Strategic planning: the way forward

Strategic planning has long been one of the most popular managerial approaches in organizations across sectors and worldwide. Strategic planning is considered a meso-level approach to strategy formulation, implying that it is used to formulate an organizational strategy following a somewhat systematic and deliberate process. There are a great many links to make between strategic planning and important public management and governance concepts. Strategic planning is indeed a transversal concept, in that it touches upon so many aspects of modern public management and governance. The chapter explores five themes relevant to strategic planning: (1) transnational and network governance, (2) public values and stakeholder expectations, (3) rules, regulations and bureaucracy, (4) organizational and societal change, (5) public governance in complex systems.Strategic planning has long been one of the most popular managerial approaches in organizations across sectors and worldwide. Strategic planning is considered a meso-level approach to strategy formulation, implying that it is used to formulate an organizational strategy following a somewhat systematic and deliberate process. There are a great many links to make between strategic planning and important public management and governance concepts. Strategic planning is indeed a transversal concept, in that it touches upon so many aspects of modern public management and governance. The chapter explores five themes relevant to strategic planning: (1) transnational and network governance, (2) public values and stakeholder expectations, (3) rules, regulations and bureaucracy, (4) organizational and societal change, (5) public governance in complex systems.