Instruments

How is strategic development supported?

In contents, distinctions are often made between strategic issues, objectives, and strategies. These are interrelated but different content components. Strategic issues serve to determine emphasis and delimit the purpose of strategic action. Objectives provide reference and — in a rational understanding of management — set a standard for evaluat- ing success. The strategies already discussed represent the core content of strategic management (as plan, as pattern, etc.). The interplay and interaction among these three content components can vary accord- ing to the conception of strategic management.

Actors are the active, participant organizations, groups, individu- als in the strategic development process. At the same time, actors are as a rule the senior managers within the administration, politicians, administration employees, and other stakeholders. The most impor- tant actors in strategic management are the senior managers in the administration. They bear the main responsibility for strategic proc- esses and contents as well as for the application and integration of in- struments. Moreover, where strategic management public administra- tion is concerned, the role of political actors is of great importance.

This overview of the process addresses the question how strategies are developed or how strategy develops. In strategic processes, distinc- tions are typically made between the phases of strategic development or formulation, implementation, and evaluation. Even if these phases are often represented in ideal form as a control circuit, cohesive control systems or cyclically performing strategic processes cannot be assumed in reality. The consideration of processes is important for understand- ing evidence and functionality of other elements of conception, for they provide insight, for example into how certain strategies or goals come into being or how instruments are applied and developed.

For the different tasks and challenges that are to be affected with- in the framework of strategic management, a number of instruments have emerged and become established.

Distinctions can be made between instruments for analysis (e.g. SWOT analysis, portfolio analysis, evaluations), for conception (e.g. mission, vision, planning, goals, indicators), and implementation (e.g., performance and target agreements, budgeting, monitoring).

N o t e:

SWOT analysis — единый анализ возможностей, опасностей, сильных и слабых сторон деятельности организации, т.е. анализ четырех полей

EXERCISES

1. Find the words in the text for the following transcription (the number of the paragraph is given in the bracket). Practice the pronunciation.

2. Read and translate the words and their derivatives.

strategy—strategic—strategist retention—retentive—retentiveness increment—incrementally to contradict—contradiction—contradictory

conscious—consciousness

to integrate—integration—integrated to participate—partici pant—partici pation partial—partially cycle—cyclic—cycling—cyclist