How Strategic Is Your Planning?

What is the current state of strategic planning in the water utility industry? What types of organizations are most involved in the use of formal strategic planning systems? How is the planning process conducted? How have organizations used the planning process to improve operations? These were the central issues of a strategic planning survey recently conducted among the largest organizations in the water industry to determine how strategic planning has evolved to become an integral part of the management process. This evolution is measured by how long the organization has been planning, how many people are involved in the planning process, how well the strategic plan is communicated to the rest of the organization, and how well strategic planning is linked to other management systems such as budgeting and compensation.