25 E. Washington Street, Suite 1500

Chicago, Illinois 60602

312.580.1840

www.esc-chicago.org

info@esc-chicago.org

Strategic Planning

Having the right road map is the key to every successful journey. Developing and implementing the right Strategic Plan is how any organization can ensure that it knows where it is going and how it will get there. A good Plan lays out a direction based on a mission and a vision and details what it will take for the organization to succeed in reaching its chosen destination.

An ESC Strategic Planning project centers on building consensus among a client’s stakeholders and creating do-able, results-driven steps for making necessary progress to overall goals. Focusing on both long-term and short-term goals and objectives, an ESC team will guide a client’s staff and board to identify the most important priorities, and how to measure success at every step along the way.

Among the key elements of an ESC Strategic Planning project are the following:

• Interviewing/surveying clients, board, staff and other stakeholders to establish their desires, satisfaction and potential areas of further need
• Evaluating existing mission and vision statements in light of actual activity and potential change and suggesting revisions as needed
• Noting and reporting opportunities to expand or modify services or structures to maximize potential new or evolving programs
• Developing realistic plans and achievable benchmarks for identified goals
• Providing opportunities for engaging ESC to monitor follow-up and implementation of the Plan once adopted