Strategic Planning

This section is designed to provide State Agency Administrators (SAAs) and public safety leaders with the tools they need to successfully prepare and use a strategic plan. The focus is on community-based strategic planning because a successful strategic plan for public safety or criminal justice policy is firmly rooted in community needs and priorities, and includes the input of stakeholders with a diverse range of perspectives. The information presented here integrates classic strategic planning methods, well-known in the business literature, with the unique imperatives of effective public policy in the public safety and criminal justice fields.

In addition, the Strategic Planning section of this site provides SAAs and their sub-grantees with a step by step guide to the Strategic planning process. By breaking the process into logical sections, NCJP seeks to make the information actionable and easy to follow.

How to Get Started

There is no single strategic planning model or process that will work for every agency. SAA leadership and staff are as varied in their makeup and talent mix as the size, shape, weather, geography, and demographics of the states and territories where they are located. Each SAA has unique local legislative requirements, local expectations and ways of doing business.

The current state of readiness for planning will vary from agency to agency. Some have had a certified trainer on staff for years. Others have devoted little staff time and expertise to strategic planning. Some agencies have a long history of providing high quality data for analysis and planning. Other agencies struggle to find available data for planning. Some agencies have excellent strategic plans in place and others are beginning to formalize planning processes. Regardless of where the agency is now, the resources on these pages can be helpful and can provide a time savings with ready access to templates, tools and tips for success.

These pages provide an overview of strategic planning, and offers step by step details on each part of the process. Useful resources provided on the site address additional planning tools for more specialized planning, and cutting-edge planning approaches.