Once the board has set the purpose and vision for the future of the organisation, directors/trustees and management will work through a process to plan the strategies that will take the organisation on its journey.

Strategic plans are long-range — at least five years. It is not uncommon for Māori organisations to develop strategic plans for 25 years — a generation.

Strategic plans should cover at least:

• Financials
• Staffing
• Marketing
• Communications

Some boards choose to involve an external facilitator. Final responsibility for the strategic plan, and its implementation, remains with the board.

There is no one set way to develop a strategic plan. The following steps could be used as a guide.

1. Management
   Researches the environment and prepares a good picture of the current situation both inside and outside the organisation.
    
2. Directors/trustees then:
   • Review the current position
   • Analyse the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats in the current situation (a SWOT analysis)
   • Analyse issues relating to the political, environmental, economic, social and technological future (a PEST analysis)
   • Analyse any competitors
   • Identify and prioritise possible changes
3. Directors/trustees work with management to develop business strategies:
   Strategies could include investment strategy, product strategy, brand strategy, human resources strategy etc
    
4. Directors/trustees work with management to:
   Set the milestones and time frames that will then be monitored by the board as the strategies are implemented.