Planning and management

Planning and management for sustainability  

Sustainability starts with planning

Sustainability does not begin with money - it begins with planning. If an organisation doesn't understand its costs, isn't successful managing the achievement of its aims and hasn't spent time planning where it wants to be three to five years time, how can it know the type or amount of funding it really needs? As such, a rounded approach' to sustainability requires effective organisational planning and management.

There are three guides in this section:

• Strategic planning - Using a strategic planning cycle' model, this guide divides planning into six key stages and enables organisations to tackle the process one step at a time. Using a cyclical approach ensures that organisational planning is recognised as an on-going process, not a one-off event.
• Financial management - Good financial management is key to organisational sustainability. It will impact on decision-making across the organisation and as such should be integrated into all aspects of an organisation's operations. Our guides cover budgeting, audit, investment, tax and more.
• Full Cost Recovery - Many organisations in the voluntary and community sector struggle to make ends meet, especially in relation to funding overhead costs. Understanding and ultimately recovering the full costs of the activities and services you provide is crucial for ongoing financial sustainability.