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Bureau ofStrategic Planning

Strategic thinking and planning

Presentation

by the Bureau of Strategic Planning (BSP)

Leadership and Change Management Programme (LCMP)

24 June 2002

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Bureau ofStrategic Planning

What is strategic planning?• Strategic planning (SP) is necessary to identify

UNESCO’s objectives/priorities and the means by which they shall be achieved.

• SP is a tool to help do a better job, focus talents and energies, assess and adjust direction in light of performance and a changing environment.

• Being strategic is to be clear about objectives, resources and expected results and combining these in response to the wider political context in the short- and medium term.

• Choices must be made.

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Bureau ofStrategic Planning UNESCO’s strategic planning approach:

results-based programming, budgeting, management and monitoring (RBM)

The RBM Chain:

1. The six-year Medium-Term Strategy, 2002-2007(31 C/4) , approved by the General Conference, defines for 12 strategic objectives and two cross-cutting themes specific expected outcomes

2. The two-year Programme and Budget, 2002-2003(31 C/5), approved by the General Conference , specifies for each sector one principal priority and three to four other priorities together( with expected results

3. The annual work plans, approved by the Director-General, translate the 31 C/5 into concrete activities and actions, for each of which expected results and outputs are formulated.

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Bureau ofStrategic Planning

4. Work plans are placed on-line, utilising the electronic management tool: the management-tool System of Information on Strategies, Tasks and the Evaluation of Results (SISTER)

5. All other programme documents, presented by the Director-General, must henceforth define expected results

6. In context of CEB (ex-ACC) and UNDG activities – specific reference to and alignment with Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

7. Regular feedback and monitoring of programme implementation by DG and Senior Management (College of ADGs)

UNESCO’s strategic planning approach: results-based programming, budgeting, management and monitoring (RBM)

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Bureau ofStrategic Planning Putting theory + policy into practice:

Strategic planning steps forUNESCO programme managers

- Formulation of time-bound objectives of an programme, activity or action (including identification of comparative advantages of UNESCO)

- Establish clear relationship to strategic (sub)objectives in 31 C/4 and principal (or other) priorities of 31 C/5

- Clarify relationship to cross-cutting themes and mainstreaming issues

- Explore potential for intersectoriality- Formulation of a strategy to attain objectives- Specification of resources and inputs required (in terms of

staff, external advice and funds)

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Bureau ofStrategic Planning

– Specifiy extent of desirable extrabudgetary support– Formulation of expected results, together with indicators

(especially where results are of a qualitative nature)– Specify relationship of programme/activity to Millennium

Development Goals– Define potential/need for interagency cooperation in context

of CEB (ex-ACC)– Develop a context map of partners, setting out clearly the

respective contributions of UNESCO and a particular partner – Envisage evaluation arrangements and process

Putting theory + policy into practice:Strategic planning steps forUNESCO programme managers

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Bureau ofStrategic Planning Monitoring and reporting

requirements

- SISTER workplans, constant updating- EX 4 (covering 6 months on a cumulative basis)–

with explicit references to results of 31 C/5- C/3 (covering an entire biennium) – with explicit

references to results of 31 C/5, lessons learned and other conclusions and recommendations

- Every 6 months, review of implementation by College of ADGs (plus sectoral arrangements for ongoing monitoring and review)

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Bureau ofStrategic Planning Strategic planning on

ad hoc policy issues

- address each issue in the context of 31 C/4 and31 C/5

- Formulate clear strategic objectives and/or interests for a particular activity

- Define the strategy to be pursued- Formulate clear and measurable expected results- Identify range of partners and their respective roles