Strategic Planning

Year 2014









EDEXCEL BTEC Extended Diploma in
Strategic Management and
Leadership









Unit 12
Strategic Planning

Assignment Brief












Strategic Planning
Year 2014




Assignment Submission Deadline:

04
th
September 2014

Assignment set by:


Cranford College

Feedback Date:

26
th
September 2014
Learning Outcomes
LO1 Understand the external environment affecting an
organisation
LO2 Be able to review existing business plans and
strategies of an organisation
LO3 Be able to develop options for strategic planning
for an organisation
LO3 Be able to construct a strategy plan for an
organisation
LO4 Be able to examine factors affecting an
organisational strategy plan
LO5 Be able to plan for the implementation of a
strategy plan




Module Unit / Name


Unit 12- Strategic Planning

Unit Code:


H/602/2330

Lecturer:

Mr. Mubashir Jahengir
IMPORTANT:

Submit a hardcopy of your assignment in the Admin office. see
Roma and receipt will be provided.
Soft copy of the assignment should be submitted in Moodle
Assignment Box in each module. (for Plagiarism and Collusion check)


The Hardcopy of your assignment should only be sent to the Academic Coordinator:
Roma Galvan. Submission to other staff will be in your own risk (if assignment is lost)

The assessment of this unit is divided into 5 tasks. Each needs to be completed and
handed in by the due date identified on the assignment cover sheet. Failure to hand in
on this date will mean that you will only have one further opportunity to hand in your
assignment, with payment for a further submission.

Strategic Planning
Year 2014




Assessment Feedback Form

Assessment Criteria
Achieved
Yes/No
Evidence
Yes/No
Feedback Remarks
(Please include your feedback
remarks)
1.1 Explain the importance of
external factors affecting an
organisation
1.2 Analyse the needs and
expectations of
stakeholders of an
organisation
1.3 Analyse the major change
taking place in the external
environment that will affect
strategy


2.1 Use appropriate tools to
analyse the effects of
current business plans
2.2 Review the position of an
organisation in its current
market
2.3 Evaluate the competitive
strengths and weaknesses
of an organisations current
business strategies


3.1 Use modeling tools to
develop strategic options
for an organisation
3.2 Develop a comparative
understanding of activity
from organisations in the
market
3.3 Create options to form the
basis of future
organisational strategy


4.1 Propose a suitable
structure for a strategy plan
that ensures appropriate
participation from all
stakeholders of an
organisation
4.2 Develop criteria for
reviewing potential options
for a strategy plan
4.3 Construct an agreed
strategy plan that includes
resource implications

Strategic Planning
Year 2014

5.1 Compare core
organisational values
(ethical, cultural,
environmental, social and
business) with the current
business objectives of an
organisation
5.2 Develop appropriate vision
and mission statements for
an organisation
5.3 Produce agreed future
management objectives for
an organisation
5.4 Develop measures for
evaluating a strategy plan

6.1 Develop a schedule for
implementing a strategy
plan in a organisation
6.2 Create appropriate
dissemination process to
gain commitment from
stakeholders in an
organisation
6.3 Design monitoring and
evaluation systems for the
implementation of a
strategy plan in an
organisation



Assessors general comments:




Overall Grade:





Name:


Signature

Date: / /
Internal Verifiers comments on assessment:






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Strategic Planning
Year 2014


Task 1 (AC 1.1, 1.2 &1.3)
Understand the external environment affecting an organisation
Based on an organisation that you work for or one that you are familiar with;
i) Identify external factors affecting the organisation and discuss the
importance of each of them as well as their impact on the organisation.
ii) Analyse the major changes taking place in the external environment of the
organisation as well as their impact on the needs and expectations of
stakeholders.
Task 2 (AC 2.1, 2.2 & 2.3)
Be able to review existing business plans and strategies of an organisation
i) Using appropriate tools analyse and review the effects of current
business plans and the position of the organisation in its current market
ii) Based on the existing (current) business strategies evaluate the
competitive strengths and weaknesses of the organisation.
Task 3 (AC 3.1, 3.2 & 3.3)
Be able to develop options for strategic planning of an organisation
For an organisation (it can be the same one as in the first two tasks as above
or a different one):
i) Use modelling tools to develop a comparative understanding of activity
from organisations in the market and then develop strategic options for the
organisation
ii) Create options to form the basis of future organisational strategy
Task 4: (AC 4.1, 4.2 & 4.3)
Be able to construct a strategy plan for an organisation
For an organisation (same as Task 3):
i) Propose a strategy plan structure to ensure participation from all
stakeholders of the organisation
ii) Develop a criteria for reviewing potential options for a strategy plan
Strategic Planning
Year 2014

iii) Construct a strategy plan for the organisation. Include resource
implications in the strategy plan.
Task 5: (AC 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4 & 5.5)
For an organisation (same as Task 3 and 4):
Be able to examine factors affecting an organisational strategy plan:
i) Compare core organisational values (ethical, cultural, environmental,
social and business) with the business objectives of the organisation
ii) Develop appropriate vision and mission statements for an organisation
iii) Define future management objectives for the organisation
iv) Develop measures for evaluating a strategy plan
Task 6: (AC 6.1, 6.2 & 6.3)
For an organisation (same as Task 3, 4 and 5):
Be able to plan for the implementation of a strategy plan:
i) Develop a schedule for the implementation of strategy plan
ii) Discuss processes and ways of gaining commitment from stakeholders as
far as the implementation of the strategy is concerned
iii) Design systems to monitor and evaluate the implementation of a strategy
plan
Throughout your report you should underpin your empirical findings with theory from
the appropriate literature showing how practice corresponds to, or deviates from,
theory.
Assignment Guidance
As a guideline the assignment should be structured as follows:
Contents page.
Brief introduction about the organization.
Appropriate sections with clear delineation.
Comprehensive literature review of the topic.
A summary of main findings.
Suggestions & recommendations.

Strategic Planning
Year 2014


Note: Appropriate and accurate referencing of all sources used (Harvard reference
system)
Credit will be given for:
Clarity of expression
Coherence of structure
Evidence of research citing sources with adequate referencing
Strength of argument
Insight in argument

Student Guidelines

1. The font size should be 12 (for the body) and size 14 (for the heading).
Please try to use Arial or times New Roman for the Font face.

2. You should write this assignment in report style and should address each set
task (i.e. parts a, b and c) separately.


3. You should use diagrams and tables of figures where appropriate ensuring to
reference their sources.

4. You should include a list of references using the Harvard referencing system.

5. For each of the four high-level learning outcomes there is a recommended word
count of 1000. Please note that this is for guidance only and you may find that
more words are required to achieve the higher levels (merit or distinction).
However, there is an absolute limit of 6000 for the substantive parts (excluding
table of contents, diagrams, references and appendices) of the overall submission
and your exact total word count should be indicated on the first page.

Indicative resource materials

Textbooks

Barney J Gaining and Sustaining Competitive Advantage, 4th Edition (Pearson
Education, 2010) ISBN 0132479060
Cusumano M A and Markides C Strategic Thinking for the Next Economy
(Jossey-Bass, 2001) ISBN 0787957291
De Wit, B and Meyer R Strategy: Process, Content, Context, 3rd
EditionCengage Learning EMEA, 2004) ISBN 1861529643
Grant R Contemporary Strategy Analysis, 7th Edition (John Wiley and Sons,
2010) ISBN 0470747099
Gratton L Living Strategy: Putting People at the Heart of Corporate Purpose
(Financial Times/Prentice Hall, 2000) ISBN 0273650157
Strategic Planning
Year 2014


Harrison J S Strategic Management of Resources and Relationships: Concepts
and Cases (John Wiley and Sons, 2002) ISBN 0471222925
Johnson G, Scholes K and Whittington R Exploring Corporate Strategy, 8th
Edition (Financial Times/Prentice Hall, 2008) ISBN 1408206935
Johnson G and Scholes K Exploring Public Sector Strategy (Financial
Times/Prentice Hall, 2000) ISBN 0273646877
Kaplan R and Norton D The Strategy-focused Organization: How Balanced
Scorecard Companies Thrive in the New Business Environment (Harvard
Business School Press, 2000) ISBN 1578512506
Lynch R Corporate Strategy, 4th Edition (Financial Times/Prentice Hall, 2005)
ISBN 0273701789
McGee J, Thomas H and Wilson D Strategy: Analysis and Practice (McGraw-
Hill Higher Education, 2005) ISBN 0077107055
Mintzberg H The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning (Financial Times/Prentice
Hall, 2000) ISBN 0273650378
Mintzberg H, Ahlstrand B and Lampel J Strategy Safari: Your Complete Guide
Through the Wilds of Strategic Management, 2nd Edition (Financial
Times/Prentice Hall, 2008) ISBN 0273719580
Pettigrew A M, Thomas H and Whittington R (Eds) The Handbook of Strategy
and Management (Sage, 2006) ISBN 141292121X
Stacey R D Strategic Management and Organisational Dynamics, 6th Edition
(Financial Times/Prentice Hall, 2010) ISBN 0273725599

Journals
Academy of Management Journal (Academy of Management)
British Journal of Management (John Wiley and Sons)
California Management Review (University of California, Berkeley)
European Management Journal (Elsevier)
Harvard Business Review (Harvard Business Publishing)
Journal of Business Strategy (Emerald)
Journal of Management Studies (John Wiley and Sons)
Long Range Planning (Elsevier)
MIT Sloan Management Review (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Strategic Change (John Wiley and Sons)
Strategy and Leadership (Emerald)




Strategic Planning
Year 2014


Websites
www.ft.com Financial Times
www.managers.org.uk Chartered Management Institute
www.sps.org.uk Strategic Planning Society

Achievement of a pass grade
A pass grade is achieved by meeting all the requirements defined in the assessment criteria
for each individual unit.




























Strategic Planning
Year 2014