Identified Need:

A not-for-profit association wanted to revise its three-year plan. The Executive Director and members of the Board of Directors envisioned a retreat to conduct the planning. They were particularly interested in understanding the needs of this 350-person member association. BCG was hired to design a process to collect feedback from members and incorporate the results into the planning process.

Recommendations:

BCG recommended the establishment of a planning subcommittee. This subcommittee, facilitated by BCG, served as an advisory team in reviewing the proposed data collection methods as well as participated in the planning retreat. The team included past and current officers as well as staff of the association.

Actions:

An objective survey instrument was designed by BCG to gather the needs and desires of association members. In addition, BCG generated a series of topics that would be utilized in focus groups with association members. Since an annual association meeting was scheduled, it was determined that the survey and focus groups would be part of this meeting. Members of the planning team were trained by BCG to serve as facilitators of the focus groups.

In addition to the member feedback, a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) was scheduled for the complete Board of Directors. This decision was predicated on the need to gather this information from Board members since they would not all be part of the planning retreat. BCG facilitated the SWOT analysis at one of the Board's regularly scheduled meetings.

A two-day planning retreat was designed and facilitated. Members of the planning retreat included staff, officers, and several association members in order to have a diverse cross-section of views, geographic locations, size of constituency, and other identified factors. The retreat included an extensive dialogue of the significant survey and focus group findings, review of the Board SWOT analysis, and review of the prior

three-year plan (planned activities vs. results achieved). An envisioning process was facilitated, as well as re-confirmation of the association's mission. Lastly, the planning team determined the major strategies for the next three years, and identified specific targets and tactics, including action steps, measurement, timelines, and persons responsible.

Results:

The new three-year plan was shared with members of the association in the form of presentations at various geographic locations and a written summary. The plan was positively received by members, with special recognition of the inclusion of the survey results into the planning process. In the past, planning was accomplished by a select few, without fully taking into account the needs of members. The plan became the focus of administrative and Board actions for resource allocation, decision-making, and major initiatives.

BCG Services:

BCG has unique capabilities in designing strategic planning retreats. Further, BCG has extensive experience and expertise in the design and implementation of surveys, including opinion/attitude questionnaires, organizational culture assessments, or custom analysis. More importantly, BCG utilizes a process to increase acceptance of the survey process, maximizing the opportunity to capitalize on the ultimate results.