Preparing for Strategic Planning
Through Environmental Scanning
and Organizational Capacity
Assessment
Shelly M. Schnupp, SMS & Associates
for the
YWCA USA
February 2014
1
Session Topics
I.
Introduction/ Context
II.
Developing Market Awareness through
Environmental Scanning
III.
Defining Competitive Advantage through
Organizational Capacity Assessment
2
Strategic Planning
…well-formed organizational strategies are the
best path for a nonprofit to advance its mission.
…most often a consideration of strategy is absent
from the strategic planning process.
Simply articulated, it (strategy) is an organized
pattern of behavior toward an end.
David LaPiana, 2008
3
Developing effective strategy
requires:



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Understanding our market
Knowing our competitive advantage
Awareness of Internal and external
challenges
Identify crises and opportunities
4
Developing Market Awareness
through
Environmental Scanning
5
Strategy development requires:
Market Awareness



Clarify our market—stable, shrinking,
growing? Changing?
Other players—how do we stack up?
What forces might shape our future?
• Current and Potential Customers
Analysis
• Trend Analysis
• Competitor Analysis
6
Customer Analysis: Data
Sources


Relevant Population Statistics
Incident statistics (education, crime, teen
pregnancy, health, etc.)



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Disparity Data.
Results of studies
Service and outcomes data
Surveys and Focus Groups
7
Find and Review Existing Data

A large volume of community-related data is
routinely collected by various government
agencies and community groups. Analyzing this
data can be useful in identifying community
problems and needs.

Existing statistical data can be used to obtain
insights about the well-being of people.
8
Challenges facing our Market:
Disparities
Racial Justice



Women of color are 1.5 x
more likely to live in poverty
than white women.
The median earnings for
women of color is 28% less
than for white women.
Incidence of homeless
women increased 10% from
previous decade; greatest
increases among women of
color.
Women’s Economic
Empowerment


Single-mother families have
the highest poverty rates of
any household type—1 of
every 2 families.
Women earn 77 cents for
every dollar earned by men.
9
Disparities:

The condition or fact of being unequal.
Health disparities are differences in the
incidence, prevalence, mortality, burden of
diseases and other adverse health conditions
or outcomes.
10
Disparities – Elected Office

In 2009, women held 90 or 16.8% of the 535
seats in the 111th U.S. Congress.

In 2009, 1,791 or 24.3% of the 7,382 state
legislators in the U.S. were women.
72 women held 22.9% of statewide elected
executive office positions (governor, lt.
governor, attorney general, etc.)

What is the situation in your
state or community?
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Disparities -- Education



Nearly two-thirds of low income working mothers (62
percent) have only a high school education or less,
compared with less than one-third of higher income
working mothers (32 percent).
More than two-thirds of higher-income working mothers
(68 percent) have some college education or more,
whereas only 38 percent of low-income working mothers
do.
African American women are less likely than white
women to hold bachelor’s degrees or higher, with only
16.7% of African American women holding bachelor’s
degrees in 2004, compared with 24.6% of white women.
Having at least some college education improves
wages by 25 percent or more.
Disparities – Criminal Justice



Blacks were almost three times more likely than
Hispanics and five times more likely than whites
to be in jail.
Overall, data from the Bureau of Justice
document that one in six black men had been
incarcerated as of 2001.
In 2005, Hispanics comprised 20% of the state
and federal prison population, a rise of 43%
since 1990.
Trends Data is even Better…..
Look for Explanations of Disparities
Look for Explanations of Disparities
Competitor Analysis

Strongest direct and suitable competitors: for
customers, publicity, human resources,
funding

Strengths as well as weaknesses
What do you admire about each competitor?
David LaPiana, 2009
17
Sources of Market Data





Local newspaper,
journals
Local and National
Foundations, United
Way
Research Institutes,
Advocacy Groups
University studies

Local government






Workforce
development initiatives
Health Department
School District
Police Department
Housing Authority
Surveys, Focus
Groups
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What Data do we Need?






Which issues, situations, disparities are of
particular interest? Why?
What clues does our mission and vision offer?
Which individuals are most affected? Why?
What do we already know or believe to be true?
What evidence supports our beliefs?
What don’t we know? What questions do we
need to have answered?
What outside resources can we tap for
information?
19
Start with What you Know




What have we learned from our own
experience? What have staff learned?
Have we collected data for our strategic plan?
What other studies have been done in our
community or nationally? Can we rely on this
information to give insight and answers?
Decide what you still need to know.
Caution—studies may be outdated and
conventional wisdom can be wrong.
20
Determine what Methods to use to
Collect Additional Information
Consider :
 Time available
 Available resources
 The scope of the information needed
Consider Combined Methods



Surveys and focus groups
Disparities data and key informant interviews
Social indicators data and community forums
21
Using Environmental Scan
Results to inform strategy



Look beyond symptoms
Review trends data whenever possible
Look for patterns and general impressions
• What is the status of our
mission-focused market?
• Are problems increasing?
Decreasing? Changing?
• Who are our competitors?
22
Specific Sources
of Mission-Related Existing Data

U.S. Census Bureau




State and County Quick Facts—State, City,
County
Population, Race, Household, Housing Business
http://www.census.gov/
Studies by topic area:

Urban Institute: www.urban.org/


See Low-Income Working Families Project (LIWF
Fact Sheet and more)
See Browse by Topic: Race, Ethnicity, Gender
23
Sources of Information about YWCA
Mission-Related Problems, Disparities

Diversity Inc. www.diversityinc.com/ sometimes
offers free online 1 year subscriptions


See Diversity Facts:
http://www.diversityinc.com/department/168/Diversity-Facts/
See Demographic Facts:
http://www.diversityinc.com/department/174/Demographic-Facts/

AAUW www.aauw.org/
advances equity for women
and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and
research.


See Public Perceptions of the Pay Gap
www.aauw.org/research/upload/perceptionsPayGap.pdf
24
More Disparities Data Sources

Institute for Women’s Policy Research
www.iwpr.org
 Status of Women in the States
 See Best and Worst State Economies for Women
http://www.iwpr.org/pdf/R334_BWStateEconomies2006.pdf

Center for American Women and Politics,
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
www.cawp.rutgers.edu/

See Fast Facts Elections 2010
http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/fast_facts/elections/candidates
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_2010.php
More Disparities Data Sources

Applied Research Center – www.arc.org.
a racial justice think tank and home for media and
activism. “ARC is built on rigorous research and
creative use of new technology. Our goal is to
popularize the need for racial justice and prepare
people to fight for it.”

Office of Minority Health, U.S. Dept. of
HHS http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov good
source of race-based health disparities.
26
More Disparities Data Sources

Haywood Burns Institute for Juvenile
Justice Fairness and Equity


http://www.burnsinstitute.org/state_map.php
Health--Families USA is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to the achievement of
high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
www.kff.org
Understanding
Competitive Advantage
through
Capacity Assessment
28
Developing strategy requires:
Understanding our Competitive
Advantage



What value do beneficiaries believe we add
as compared to others?
How strong is our ability to make a
difference?
How strong is our execution?
Customer Feedback
Performance Measurement
Capacity Assessment
29
Why Capacity Assessment?





Identify areas of capacity that are strongest and those
that need improvement
Measure changes in an organization's capacity over time
To draw out different views within an organization;
develop a common understanding among leaders
regarding what needs to be done
Ensure a strong foundation from which to undertake a
major change effort
Determine how your association compares others
(competitive advantage) and to established standards
30
Capacity Assessment &
Benchmarking Tool

9 Capacity Element Areas

Four levels of capacity

Self-scoring

Snapshot of your YWCA association’s
capacity

Defines effectiveness

Helps define competitive advantages…and
disadvantages
31
Capacity Elements
Mission, Vision & Strategy
Executive
Staff
Leadership
Management &
Development
of HR
Service Delivery &
Impact
Board
Governance
Financial &
Legal
Management
Resource &
Revenue
Development
Strategic
Relationships
Operations and
Infrastructure
32
4 Levels of Capacity
LEVEL FOUR:
High level of
LEVEL THREE: capacity in place
Moderate level of
LEVEL TWO: capacity in place
Basic level of
capacity in
LEVEL ONE: place
Clear need for
increased
capacity
Rating our Capacity

Use a team approach: staff and board

Focus on descriptions for each category

Proceed through each section; reach
consensus on levels we meet
Add comments for each Element area

Note: capacity levels are driven by many factors There are no
“right” answers
34
Good Assessment Practices

Approach assessment as a learning
opportunity

Encourage atmosphere of honesty: “if
we’re not completely at level 3 we rate our
selves at level 2

Keep notes about issues that surface

Take the time needed
35
Using CB Assessment Results
to inform strategy




Find the capacity assessment categories with the lowest
scores
Give special attention to assessment categories listed in
first element: “Mission, Vision & Strategy”
Avoid focusing on symptoms of deeper issues and “pet
priorities”
Look for patterns and general impressions
Internal Strengths? Weaknesses?
Areas of competitive advantage?
36
Trying to improve the
community without first
understanding it is like trying to
sell pocket protectors to ballet
dancers!
37
Resources



Planning and Conducting Needs Assessments:
A Practical Guide. Wikin, B.R., Altschuld,
J.W.,1995.
Capacity Assessment Tool, developed for
YWCA associations by Frank Martinelli and
Shelly Schnupp, 2011.
The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution. David La
Piana, 2008.
38
For more information…
Shelly Schnupp
SMS and Associates


shellyschnupp@aol.com
414-412-0408
39