Program Development: Formulating Strategies

Milan K.Dinda Ph.D

What leads to success?

Political science

Why are some princes successful and others are not? … Is it a matter of luck?...

Machiaveli

Political science

Why are some princes successful and others are not? … Is it a matter of luck?...

For it is those princes who match their actions to circumstances that survive and other do not

Machiaveli

Biology

It is not the strongest species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change

Charles Darwin

Why Strategies?

• What determines success?

– Match actions to circumstances: Users, service delivery system, technologies, social, political and economic context

– Use resources optimally to achieve goals

– Direct energies of the whole organization towards achieving goals

Strategy

Match action to circumstances

But what about implementation?

Strategic Management

Strategy

Structure

Staff

Systems

Skills

Style

Shared values/vision?

Strategic leadership

Goals

Objectives

Vision

Vision-reality gap

Inspire/

empower

Planning

organizing

Monitoring/Evaluating

Leadership

Management

Doing the right thing

And Doing them right

Focus on self

USER

TECHNOLOGYSERVICES

Socio-economic Status,

User Perspectives

Gender

Policies, Programmes,Access, AvailabilityQuality of Service

Availability,Characteristics

Social, Cultural, Economic and Political

Context

What is a strategy?

• Its is a fundamental choice affecting a mission, values, product or service level and mix, clients or users, cost, financing, organization or management of a program.

• What is fundamental?– Would make a significant difference– Is long term– Will affect the status of the program/organization

– Other

Program strategy:

Which services/information to be provided to whom and in what sequence

Functional strategy:

How to mobilize demand?

How to mobilize services (access, availability, affordability,qualityofService)?

How to mobilize resources (financial, physical, others)?

Program Development:Need for Strategic Approach

• A large number of problems need to be addressed

• Many interventions are possible• Need to ensure quality of service

Need to choose carefully

Program Development:Need for Strategic Approach

• Any interventions need to be culturally sensitive, technologically appropriate and financially affordable

• One strategy may not work everywhere so district and local level strategies are needed

• Multiple disciplines need to be involved• some interventions need to be tested before

their large scale implementation

Program Development:Need for Strategic Approach

• For success:– formulate right strategies– implement them right

– Involve implementers in formulating strategies

– Increase their skills in implementation– Monitor and evaluate

Manual

• Situation analysis

• Response analysis

• Develop strategies

• Mobilize resources

Common approach to strategy development

• 1. Where are we now?

• 2. Where do we want to go?

• 3. How do we get there?

• 1. Situation and response analysis

• 2. Strategic objectives

• 3. Strategy

3. What are the different ways of developing visions and strategies?

• 1. Conventional way - Start with situational analysis.

• 2. The new way - Start with defining a shared vision.

Disadvantages of common practice

• 1. Situation analysis is often more descriptive (indicators list) and less analytical.

• 2. “Visions” are set lower because reference point is the current situation (often depressing).

• 3. Encourages only incremental changes, not fundamental ones.

Should visions be based on situation analysis?

• Should we want only what we can have given the current situation?

• Should we aim for what we truly want and change the current situation?

An alternative way

• 1. Where do we want to go?

• 2. Where are we now?• 3. Why is there a difference?

• 4. What needs to change?

• 5. How do we get there?

An alternative way - different wording

• 1. What do we want to happen?

• 2. What is happening now?• 3. Why is there a difference?

• 4. What needs to change?

• 5. How do we create the change?

Comparison

• OLD WAY

• Situation

analysis• Strategic

objectives

• Strategy

• NEW WAY• Shared vision• Situation

statementRoot cause analysis

• Strategic objectives

• Strategy

Formulating Strategies

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) analysis

Results based analysis

Strategic issues management

Stakeholder analysis

SWOT Analysis

• Build on strengths

• Remedy weaknesses

• Exploit opportunities

• Protect against threats

Results Chain or Pyramid

Resources

Staff

Funds

Facilities

Supplies

Training

INPUTS ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS/ OUTCOMES

IMPACT

IEC

Counseling

Treatment

Care/service

Other

OutputsTechnology availability

No. of persons trained

OutcomesBehavior changeAttitude changeChange in income,statusIncrease in social support/ social capital

Long-term changes in

HDI

Household Economic Sustainability

Social norms

Coping capacity in the community

Economic impact

Reduce vulnerability

Reduce risk

Reduce impact

Where to Focus

Types of Strategies

Focus on key factors of success

Build on strengths

Pursue new initiatives

Exploit where, when and how services are delivered

Improve operations

Log Frame Matrix

Aims of the program

Objectively verifiable indicators

Means of verification

Risks and assumptions

Goal/Purpose

Outcomes

Outputs Activities

Inputs