IDI/OLACEFS Strategic Planning Programme 2011-2012

The CBNA Programme conducted in 2008-2009 for OLACEFS, involved the participation of 16 SAI. It helped identify a number of common needs of SAIs in the region, among which is “Have a Strategic Plan coordinated with the tactical and operational plans that include performance indicators that allow their monitoring and evaluation”.  Accordingly, IDI and OLACEFS initiate a new programme aiming at enhancing the capacity of participating SAIs’ in Strategic Planning, enabling them to have the institutional capacity to develop and manage the implementation of strategic plans.
The IDI-OLACEFS SP Programme (SPP) was launched in October 2011 with the Planning Meeting which was attended by the Heads of the five target SAIs.  The Heads of the seven participating SAIs have been signed a Memorandum of Understanding with IDI and OLACEFS in October- December 2011.
The SSP continued in 2012 with Strategic Planning teams from the five participating SAIs attending Strategic Planning Workshop. The SP teams went back to their SAIs and developed draft Strategic Plans as per agreed milestones. They were invited for a review meeting to receive feedback on the draft plans and attended an Operational Planning Workshop. The teams then returned to their SAIs to implement the Strategic Plan through the Operational Plan 2013 developed for the first year of the Strategic Plan. Thereafter, the monitoring and evaluation will be conducted in 2013-2016 for aiming to measure the final achievement against expected outputs and status of implementation of Strategic Plan.

Expected outcomes: 
* Percentage of SAIs adopting the Strategic Plan developed during the programme
* Percentage of  SAIs developing the Operational Plan 2013 articulating to the Strategic Plan developed during the programme
* Percentage of  SAIs developing and implementing Operational Plan plans articulating to the Strategic Plan for each year of the entire SP period
* Percentage of SAIs having management structure and information system to monitor the implementation of the Strategic Plan
* Percentage of  SAIs institutionalising a strategic planning process
 
Key lessons learnt:
• SAI signing a MOU contributed to the commitment necessary to achieve the programme objectives
• Strong involvement of SAIs in the programme planning contribute to achieve the programme outputs and outcomes
• Participants must be designated as per agreed profile. Emphasis on teamwork, leadership, motivation and efficient time management are necessary 
• The case study applied during the workshops helped to simulate in the classroom, the strategic planning and operational planning process. Learning activities were oriented to teamwork by SAI, this contributed to the consolidation of Strategic Planning Teams.
• It is very useful to have a forum in order for having permanent communication between instructors and Strategic Planning Teams for monitoring Strategic Planning Process in SAIs and provide technical assistance for them.