| CODE | SWP1012 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Introduction to Strategy and Planning in NGOs | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Social Policy and Social Work | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The study-unit focuses on strategic management and planning in NGOs. The unit explains the importance of strategy in translating vision into performance, and in guiding day-to-day operations. It provides students with the knowledge, skills and tools to formulate strategy: clarifying vision and mission; setting long-term goals; analysing internal and external environments; developing SMART objectives; and drawing up the plans to reach them and to monitor performance. Study-unit Aims: The study-unit aims to provide students with the knowledge, skills and tools to formulate strategy and draw up implementation plans. The unit thus aims to equip students with concepts and practices that will foster their interest and ability to develop their organisations further and to become leaders in their respective fields. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Demonstrate the importance of strategic management to the success of an NGO; - Demonstrate understanding of different strategic frameworks; - Identify the key elements of a strategic plan; - Apply, through assignment, the main stages of strategic planning to an area of their choice; - Demonstrate, through assignment, how to translate strategy into a medium-term implementation plan; - Critically discuss the main strategic challenges facing NGOs; - Demonstrate a critical understanding, through class discussion of the potential challenges and risks associated with the implementation of a strategic plan; - Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of monitoring a strategic plan, and how to develop a monitoring framework. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Analyse and plan, in their respective field, from a medium- and long-term perspective; - Apply different analytical tools to understanding the NGO internal and external environments; - Formulate a strategy for a given NGO; - Draw up an implementation plan; - Deliver agreed outputs on time, on budget and to agreed standards; - Develop indicators for monitoring NGO performance. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main text: - Alison, Michael and Kay, Jude (2015). Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations: A Practical Guide for Dynamic Times (3rd edition) US: Wiley. Supplementary texts: - Burkhart, Patrick and Reuss, Suzanne (1993) Successful strategic planning: a guide for nonprofit agencies and organisations. UK Sage. - Bryson, John M. (2018). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organisations (5th Edition). US: Wiley. - Jasper, M. & Crossan, F. (2012). What is strategic management? Journal of Nursing Management, 20, 838–846. - Lawrie, Alan (2007). The complete guide to business and strategic planning for voluntary organisations. London, UK: Directory of Social Change. - Nutt, P. & Backoff, R. A Strategic Management Process for Public and Third-Sector Organizations. Journal of the American Planning Association, 53(1): 44-57. - Nutt, P. & Backoff, R. (1995). Strategy for Public and Third-Sector Organizations. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory: 5(2): 189-211. - Jasper, M. & Crossan, F. (2012). What is strategic management? Journal of Nursing Management, 20, 838–846. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture, Independent Study and Group Learning | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Sue Vella |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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