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Pre-Planning

Pre-Planning

Benefits of conducting a survey, questionnaire or SWOT analysis before strategic planning include:

  • It gives you a good idea of where your organisation is currently at
  • It help provide a starting point for discussion during your strategic planning meeting
  • It allows people who cannot attend the planning meeting to provide input
  • It allows people attending the meeting to prepare appropriately to make a useful contribution during the planning process

Try to seek feedback from people directly involved in your organisation as well as those in the local community such as sponsors, venue or facility staff and local council.

Pre-Planning Survey

Developing the right questions to gather relevant information is important. The template below provides some examples of questions and information you can gather prior to your strategic planning meeting. This can be used as a guide and should be modified to suit your organisation.

You can conduct a survey using email or an online forum, or a written form. Online forums such as SurveyMonkey can automatically analyse your results which is easy and time-efficient.

Pre-Planning Survey Template

Avoiding open-ended questions will make it easier to summarise and analyse your results. The pre-planning survey template can be used as a guide to assist your organisation in collecting information.

SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis looks at your organisation’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

SWOT analysis can be used to consider your organisation as a whole or just one specific priority or objective.

The questions and examples below are a guide only.

Strengths
Questions
Examples of Strengths

What does your organisation do well?

What are your assets?

Why do your members come back?

Well trained volunteers and/or staff

Modern equipment

Large and dedicated volunteer base

 

Weaknesses
Questions
Examples of Weaknesses

What could your organisation do better?

Does your organisation face any disadvantages?

Lack of expertise or experience

Lack of available resources

 

Opportunities
Questions
Examples of Opportunitiess

Where is there potential to improve or expand?

How can you create a competitive advantage?

Partner with other organisations

Obtain additional sponsorship or funding

Provide training

 

Threats
Questions
Examples of Threats

Are there any attitudes or behaviours in your organisation that could threaten it?

What future changes might negatively affect your organisation?

Complacency

New technology, products or service

Demographic changes (eg ageing participants, families moving away from area)

 

A SWOT Analysis Template

The SWOT analysis template can be used as a guide to assist your organisation in collecting information.