STRATEGIC PLANNING

If I had one hour to save the world, I would spend 55 minutes defining the problem
and only five minutes finding the solution.
- Albert Einstein
Thinking critically about this
story…why do we plan?
 Thinking critically about this
story…why do we plan?
• Develop comprehensive understanding of the mission.

• Rigorously discern requirements: ways and means.

• Facilitate informed decisions regarding mission, vision,

objectives, tasks, resources, risk.

• Discern disconnects between expectations and reality.

• Facilitate effective and efficient execution.

• Allow focus on adapting plan to unexpected events, vice

planning, during execution.
 Overview

Key Elements of Strategic Planning

5 Step Planning Process

Best Practices

Insight: Adopt an ‘unconstrained’ perspective !

 Key Elements of Strategic Planning

Planning Cycle:

• 5 year plan
• Updated annually
• Comprehensive planning – Even years
• Refinements – Odd years

Sep Feb May

Assess Plan Budget

Progress Report ED Present Plan ED Present Budget

ED’s Intent Board Approve Plan Board Approve Budget
Board Guidance
 Key Elements of Strategic Planning

1 Frame the Considerations 3 Enable Execution

Human Terrain Resource Requirements
Mission Support Requirements
Vision Organizational Structure
Guiding Principles Authorities
Facts
Assumptions 4 Validate Viability
Constraints Financial
Restraints Risk

2 Develop the Directive 5 Write the Plan

Objectives
Critical Tasks
Sequence 5 Step Planning Process
 Key Elements of Strategic Planning

1 Frame the Considerations 3 Enable Execution

Human Terrain Resource Requirements
Mission Support Requirements
Vision Organizational Structure
Guiding Principles Authorities
Facts
Assumptions 4 Validate Viability
Constraints Financial
Restraints Risk

2 Develop the Directive 5 Write the Plan

Objectives
Critical Tasks
Sequence 5 Step Planning Process
 Steps in the Planning Process

1 Map the Human Terrain.

Why is mapping the Human Terrain important?

• Groups are our access points.
• Every group becomes a potential objective in our strategic plan.
• Enables purposeful decisions about which groups to engage.
• Focuses recruiting on Leaders that can gain access.
• Entities that can facilitate access can be identified and engaged to help.
• Leaders can expect youth “needs” and be equipped accordingly.
• Activities can be tailored to the group to ensure effectiveness.
• Informs our Vision and defines “mission complete”.
 Steps in the Planning Process

1 Conduct a Mission Analysis in the context of the

Human Terrain.

YFC USA Mission Statement: YFC reaches young people everywhere,

working together with the local church and other likeminded partners
to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who lead by their Godliness in
lifestyle, devotion to the word of God and prayer, passion for sharing
the love of Christ, and commitment to social involvement.

Insight: A rigorous mission analysis leads to a shared

understanding of our mission.
 Steps in the Planning Process

1 Conduct a Mission Analysis in the context of the

Human Terrain.
“YFC”:

Together, we are a ‘brand’ of youth ministry with brand

stewardship responsibilities and a ‘brand promise’ – we conduct
relational ministry in a safe environment.

“...reaches”:

We ‘connect’ through authentic relationships that are established and

nurtured between a leader and young person.

“...young people”:

11-19 year olds.

 Steps in the Planning Process

1 Conduct a Mission Analysis in the context of the

Human Terrain.

“...everywhere”:

All 11-19 year old demographics throughout the continental United

States, Alaska, Hawaii, our Protectorates, and US military bases
overseas.

“...working together with the local church and other likeminded

partners”:

Responsibility to reach all young people everywhere is shared with the

body of Christ – we do not have to do it all by ourselves. We can also
work with partners to evangelize and disciple those specific youth YFC
is called to reach.
 Steps in the Planning Process

1 Conduct a Mission Analysis in the context of the

Human Terrain.
“...to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus”:

We evangelize 11-19 year old young people, and after they accept
Christ as their Savior, we disciple them.

*****This is the singular purpose of our mission*****

“…who lead by their godliness in lifestyle, devotion to the word of

God and prayer, passion for sharing the love of Christ, and
commitment to social involvement”:

Our discipleship inspires them to be “in the world but not of the
world” demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit and obeying the Great
Commission.
 Steps in the Planning Process

Why is a shared understanding of our mission

important?
• A shared understanding of our mission unifies the local, regional and
national entities that compose YFC USA.
• It provides a hedge against mission drift.
• It protects our brand and brand promise.
• It sets conditions for leveraged ‘effectiveness and efficiency’ initiatives.
• It increases donor and partner confidence that we will deliver the
expected return on investment.

Insight: Introduce local Mission specificity in the Executive Director’s

Intent section of the Strategic Plan.
 Steps in the Planning Process

1 State your Chapter’s Vision in the context of the Human

Terrain.

YFC USA Vision Statement: As part of the body of Christ, the vision
of Youth for Christ is to see every young person in every people
group and in every nation have the opportunity to make an
informed decision to become a follower of Jesus Christ and become
a part of a local church.

Insight: Describe the Chapter’s mission complete condition in

enough detail that you will recognize it when you get there!

Insight: We’re an open system…

 Steps in the Planning Process

1 State your Chapter’s Vision in the context of the Human

Terrain.

Why is your Vision Statement important?

• Understanding the full spectrum of opportunities to reach young
people facilitates decisions among bad, good, better and best
objectives.
• Understanding the full spectrum of opportunities to reach young
people facilitates our sensitivity to the urging of the Holy Spirit!
• Guides strategic planning and related decision making.

Insight: Introduce local Vision specificity in the Executive Director’s

Intent section of the Strategic Plan.
 Steps in the Planning Process

1 State your Chapter’s Guiding Principles.

5 Essentials to Establishing Ministry Sites

• Widespread Prayer - We deliberately engage lots of Christians to

intercede on behalf of the Ministry Site.

• Loving Relationships - We consistently pursue lost kids and engage

them in life-long relationships with Jesus.

• Faithful Bible Teaching - We accurately handle Biblical truth,

regularly coaching kids to apply it in their lives.

• Collaborative Community Strategy - We intentionally work

together with local churches, agencies and other partners to
provide sustainable youth and family ministry.

• Adults Who Empower - We strategically develop leaders to reach

young people from every people group.
 Steps in the Planning Process

1 State your Chapter’s Guiding Principles.

Are there Guiding Principles at work in YFC

other than the 5 Essentials?
• Share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with urgency.
• Share the Gospel in the most culturally acceptable means.
• Provide discipleship for each new believer.
• Work in partnership with others that have the same mission.
• Reach young people with a relational model: Gain Access, Meet
Needs, Share Gospel, Equip, Send.
• Steward the YFC brand.
• Others...
 Steps in the Planning Process

1 State your Chapter’s Guiding Principles.

A Key Guiding Principle: We will conduct our mission

with a ‘Unified Focus.’

More and better leaders

in authentic Christ-sharing relationships
with unsaved youth

Insight: Our mission is accomplished within the context of a Christ-

sharing relationship between one leader and one unsaved youth.
 Steps in the Planning Process

1 State your Chapter’s Guiding Principles.

Why are Guiding Principles important?

• Provide boundaries on the ways and means by which the Chapter moves
forward to achieve its Vision.
• Enhance coherence of YFC USA activities.
• Differentiate YFC from other organizations!
 Steps in the Planning Process

1 Identify relevant Facts.

Things we know for certain.

1 Identify relevant Assumptions.

Essential things we must assume to be true to proceed
with planning.

1 Identify relevant Constraints.

Things we cannot do.

1 Identify relevant Restraints.

Things we choose not to do.
 Key Elements of Strategic Planning

1 Frame the Considerations 3 Enable Execution

Human Terrain Resource Requirements
Mission Support Requirements
Vision Organizational Structure
Guiding Principles Authorities
Facts
Assumptions 4 Validate Viability
Constraints Financial
Restraints Risk

2 Develop the Directive 5 Write the Plan

Objectives
Critical Tasks
Sequence 5 Step Planning Process
 Steps in the Planning Process

2 Develop Objectives for the next 5 years.

How do we decide what objectives to pursue ?

• Use a “Decision Matrix” to decide among potential objectives.

• Develop a list of attributes to be considered in making the decision and
score each objective.
• Select the highest scoring objective.

Insight: Pray over every step - potential objectives, attributes, scores,

final selection.
 Steps in the Planning Process

2 Develop Objectives for the next 5 years.

What attributes should be considered when

deciding what group of unsaved youth should
be the focus of a Chapter’s growth?
• Access facilitators and impediments.
• Leader availability - Volunteers, Staff, Indigenous, accredited.
• Leader training requirements – YFC basics and specific needs of youth.
• Potential Partners.
• Infrastructure requirements.
• Cost.
• Potential Donors.
• Risk – liability and safety.
Attribute Weight Juanita HS Crips Gang Fifth Ward

Access 8
Facilitators
Access 7
Impediments
Leader 5
Training
Ability to 8
meet needs
Facility 3
requirements
Potential 1
Partners
Cost 5

Potential 6
Donors
Holy Spirit
Urging
 Steps in the Planning Process

2 Develop Objectives for the next 5 years.

Another important tool: ‘Effects-based’ Thinking !

Insight: Provides discipline in developing objectives and related

critical tasks.
 Effects-Based Thinking

Objectives are conditions we want to achieve:

• Physical environment
• Organizational structures
• Organizational cultures OBJECTIVE
• Processes
• Relationships
• Individual hearts
Effects are incremental changes in the current
condition

Tasks are actions taken to achieve effects T

Objectives are achieved through a sequence

T + T + T
of tasks that achieve relevant effects
 Effects-Based Thinking

Utility of Effects-Based Thinking:

• Promotes Effectiveness: Tasks should be carefully crafted

to achieve desired effect.

• Promotes efficiency: Assigned tasks should create effects

that make observable progress toward the objective.

• Facilitates comprehensive understanding of resource

requirements – man-hours, infrastructure, material and
funding.

• Facilitates sequencing and synchronization of our work.

 Board

Executive Director

Ministry Dir., CFO, COO, Devel. O

…etc Campus Life Parent Life City Life

 Board

Executive Director

Ministry Dir., CFO, COO, Devel. O

…etc Campus Life Parent Life City Life

Objective:
Better
Leaders
 Board

Executive Director

Ministry Dir., CFO, COO, Devel. O

…etc Campus Life Parent Life City Life

Every Board Member, Staff Member and

Volunteer is a leader !
 Board

Executive Director

Ministry Dir., CFO, COO, Devel. O

…etc Campus Life Parent Life City Life

Spiritual Wholeness
Personal Ministry
Positional competence

= Leader Development Target for every position, e.g. City Life Volunteer or Parent Life Staff. Each Target will have
many common elements with other targets, but will have unique elements related to the position’s specific tasks.
 Spiritual Wholeness
Personal Ministry
Positional competence
Leader Development Target
 2 Develop Critical Tasks for each Objective.
Task: Refine the basic content Task: Develop an efficient
of the “Leader Development delivery system to ensure all
Target.” leaders are properly
equipped according to their
Task: Develop a specific Target requirements.
comprehensive list of tasks for
every position in the Board, Task: Import relevant current
Chapter and Ministry Sites. equipping actions into the
new ‘Target System’.
Task: Allocate each task
assigned to a position to the Task: Eliminate current ‘off-
respective Target bullseye, or Target’ equipping to enhance
sphere of influence, or one of organizational effectiveness
the 12 segments… according and efficiency.
to its primary effect.
Task: Identify the optimum
Task: For every position, Chapter organizational
develop rigorous knowledge structure and/or
and practical experience supported/supporting
specifications required to relationships to effectively
competently accomplish each and efficiently develop,
task assigned to the position. implement, execute/oversee,
periodically assess, and
Task: Develop the curriculum continuously refine the
for each Target. ‘Target System’.

Task: Develop the ‘lesson Task: Develop a system that

guide’ for each ‘equipping collects, vets, refines,
event’ in the curriculum for standardizes and proliferates
each Target. Leader Development Target Best Practices.
 2 Sequence the Critical Tasks for each Objective.
• Consider what • Identify the calendar
“performance date when each
deficiencies” are having ‘milestone’ is to be
the most harmful accomplished.
impact.
• Dates should be
• Plan to develop the based on a rigorous
rigorous knowledge analysis of the critical
and practical tasks necessary to
experience required to accomplish each
more competently ‘milestone’, the time
accomplish such tasks required to
early in the 5 year plan. accomplish each
critical task, and the
• Develop the sequence availability of the
of all ‘milestones’ to be resources required to
accomplished. accomplish each
critical task.

Recruiting
Donor Development
Financial Stewardship Leader Development Target
 2 Develop all Objectives / Critical Tasks and Sequence.
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 2 Develop all Objectives / Critical Tasks and Sequence.
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2 Develop all Objectives / Critical Tasks and Sequence.
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Representative Preparation Tasks:

•Obtain blessing to operate from stakeholders.
•Identify impediments and develop mitigation. Effects:
•Inspire Donors. Environment is conducive
•Hire staff. to reaching youth.
•Recruit volunteers. Chapter is prepared to
•Train staff and volunteers. execute.
•Build Partner coalition.
•Develop and agree Covenants for the supporting contributions - NSC, NFD’s,
Chapter’s, Partners.
•Obtain/prepare infrastructure.
•Tailor legacy activity program / create new program (vet and norm).
 Key Elements of Strategic Planning

1 Frame the Considerations 3 Enable Execution

Human Terrain Resource Requirements
Mission Support Requirements
Vision Organizational Structure
Guiding Principles Authorities
Facts
Assumptions 4 Validate Viability
Constraints Financial
Restraints Risk

2 Develop the Directive 5 Write the Plan

Objectives
Critical Tasks
Sequence 5 Step Planning Process
 Steps in the Planning Process

3 Develop resource requirements.

How does Effects-Based Thinking help?

• Resource requirements flow from tasks!
• Provides a comprehensive list of tasks.
• Provides the sequence of tasks, facilitating allocation of man-hours,
infrastructure, material and funds.

3 Assign resource requirements to ‘Supporting’ YFC entities

and Partners as appropriate.

Insight: Never perform or resource a task that someone else

will do for you ... But there’s a caveat !
 Steps in the Planning Process

3 Refine your Organizational Structure.

How does Effects-Based Thinking help?

• Optimum structure flows from tasks!
• Supported/Supporting relationships are often a good alternative to
hierarchical relationships when tasks are well defined and sequenced.

Insight: Never reorganize to solve a problem before understanding the root

cause ... investigate the task responsibility, authority, accountability,
resourcing chain first !
 Steps in the Planning Process

3 Describe and delegate required authorities.

• Delegate authority to positions commensurate with their

assigned responsibilities / tasks.
 Key Elements of Strategic Planning

1 Frame the Considerations 3 Enable Execution

Human Terrain Resource Requirements
Mission Support Requirements
Vision Organizational Structure
Guiding Principles Authorities
Facts
Assumptions 4 Validate Viability
Constraints Financial
Restraints Risk

2 Develop the Directive 5 Write the Plan

Objectives
Critical Tasks
Sequence 5 Step Planning Process
 Steps in the Planning Process

4 Verify financial affordability of the plan.

• Analyze the cost of critical tasks considering both total
cost and cash flow requirements…adjust the plan as
required.
• Analyze the sensitivity of the critical tasks to schedule
delays caused by potential funding shortfalls…adjust
plan as required to provide funding/cash flow margin.
• Develop ‘offset list’ of critical tasks that can be delayed
to fund the more schedule sensitive critical tasks.

4 Address Risk Management.

• Clearly state risks and actions to be taken to mitigate
those risks.
• Consider – Safety, liability, financial, etc.
 Key Elements of Strategic Planning

1 Frame the Considerations 3 Enable Execution

Human Terrain Resource Requirements
Mission Support Requirements
Vision Organizational Structure
Guiding Principles Authorities
Facts
Assumptions 4 Validate Viability
Constraints Financial
Restraints Risk

2 Develop the Directive 5 Write the Plan

Objectives
Critical Tasks
Sequence 5 Step Planning Process
 5 Write the Plan.
Youth for Christ Strategic Plan
2015 – 2019
Overview

Mission

“YFC reaches young people everywhere, working together with the local church and other
likeminded partners to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who lead by their godliness in lifestyle,
devotion to the word of God and prayer, passion for sharing the love of Christ, and commitment
to social involvement.”

Vision

“As part of the body of Christ, the vision of Youth for Christ is to see every young person in every
people group and in every nation have the opportunity to make an informed decision to become a
follower of Jesus Christ and become a part of a local church.”

Executive Director’s Intent

{Comment: 2-5 paragraphs that convey an executive summary of local Mission/Vision specifics,
how the objectives are organized in ‘Lines of Effort’; the specific objectives; and how each will be
accomplished in chronological sequence over the 5 years covered in the plan.}

Insight: Overview sets the context for the rest of the plan.
 5 Write the Plan.
Planning Considerations

Guiding Principles

{Comment: Not 5 Essentials…Practical principles that guided development of the plan.}

Facts

{Comment: Things we know for certain.}

Assumptions

{Comment: Essential things that we must assume to be true to proceed with planning.}

Constraints

{Comment: Things we cannot do.}

Restraints

{Comment: Things we choose not to do.}

Insight: Planning Considerations record the relevant considerations that shaped the plan.
Changes may merit an adjustment to the objectives, critical tasks, sequence or resourcing.
 5 Write the Plan.
Objectives, Milestones and Critical Tasks

Line of Effort 1: Facilitate Ministry Sites’ effectiveness, efficiency and growth.

Objective 1-1:
Milestone:
Critical Task
Milestone:
Critical Task
Critical Task

Objective 1-2:

Etc., Etc.

Line of Effort 2: Enhance Chapter effectiveness and efficiency.

Line of Effort 3: Enhance YFC brand stewardship.

Line of Effort 4: Lead the ‘Youth Ministries’ community.

Insight: Objectives, Milestones and Critical Tasks convey what the Chapter intends to achieve in
logical Lines of Effort, how it will achieve it, and over what timeframe.
 5 Write the Plan.
Key Enablers

Resources

{Comment: Summarize manpower, infrastructure, material and funding requirements.}

Organizational Adjustments

New Roles/responsibilities/tasks
Supported/Supporting Relationships
Organizational Structure
Authorities

Oversight

{Comment: Specify the required Assessments and Reports; address accountability.}

Risks

{Comment: Summarize financial, liability, etc. risks to the plan and intended mitigation}

Insight: Key Enablers convey what the Chapter requires to effectively/efficiently accomplish its
objectives and the related critical tasks. Risks describe the risks that jeopardize achieving the
objectives and how they will be eliminated or suitably mitigated.
 Strategic Planning Best Practices

1. Start with a comprehensive Assessment of the preceding year:

• Did you do the right things?...did you pursue the right objectives?
• What additional opportunities exist today?
• What new opportunities will manifest in the future?
• Did you do things right?... Were your ways and means effective?
• Did you achieve expected progress / performance?
• If not, why not?
2. Don’t start with a blank sheet of paper.
• Executive Director solicit non-binding Board inputs.
• Executive Director develop the “preliminary strategic plan”.
• Convene Planning Team to inform/vet/refine and develop ownership.
• Convene Board to vet/refine/approve.
3. Use the 5 Step Planning Process.
4. Use the tools:
• Initially adopt an ‘Unconstrained Perspective’.
• Decision Matrix / Effects-Based Thinking.
• Opportunity Cost ‘analysis’. I’m to busy to plan !
5. Write the plan!
 Overwhelmed?? Help is on the way !!
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present
darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

Ephesians 6:12