Ten big strategy decisions

This NCVO strategy model has been developed specifically for voluntary and community organisations (VCOs).

The ten big strategy decisions reflect the key issues every VCO needs to address. This NCVO model is mission orientated, putting an organisation’s beneficiaries or cause at the heart of the process.

Ten big strategy decisions

1. Values/principles: what an organisation believes in and what it aspires to be as an organisation.
2. Beneficiaries: who or what the organisation will benefit.
3. Impact: the difference an organisation plans to make.
4. Activity and outputs: the main work areas it will deliver to meet beneficiary needs.
5. Focus: the tough choices it has made, especially what it has decided not to do.
6. Position: how it differs from similar organisations and services.
7. Resources: how it will resource itself.
8. Improvements: essential and desirable internal improvements it will make.
9. External relationships: who its partners and competitors will be.
10. Communications: how it wishes to be seen by others.

To form a good strategy, organisations will need to make decisions about each of the ten areas. We suggest a four phase process to create these decisions.

Priorities

It may not be necessary – or feasible - to cover all of the ten big decisions at once.  You may feel that:

• your organisation already has a strong position on some of the points
• you do not have the capacity to cover all ten areas within the time you have available for developing your strategy.

It’s important to prioritise the most important areas to address when planning your strategy process.