SWOT Analysis

What ?

• Strengths are the internal positive aspects or the organization abilities which are on the organization control and on which they can build in the future.

• Abilities are related to finance, management, functions, running and then, intangibles notions such as the reputation and the history of the organization.

However, these abilities bring about performance only when they meet the environment opportunities.

Strengths

Weaknesses are the internal negative aspects which are on the control of the organization and for which important improvement margin exists.

Weaknesses are characteristics that place the team at a disadvantage.

Weaknesses

Opportunities are external positive possibilities that we can take advantage from. Elements that the project could exploit to its advantage

Opportunities grow outside the influential sphere of the organization.

Opportunities

Threats are related to external problems, obstacle/barriers or limitations which could brake the organization program/project progress. Threats are elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the program or project.

Usually there are outside the influential area of the organization.

Threats

• SWOT analysis is part of diagnosis process/tool and it helps to classify information according to the objectives you target to reach (strategic plan, build alliance, mobilize communities, lobby decision makers, etc).

• It combines the strengths and weaknesses of an organization with the opportunities and threats from its environment. It sums up the key findings from the environment analysis and the strategic ability of an organization.

• SWOT analysis groups key pieces of information into two main categories: internal factors and external factors

SWOT analysis is …

External factors influences performances while internal factors affecting results.

The strengths and weaknesses refer to the organization and its program/project whereas the opportunities and threats are usually taken to be external factors over which the organization has no control.

Under external factors we have strengths and weaknesses and under external factors we have opportunities and threats.

External factors vs Internal factors

Why SWOT analysis ?

Identify the key internal and external factors that are important to achieving the objective.

It involves specifying the objective of the organization or project It involves identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieving that objective. 

Take into account (consider), at a time, internal factors and external factors, by maximizing strengths and opportunities when minimizing weaknesses and threats effects.

Identify key information that can inform later steps in planning to achieve the objective.

Check that the defined strategy is the right response to the situation described by the analysis/research.

Why SWOT analysis ?

Help to visualize quickly the adequacy between a strategy and its problematic.

Refine a program/project by:Choosing other objective or redefine itFind resources to overcome the weaknesses

Find the key competences the organization should establish to achieve its objective.

It is the organization internal analysis which allows to identify its key competences which are necessary to create value.

Proceed to an assessment of its strategic abilities so it can determine his capacity to grasp opportunities and face identified threats.

SWOT matrix Strengths……

Opportunities……

Weaknesses……

Threats ……

Linking factors and synthesizing          

Internal factors

List of strengths

List of weaknesses

Examine how strengths allow to master weaknesses

How to maximize strengths

How to minimize weaknesses

External factors

List of opportunities

How to maximize opportunities

How to use strengths to benefit from opportunities

How to adjust weaknesses by using strengths

   

List of threats How to minimize threats

How to use strengths to reduce opportunities

How to minimize weaknesses and threats

Examine how opportunities can allow to minimize threats

  

How – process … ?

Most of the time this analysis is conducted through meetings with people working on the organization strategy or experts.

Limits

SWOT analysis is based on judgment, so it is by nature, subjective and qualitative. Need consensus before finalizing the analysis.

That is why additional analysis should be done by using some other tools to deepen strengths and weaknesses analysis.