Resources

NCVO resources on strategy:

Achieve More 2: Strategy 

This guide introduces strategic thinking and planning, explains where to get support and features the real life experience of a community organisation undergoing a strategic review. Download a copy of Achieve More 2: strategy (PDF 1.2MB).

Achieve More 7: Marketing

This guide explains why, if you really care about giving your users what they need, marketing should be at the core of your organisations strategy and day-to-day work. Download a copy of Achieve More 7: marketing (PDF 1.1MB).

Achieve More 8: Planning

Voluntary sector organisations face great pressure to make the most of scarce resources, achieve the best for users and inspire confidence amongst supporters. This guide focuses on how to develop and implement realistic and flexible plans. Download a copy of Achieve More 8: planning (PDF 1.2MB).

Future Focus series

Want your organisation to stay ahead of the game? You cant predict the future, but you can prepare your organisation for changes on the horizon by taking some easy steps now. Our Future Focus pocket guides provide ready-made analyses of the major trends that are most likely to affect small and medium-sized organisations in the next few years. Order the Future Focus series or individual issues.

Picture This: a guide to scenario planning for voluntary organisations

Scenario planning is a process of developing a view of alternative futures in order to craft a resilient strategy. Aimed at anyone in a leadership role interested in getting their organisation involved in strategic thinking and implementation, this practical guide is full of of information, suggestions, tips and a series of templates and tools to help you plan and run scenario planning workshops, engage your organisation, and build your learning from the process into future strategies. Order a copy of Picture This.

Successful strategies: real learning from real experience

This report from one of our action research projects is jam-packed with practical tips and learning from the experiences of five voluntary and community sector organisations (VCOs) as they developed their strategies in 2006. This report brings together the main findings of the project about what organisations actually do when creating a strategy. It includes full case studies and key learning points. Download the Successful Strategies report (PDF 1MB) or the Successful Strategies summary report (PDF 140KB).

Tools for strategic planning: what works best?

This report presents the findings from our survey into what voluntary sector organisations actually do when they carry out strategic planning. The research, conducted by Annabel Jackson and David Irwin in 2006, found widespread enthusiasm for strategic planning across the sector. Participants explained the benefits of and barriers to planning strategically and identified which tools they had used. Download the Tools for Strategic Planning report (PDF 640KB).