Category: Planning for the future
“What’s the point of a strategic plan? We’re too small to need one and just need to find more funding.” This course will answer the first question – and explain why it’s usually not a distraction for new and smaller organisations to invest in strategic planning but a solid step towards increased funding and better services.
Full details
Wednesday 9 June - 1.30pm - 5pm
What is this course about?
It’s an introduction to strategic plans – what they are, why we have them and how to develop and use them.
Strategic plans can sound bureaucratic, unnecessary or irrelevant to young organisations still finding their feet and establishing their services. However, good strategic plans can be simple, help to keep everyone focused as an organisation evolves quickly and increase efficient working by clearly setting out priorities. It can also be a useful tool to avoid the same discussions and same decisions happening repeatedly.
What will you learn?
□ What a strategic plan is and why to have one.
□ How strategic planning can provide the stepping stones between start up energy and stable growth.
□ How to assess your present position and complete simple analyses (such as SWOT) to assess future priorities.
□ How to review current operations as part of developing/refreshing a strategic plan.
□ Translating your analysis into strategic goals.
□ Reviewing your Business Plan in the light of strategic goals.
Why is it this course relevant or important at the moment?
Looking to the future is especially challenging at the moment, and it’s easy to think that planning too far ahead is a waste of time. But when the next year or two is so uncertain a strategic plan is even more essential to ensure you keep focused on where your organisation can create most impact.
Who is this course for?
Trustees, directors and staff with responsibility for future strategy and business planning.
It’s designed for organisations that don’t currently have a strategic plan or who have invested limited time in strategy in the past. It is suitable for start-ups, young organisations in their first years of growth and groups that may have been established and successful for some time without looking too far into the future.
Price: £94, around 40% off for Voscur Full Members on our half day courses; 20% off for Voscur Affiliates. Become a member today.
Full members: £55
Affiliates: £77
Become a member today
What else do you need to know?
Familiarity with:
□ Business plan (if there is one)
□ Governing document
□ Current and potential services
□ Stakeholders: clients, beneficiaries and communities
□ Familiar with the organisations fundraising
To take part, you will need a laptop with a camera, microphone, and Wi-Fi. You won't need any other software. You will be emailed an invitation with a link to join the online training prior to the course.
Voscur is running all our training online due to the ongoing public health situation with coronavirus (or COVID-19). This decision was taken in line with local and national health advice, and to safeguard the health of our attendees and staff. We are aware that many VCSE organisations in the city are focusing their efforts on providing and changing their services to respond to communities. For more information about coronavirus, see https://www.voscur.org/content/covid19-service-users
Cancellations:
If you cancel your place on a paid for training course you will need to give at least 2 weeks' notice in which case a full refund/credit note will be issued. Less than 2 weeks' notice will result in the full cost of the course being invoiced (not being refunded/credited), unless you can give the place to somebody else. If the place is transferred to someone else there may be an adjustment on payment/fee depending on their/their organisations membership status.
If you have been offered a free place, or the training you have booked is a free session: if you do not cancel giving at least 2 weeks' notice and you fail to attend (and are unable to send someone in your place) an admin fee of £25 will be charged, we will invoice you/your organisation.