25.1 – Build Strategic Plan

Purpose & Context

Career Development Professionals (CDPs) develop strategic plans to deliver career development services and achieve organizational goals.

Effective Performance

Competent career development professionals must be able to:

P1. Establish strategic planning team
P2. Review current data, e.g. last strategic plan, mission statement, vision statement, values statements, financialrecords
P3. Identify internal and external stakeholders, e.g. employees, community organizations, agencies, associations,clients, employers, educational institutions, government
P4. Identify consultation approach, e.g. interviews, survey, town hall, group discussions, board meeting
P5. Conduct a strategic organizational and environmental assessment, for example:
- Identify internal strengths
- Identify areas for improvement
- Analyze trends, e.g. local, regional, national, international
- Identify assets unique to the community
- Identify potential opportunities and threats, both internal and external
P6. Identify strategic priority areas, for example:
- Customized services for job seekers
- Customized services for employers
- Education and training services
- Outreach programs
- Inclusion and accessibility
- Need for integrated approach
- Engagement of all stakeholders
P7. Develop strategic goals
P8. Develop action plans for each strategic goal:
- Identify key activities, e.g. by department, unit, team member
- Break down each activity into specific actions
- Set timelines
- Identify resources, e.g. people, equipment, materials
- Develop key performance indicators
P9. Develop budget requirements
P10. Develop implementation strategy:
- Develop communication strategy
- Determine reporting requirements
- Establish a schedule for progress reviews, e.g. monthly, quarterly, end of year
- Identify training requirements

Knowledge & Understanding

Competent career development professionals must know and understand:

K1. Strategic planning

Contextual Variables

Competent career development professionals must be able to perform this competency in the following range of contexts:

The type of organization within which the career services are delivered will impact the complexity of developing a strategic plan.

Glossary & Key References

Terms

Industry-specific terms contained in the standard defined here, where applicable.

Strategic goal: statement describing a specific measurable outcome, deadline and accountability area.

Information Sources and Resources for Consideration

Essential Guide to Strategic Planning. accessed March 2, 2020. https://onstrategyhq.com/resources/strategic-planning-process-basics/

Context Rating Scales

Criticality

Q: What is the consequence of a professional being unable to perform this skill according to the standard?

Moderate risk: CRITICAL

Frequency

Q: How frequent and under what conditions is this skill performed?

Timely, e.g. every month, weekly, hourly

Level of Difficulty

Q: Under routine circumstances, how would you rate the level of difficulty in performing this skill?

Moderate difficulty or complexity

Time Required to Gain Proficiency

Q: What is the average length of time or number of repeated events that are minimally necessary for an individual to become proficient in performing the skill to the standard?

A career development professional requires a minimum of 5 years of experience in various managerial roles to develop a strategic plan.

Autonomy

Practitioners typically perform this competency without supervision, and as part of a team.

Automation

It is unlikely that this competency will automate.

Requisite Work Aids, Tools, Equipment or Materials

None