Topics in Public Affairs: Strategic Planning

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

• understand the basics of the strategic planning process.

• identify alternatives to the traditional strategic planning process; and

• recognize resources available for strategic planning.

• Determine if an organization is ready for a strategic planning process

• Understand the steps sufficiently, as a generalist executive, to lead an organization through a strategic planning process.

• Engage with alternatives to a traditional strategic planning process that may be more productive in a nonprofit setting

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Assignment #1: Organizational Readiness Assessment	20%
Assignment #2: Strategic Analysis and Priority Identification	20%
Assignment #3: Strategic Plan Analysis and Reflection	20%
Assignment #4: Strategic Planning Process Portfolio	20%
Three Canvas Discussions, combined	20%

Attendance/Participation:

not applicable; class is asynchronous

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

• Bryson, John M. 2024. Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A Guide to Strengthening and Sustaining Organizational Achievement. Sixth Edition. (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons).

• Cole ML, Stavros JM, Cox J, Stavros A. Measuring Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, and Results: Psychometric Properties of the 12-Item SOAR Scale. Front Psychol. 2022 Apr 8;13:854406. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.854406 . PMID: 35465545; PMCID: PMC9028961

Course Letter Grade Assignments:

Percentage	Letter Grade
93–100%	A
90–92%	A-
87–89%	B+
83–86%	B
80–82%	B-
77–79%	C+
73–76%	C
70–72%	C-
67–69%	D+
63–66%	D
60–62%	D-
Below 60%	F