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Strategic planning and thinking skills

Course summary

Strategic planning is about getting your team, department or organisation where it needs to go. Starting from knowing where you are and moving to where you want to get to, our Strategic planning and thinking skills course takes you right through the strategic planning process with helpful tools, techniques and ideas for every stage to enhance your strategic thinking skills.

Many managers are now required to plan more strategically, whether that's for their department or the wider organisation. This two day course will provide you with a five step planning process and covers some of the wider issues around being successful.

Course dates and location

We can deliver this course virtually for your organisation, on a date and time that suits you. If you have four or more people who would like to attend this course then group training could be the most cost-effective option. Contact one of our Training Coordinators on 020 7490 3030 or email for more information and a quote.

If you would like to attend this course then register your interest with us. Currently, this course is run on request meaning that a date will be scheduled once we have at least three people interested in attending this course. 

  • There are no dates available at the moment.
  • Course outline

    Strategic planning training course in London

    Over the two days you will cover:

    • defining what 'strategic' means
    • using the strategic planning process to help you make choices about the future nature and direction of your organisation
    • assessing the benefits and risks of strategic planning
    • preparing for the planning process including developing a project plan, identifying your stakeholders
    • the value of stakeholder involvement at every phase
    • undertaking a strategic review to determine ‘where are we now?' including stakeholder research, collaborator/competitor analysis and understanding when and how to use analytical tools such as SWOT, PEST and the Boston Consulting Group matrix to understand your organisation and its environment
    • thinking about the relationship between outputs, outcomes and impact
    • identifying strategic direction
    • taking a fresh look at what your organisation is, what it does, and why
    • clarifying mission, vision, values and direction of travel
    • recognising the relationship between organisation strategy and brand identity, and aligning the two
    • recognising how the findings of the review will impact on the organisation's strategic direction
    • setting strategic objectives
    • establishing success criteria
    • listing priority areas for action and developing objectives
    • applying SMART strategic thinking skills
    • using outcomes-based tools
    • implementing the strategy
    • understanding the key factors involved in implementing strategy
    • using action planning tools such as logical frameworking, action planning grids and planning wheels
    • communicating your strategic plan
    • undertaking effective monitoring and evaluation
    • understanding the difference between monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment
    • identifying the indicators, and how to measure their achievement
    • recognising emergent approaches to monitoring and evaluation such as participatory, real-time, balanced scorecard

    This course also includes a year of free support from your trainer.

    All our training courses are delivered virtually. The webinar systems used do not require software download.

  • Who is this course for?

    Our Strategic planning and thinking skills course is suitable for managers with strategic planning responsibility. Although the emphasis is on corporate or organisation-wide planning, the tools and techniques covered will have value for business unit or departmental managers.

    The Centre works with people from all sectors including the public sector, voluntary sector, corporate sector and private sector.

  • What will this course help me do: learning outcomes?

    By the end of the Strategic planning and thinking skills training you will be confident in differentiating strategic from business planning. You will recognise the importance and value of detailed analysis and have experience in using a variety of tools and techniques. You will have an appreciation of the relationship between your organisation's vision and mission and its future, and will have applied this thinking to your own organisation. You will also have a clear understanding of monitoring and evaluation, and will have improved your strategic thinking skills.

  • Other courses to consider

    The Centre offers a wide programme of other management courses, including Supervision skills, Finance for non financial mangers and Project management. 

  • Course fee
    • £1091 plus VAT not-for-profit price (applies to charities and all other not-for-profit organisations, including public sector and housing)
    • £1224 plus VAT standard price (applies to all other organisations)