In large complex public service organisations, integrating plans might well
be seen as a somewhat Herculean task. The goals and objectives may be simply
expressed but achieving them is not. Public sector organisations are expected
to have corporate and business plans – sometimes several different plans
each with a different focus, meeting the needs of a range of stakeholders, including
central government policy departments and regulatory authorities.
Planning is an important activity, but isn’t an end in itself. Planning
lets organisations build a picture of their future activity and about how they
intend to achieve their goals and objectives.
‘In many public sector bodies, the annual financial
planning process is often only loosely connected to the strategic and service
planning process’.
World Class Financial Management: a discussion paper,
Audit Commission 2005
Plans must join up and have both an operational and a financial dimension.
The expert input of service managers is needed so that operational plans reflect
the right mix of aspiration and realism. And all organisations are subject to
financial discipline and meeting their financial objectives has to be part of
the equation. So finance and operations cannot be independent of each other.
Despite this, the existence of a gulf between financial and operational plans
is a familiar picture to many organisations.
This expert guide recommends practical steps that can be taken to bridge the
gap, covering people, processes and tools. None of these steps are sufficient
in their own right, but taken together they will mesh the financial and operational
strands at a number of points, starting with strategy and planning, working
through performance management, and feedback through the review process.
Integrated Planning: An Overview of Approaches is intended to provide
an overview of how an integrated planning process can be approached and made
to work more effectively for planners, finance and operational staff who play
a part in it. The first section examines the overall process and includes a
summary for senior management and board members about their part in setting
the direction and deciding on alternative options when finalising the overall
plan. The second section looks at elements of the cycle and suggests techniques
and approaches for better planning outcomes. The guide also offers brief summaries
of the techniques and approaches involved in planning and links to sources for
further details and advice.
Achieving joined up planning is as much about people, motivation, and leadership
as it is about techniques and processes. There will not be one right way of
doing it, no golden rivet that puts every link in place, but improvements can
be achieved and this readily accessible guide will show you how.
Download Contents and Foreword:
£95.00 per copy
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