Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations

Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations

Specifics on the Term Project.

The term project is a total of 150 points for the course. Each student is required to complete a term project to pass the course. For the final paper portion, you will be given a maximum of 10 pages (not counting title page and list of references), double-spaced, 12 pt font, with one-inch margins. The paper must be written in APA style.

Each student is expected to choose between one of the topics listed below for the term project:

(1). Each student will select a public or nonprofit organization (that is, do not use a for-profit business as your subject matter) and will apply one important component of the strategic planning/management process. Students must select the organization and obtain the organization’s materials either from available on-line or other organization sources. Students must then make contact with a member of the organization who has knowledge of and who has participated in some aspect of the organization’s strategic planning. Students must interview this person (specific structure of the interview is not prescribed) and discuss the strategic planning process used by the organization.

(2). Term project papers must be written in APA style, 12-pt Times New Roman font, one inch margins, with a title page and references. Title page and references do not count in page total. Maximum length is 10 pages excluding the title and reference pages.

(3). Students must cite at least five sources in total, exclusive of the textbook (that is, you can cite the Bryson text, but that citation does not count in the five sources).

(4). The available options are (select only one of the options for your paper):

Selected Option: SWOC/T ANALYSIS: Students will select a public or nonprofit organization and conduct SWOC/T analysis, which requires assessment of external and internal environmental forces to identify challenges/threats and opportunities as well as organizational strengths and weaknesses. Include in your analysis technological, social, political, cultural, economic, and legal forces that will affect the organization. Identify and understand important stakeholders and their needs and expectations. Discuss the implications of these forces and stakeholders on the organization, that is, on its mission and goals. Do the same for organizational strengths and weaknesses.

This paper must be written in APA style, and must include a title page and list of references.  The paper must be formatted using Times New Roman, 12-pt font with 1 inch margins.  Please submit using Word or other word processing software (do not submit a .pdf file).  Assistance on using APA can be at the Purdue OWL site.

Remember, the Term Project is not simply a restatement of your interview.  This project is your analysis of this organization in terms of the strategic planning option you have selected.

Course Text Book

(reference in paper – note does not count toward the minimum number of references)

Additional reference resources

Creating and Implementing Your Strategic Plan, Bryson, John M; Alston, Farnum, K. ISBN: 0-7879-6754-8 published by Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint San Francisco, CA, Second Edition, printed in the USA

Balanced Scorecard Success, Robert S. Kaplan, David P. Norton ISBN: 978-0-87584-651-4

KPI Checklists: Bernie Smith, eBook: ISBN: 978-1-910047-01-9, published by Metric Press, Sheffield, England.

Websites:

Direct Selling Association, www.dsa.org (reference in paper),

USANA Health Sciences, www.usana.com, (reference in paper)

USANA True Health Foundation, www.usanafoundation.org, (reference in paper)

Direct Selling Industry comparatives and competition:

Herbalife Family Foundation, www.herbalifefamilyfoundation.org, (reference in paper), AVON Breast Cancer, (Susan G. Komen, www.avonfoundation.org (reference in paper), Mannatech – Mannarelief, www.mannarelief.org (reference in paper), Amway Charity Foundation, www.amwayfoundation.org (reference in paper), and NuSKIN, www.forceforgood.org, (reference in paper)

Leading Experts:

Jen Lachman Consulting, www.lachmanco.com (reference Jen Lachman in paper)

(YouTube) – Lachman Strategic Planning video’s.

Video #1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxGC-8EelJI

Video #2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsV0inY30HQ

Video #3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWKX7809m0s

Video #4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFbyXNElNRM

KAPLAN, Balanced Scorecard Institute

YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNy8kupW8oI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu3es9SUlhA

Partner to The True Health Foundation

Children’s Hunger Fund, www.childrenshungerfund.org

What is Direct Selling?

Direct selling is a retail channel used by top global brands and smaller, entrepreneurial companies to market products and services to consumers. Companies market all types of goods and services, including jewelry, cookware, nutritionals, cosmetics, housewares, energy and insurance, and much more.

The direct selling channel differs from broader retail in an important way. It isn’t only about getting great products and services into consumers’ hands. It’s also an avenue where entrepreneurial-minded Americans can work independently to build a business with low start-up and overhead costs.

Direct selling consultants work on their own, but affiliate with a company that uses the channel, retaining the freedom to run a business on their own terms. Consultants forge strong personal relationships with prospective customers, primarily through face-to-face discussions and demonstrations. In this age of social networking, direct selling is a go-to market strategy that, for many companies and product lines, may be more effective than traditional advertising or securing premium shelf space.

*Important note – this information refers to “consultants”, USANA Health Science’s calls these independent people, “Associates” it means the same as consultant.

The Independent Sales Force.

Direct selling is unique among retail channels because of the way in which products and services are marketed to customers. Instead of relying on traditional retail outlets or online marketplaces, direct selling companies maintain a salesforce of millions of independent workers that added $36 billion to the U.S. economy in 2015. Real estate, insurance, travel and technology companies and well-known brands also rely on independent workers to deliver products and services to consumers. Independent work adds value to those who choose to pursue it, to the economy and to society.

Independent direct selling consultants earn commissions on sales but work for themselves. They set their own hours, create their own marketing plans, determine whether to build a sales team and how to mentor those within it and how to serve their customers.

About USANA (additional information about USANA will be supplied separately)

USANA develops and manufactures high-quality nutritional supplements, healthy foods and personal care products that are sold directly to Associates and Preferred Customers throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Mexico, Malaysia, the Philippines, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Thailand, France, Belgium, Colombia and Indonesia. More information on USANA can be found at http://www.usanahealthsciences.com.

USANA True Health Foundation (the subject nonprofit for this paper)

Information supplied separately.

Interview with Deb Jordan, President of the USANA Foundation.

Interview notes will be supplied separately.

It is important to note – that a couple weeks after this interview, Ms. Jordan was fired from her position.

Discussion Board Posts

I will be uploading posts from this semesters discussion board questions that may prove useful for you.