NGO support toolkit (English)  >  Strategic planning  >  Defining purpose 

Planning systems

An NGO support programme will have set itself a large number of targets involving the coordination of many different strands of activity, recorded in documents such as log frames. More detailed planning will be necessary to ensure that the programme follows the initially agreed guiding principles.

This will require the NGO support provider (NSP) to develop a number of enabling structures and systems in order to complete its strategic planning function. The various systems and structures needed to support effective planning, review and implementation should define

• how the governance of the NSP will work
• the structure and function of the overall workplan and other plans
• organisational structures, roles, responsibilities and capacity
• protocols such as the criteria for decision-making processes
• mechanisms for collecting and feeding back the learning from the practical
• support work to inform the review of strategic decisions at the replanning stage
• timeframe and parameters for strategic review, including roles and responsibilities in the review process.

A key element of effective planning systems is a process for periodic review, so that the NGO support provider and its partner NGOs and CBOs can apply their learning to improve the programme, as well as refine workplans and budgets. Strategic re-planning may involve a fundamental change in the programme or simply refine different elements or aspects of the programme, but should also include a review of the way the NSP works itself. For instance, strategic review and replanning can be used to:

• review the criteria for continuing support of NGO and CBO partners and the selection of new partners
• develop a better understanding of how grants are managed and spent, and review the design of partner organisations’ projects
• review the quality and capacity of the NSP’s technical support themes and mechanisms
• review the work and results of the policy, advocacy and learning systems
• refine the monitoring and evaluation systems
• review the suitability of the NSP’s own organisational governance, structure and financial controls.

Issues to consider

• NSPs may require different kinds of planning systems at set-up, during the lifetime of the programme, and in order to develop an exit strategy if the programme is of limited duration rather than ongoing.
• It is easy for plans and log frames to sit on shelfs, rarely used. To ensure they will be used as living documents, systems need to be in place to ensure they are used and referred to regularly in meetings, appraisals, evaluations and other daily business of the organisation.
• Partners and external stakeholders are an integral part of planning systems and need to be involved in review and re-planning, just as critically as in initial planning. How and when they are involved needs to be considered to ensure meaningful participation.

Related themes

Planning and design for monitoring & evaluating a NSP

Management and structure

Technical support in design and planning

Project cycle planning

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