Strategic Planning

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If the topic of strategy is brought up in the police world, more than likely the conversations that follow will include topics that range from dealing with a suspect that has barricaded himself in a house, how to address an uptick in a particular type of crime or how to address budget cuts that are on the horizon.  These things  are strategies, but they are actually more of a tactical planning process.  By definition, tactical planning addresses issues on the short term, maybe up to a year.  Arguably, few industries have nailed tactical planning to the degree that police have.  After all, tactical planning is their forte.   Many police actions that are covered in tactical terms are reduced to seconds or minutes; not many other businesses are ever faced with challenges that police deal with.

Strategic planning (planning for the long term), can address some of the tactical issues mentioned above and some police agencies actively pursue strategic planning by developing multi-year plans in addition to annual goal and objective processes.  Law enforcement oriented accreditation agencies, like the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) include requirements for participating police departments to develop multi-year plans.

Strategic planning in the business world is a little different than the policing world, in that it gives a strong consideration to competing for business, which is something police departments do not have to do.  I would suggest that even though police departments have no competition (Monopoly: Your the Only Game in Town), they compete with themselves, in terms of how they are viewed by the public. The business world also develops strategy to grow the business.  Police departments have no need to drum up business (Lord knows they usually have more than enough) but departments do need to grow in size.  Aside from these differences, the business world and the police world share the same concept of strategy that includes improving performance, and answers what their present situation is, where they want to go from here and how to get there.

Strategic planning in policing is critical if the agency is going to move forward and find itself prepared for changing times.  By design, the strategic plan should question the status quo.  The plan should not institute change for the sake of change, but the plan certainly has to be the result of a careful scanning of the environment with consideration of trends that are both local and national.  The plan has to be detailed and firm and at the same time has to be amiable to change instead of being rigid.  In short, the plan is more of a work in progress instead of a one shot deal.  Holding on to a plan and resisting change in the face of uncertainty is worse than having no plan at all.  Police are more apt to benefit by using an emergent strategy; working with a combination of proactive and reactive considerations while leveraging the value of abandoning elements that become obsolete or are found to simply be ineffective.

In the end, the strategic plan should always be closely related to the police department’s business model and support the value proposition that is offered to the community.  In fact, the plan should be prepared to subordinate virtually every function of the agency to the agency value proposition.

How do we know whether or not the strategic plan is effective?  First, we can examine the plan using fit tests.  Does it fit the police department’s current situation?  To evaluate this, we have to look at the impact externally, with regard to the effectiveness in providing services to the community.  The next fit test is internal; is it advancing the effectiveness of the agency itself?  And finally, as I mentioned above, does the plan demonstrate a dynamic fit?  Will the plan evolve over time in a way that maintains support of the department’s business model, or change with the model if the model changes?  If the plan passes muster against these tests, it is likely working well.  For the time being anyway.

Lastly, good strategy can only be good if it is executed properly.  The best made plans are useless if they are not put to work correctly, monitored for effectiveness and refined whenever the need to adjust the plan arises.

However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.”  Winston Churchill

 © 2014 David A. Lyons

12 thoughts on “Strategic Planning”

  1. Anthony MUNDAY
    Business Coach.(centering on Leadership) Young People’s Coach

    Very interesting David.
    Kaisen principles play well to your description of Strategic Planning for Police Departments.
    The UK Government imposition of tranches of budgetary cuts(20%) since 2010, on Police has led to a wave of tactical responses by senior police ‘leaders’.
    Collaboration over services are the orthodox response to this challenge.
    Your piece addresses more fundamental thinking.
    Thank you.
    Please check out Police Choice.
    I’d very much welcome your feedback .
    http://youtu.be/_d1WmjXMPV0

    Be good to connect.

  2. David Lyons, MBA commented on Strategic Planning

    The policing industry could definitely benefit from Kaisen and several other process of on-going improvement fundamentals! Looking forward to expanding on this!

  3. Zoe Ann McKinnon Sally
    Consultant

    It seems to me that strategic planning for most situations involving LE , whether it be business or while out in the field, can be summed up quite nicely with Col. John Boyd’s OODA loop. Observe-Orient-Decide-Act, then start back at Observe, etc. Although originally developed for pilots in dogfights, I haven’t come across much it won’t work for. Boyd is one of my heroes… he was incredibly smart, had integrity, & was never afraid to call “balonium” when he saw it. OODA is simple & I’ve never made a decision I regretted with it.

  4. Martin Palmer
    Experienced Manager & Trainer: Looking for new opportunities

    Nice read with some excellent information. Subject matter that affects virtually all business areas in one way or another.

  5. Martin Palmer
    Experienced Manager & Trainer: Looking for new opportunities

    Good read that is relevant to most if not all businesses in some manner. Well worth 10 minutes of your time to have a read.

  6. Paul Thomas
    retired at met.officer/trainer/mentor

    as an old wisehead once told me, right boy we have put this strategy together very carefully,now the important bit lets see how well it is put into effect.
    didnt have a clue what he meant at the time,but later,WISE WORDS

  7. David Lyons, MBA

    So very true; the best made plans will always fail if the plan did not include a way to implement it and a way to evaluate it.

  8. Strategic planning is pivotal and sure there is always in place if command is innovative. In current situation around the world where inequality is dominating, protests and unrest can occur in any moment in any part of the world.

    It is however, data sharing and data acquisition or access or shared plays a big role considering that privacy act or suspect based till confirmed through proper intelligence resources will not be breached.

    Strategic planning always is short term as required by the circumstances.

    Muhammad Naeem ul Fateh

  9. Who was it that said no plan survives contact with the enemy…?

    One of the interesting things that I learned whilst delivering the Strategic Management of Intelligence Course for the College of Policing was, how few senior leaders thought that they needed the training/development – right up until they received it!

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