If you have made it this far, you either want to know what Strategic and Participatory Planning means or you are looking for a company to do it.
It was in the Early 1990s that Professor Souto-Maior created this term, which later, became popular. The methodology was adapted by different institutions and groups, and it allows the implementation, with discipline and collective participation, of a set of strategies, decisions and actions that are fundamental for the survival, effectiveness and organizational sustainability.
It is a fusion between Strategic Planning – which was already a recognized method, especially for companies – and Participatory Planning – more common for NGOs and participatory actions of governments..
Planning, as in Peter Drucker’s famous phrase, is not about future decisions, but about the future implications of present decisions. Therefore, planning means, for the “father of management”, creating the future. And the strategy, in turn, according to Mintzberg, directs actions towards what one wants to mold. In this sense, planning strategically means tracing the desired finish line and designing the steps to reach it.
“Traditionally, the steps of a strategic planning vary, in sequence and in the degree of development, depending on the approach, and they are: definition of the mission; analysis of the external and internal environment; strategy design; execution, monitoring, control and evaluation. However, in the SPP, these steps were subdivided into eight, characterizing the process as strategic and, at the same time, participatory”, explains this publication by the Federal University of Paraíba. There are adaptations for eleven steps, as in this application in a Waste Management SPP. Adaptations are necessary to achieve the best results in each Project.
Broader perspective of participation
More current approaches, including ours here at Raízes, see SPP from a broader perspective of participation, one that inserts stakeholders not only as informed or consulted parties, but active parties in the co-creation of the strategic plan. This approach is seen, for example, in the AA1000 standard.
The essence of AA1000 is the social, ethical, environmental and economic learning and performance of companies. It points out, for example, strategies for a sustainable path, in addition to favoring the inclusion of stakeholders in the company’s decision-making processes.
What is the point?
There are several reasons why we believe it is worthwhile to create strategic planning in a participatory way. The first one is to increase the complexity and perspectives regarding the possibilities of an organization. Have you ever heard that two heads are better than one? How about several heads!?
Processes that operate from collective intelligence can reach broader and interesting views. Another benefit that can be achieved with the method is the co-responsibility for the implementation of the plan. The likelihood of support in the execution a plan in which you actively participated in is significantly higher. For these reasons the chances of permanence of results are greater, that is, planning conceived in a strategic and participatory manner tends to be more sustained and sustainable.
Who can hire us to do Strategic and Participatory Planning?
A foundation, a corporation, a network, an organization, an association, etc.
This planning is often part of co-creation projects in territories, such as the conception of the Feira Sabores do Morro (later organized as Sabores do Morro Association) in Catas Altas – MG.
This text is part of the series “What we do”, in which we explain in detail the services we provide here at Raízes. The last issue was about entrepreneurship and income Generation. Read it now!
