Strategic Planning as a Tool for Managing Organizational Change

This article surveys primary definitions and models of strategic planning used in state and local government. Two models of strategic planning are discussed in length: (a) an eight step agency model, with attention to how managers can use each step to manage change in the organization, and (b) an alternative approach for community-based strategic planning. Finally, comments on made on the development of strategic planning in the 1990s and its integration into broader quality management reforms. We conclude by laying out some of the lessons we are learning from these broader strategic management approaches to managing change.