy work and an emphasis on technical support); and targets for the outcomes of the support programme.
• Developing planning systems . This process clarifies and records how the decision-making process should occur, the systems for strategic planning, review and re-planning, the frameworks and format in which decisions are recorded, and the roles and responsibilities required to ensure that the NGO support programme adheres to its mission and objectives.

Related themes

NSP governance and strategy

Technical support in governance and strategy

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