The Practice and Use of Strategic Planning Systems in Public Transit Organizations

This study investigates the practice and use of strategic planning systems in public transit organizations. The objective is to determine the extent to which the practice and use of strategic planning comply with the characteristics of a well-designed and effective strategic planning system as established in the strategic planning literature. While many characteristics of the design, process and top management role comply with those of an effective strategic planning system, some critical characteristics of the design and process need improvement. A notable improvement is a modification of existing strategic planning systems to produce actionable plans that are written and communicated to all who are responsible for the implementation and control of the resulting strategic plan. Without a detailed action plan to support organizational strategy, the strategic planning process becomes just an exercise and a mere formality. Also, there is a need for a greater involvement of unit managers to ensure their continuing commitment to strategic planning and to make their ability to effectively formulate, implement and control strategic plans a part of their annual performance evaluation and reward structure. Finally, top managers need to increase the amount of time they spend in the strategic planning process and adopt a more decentralized approach that requires a more active role for the unit managers and others responsible for strategic planning, implementation and control.