ABSTRACT
Strategic planning is critical to successfully move a rural organization toward a vision. Strategic planning is important for cross-sector organizations with different initiatives to establish common goals for maximizing aging services. The dynamic and iterative environment of planning, communicating, operationalizing, and adapting describes a strategic planning cycle. In rural communities, the Traditional Strategic Planning framework tends to fit the rural collaborative environment better. A best practice of strategic planning is utilizing the environmental scan and analysis in the reader's community to prepare the planning participants for strategic thinking. Strategic objectives focus on achieving the group’s vision while addressing the identified blocks and taking advantage of the identified strengths. Alignment is the final process in the Analyze & Plan phase of the strategic planning cycle. Key initiatives refer to significant actions or workgroups needed to develop, implement, support, and move the strategic objectives forward. Measurement is essential in the Monitor & Adapt phase of the strategic planning cycle.
