Strategy is an integrated collection of choices that generates a durable

advantage and differentiate a project or company from the market

competitors. Every facet of a business is affected by strategy, from
employees to partnerships, services to sales channels, consumers to
competitors. According to studies,[2] [3] strategic planning establishes the
foundation for successful project implementation. Teams that have a clear,
well-defined, documented vision and mission statement have a greater
probability of succeeding and effectively implementing projects.
Depending on the size of the enterprise and how the roles are structured,
project managers may be involved at different stages in the project's strategy
process; some may be involved from the beginning, some may be
involved when all of the decisions have been made. Many publications,
     however, agree that the project manager should be engaged in the
[2] [4] [5]

project's strategy to some extent. This is because today's market is seen as

very unpredictable, and modification pleas are likely to arise as a result of
the fast pace of competition. What was strategically aligned last year may no
longer be so aligned, or the general strategic direction of the firm may have
shifted.
In this situation, project managers would be expected to respond to those
shifts. However, altering the course of the project without a clear knowledge
of why the project was started in the first place and without a vision of the
general direction might be challenging and inefficient. Thus, project
managers must have strategic awareness and be a participant of the board of
members setting the strategy.   As a result,  even when there are
communication gaps with the board of directors, the manager will be
familiar with the overall strategy of the project and vision and be able to
modify the direction and make decisions accordingly.
Moreover, since one of the objectives of the project manager is to lead the
project team through the fulfilment of project goals and stakeholder
demands, having a clear vision and mission will help the manager achieve
just that. The strategy choice cascade will assist the project manager in
defining the vision statement, the objectives and the resources needed for
the project's success. Implementing a strategic framework will set the pillars
to any project as it aids managers to identify the market of interest, the
differentiation plan as well as the management systems required. In order to
acquire endorsement from stakeholders and provide motivation to the team,
the project manager must also convey the project's strategic plan
internally. [6][7] Thus, as a direct output of this strategic choice cascade
framework, managers will have the foundations of a project communication
plan which will enable effective communication with employees, customers,
and other stakeholders. The framework also requires thinking about project
interconnections, which will help decide which initiatives are worthwhile
today and which can be of more interest at a later time.
The Strategy Choice Cascade is a tool that assists managers in
portraying how a project meets corporate and customer goals in a
systematic and organised way. It was designed at Procter & Gamble(P&G)
and is discussed in A. G. Lafley and Roger L. Martin's book 'Play to Win:
How Strategy Really Works. [8] Former P&G CEO A.G. Lafley, working
closely with strategic consultant R. Martin, developed a strategy that
doubled P&G's revenues, tripled profitability, and raised the company's
market value by more than $100 billion. As a result of their success, the
authors have developed a set of five critical strategic decisions that, when
handled together, will put an organization, project or product ahead of the
competition.
This cascade is comprised of five key elements:

1. The winning aspiration. This phase is all about establishing what

the project aims to achieve and what would make it successful. 
2. Where to play. The playing field on which the project will
compete.
3. How to win. How to come out on top. Winning implies
outperforming competitors in terms of the customer value
equation. There are two approaches to achieve a competitive
edge, becoming either a differentiator or a cost leader.
4. Capabilities. The set of activities that a team must complete in
order to gain a competitive edge.
5. Management Systems. Metrics and Systems that facilitate the
capabilities and choices that constitute the strategy.