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Environmental scanning for Social Services
1Ministry of Social Services, British Columbia.
Long Range Planning
|September 5, 1992
Summary
This study details a systematic regional environmental scanning process for strategic planning in British Columbia
Area of Science:
- Public Administration
- Environmental Management
- Strategic Planning
Background:
- The Ministry of Social Services (MSS) in British Columbia is a large, regionalized organization delivering services across ten diverse regions.
- Formal strategic planning was adopted in 1988, necessitating the integration of regional specificities into the process.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and implement a systematic regional environmental scanning process within the Ministry of Social Services.
- To ensure that the diverse characteristics of ten service regions are reflected in the ministry's strategic planning.
Main Methods:
- A simple format was created for regional directors to consult staff and scan their regions for medium-term impacting issues.
- Collected regional information was presented to the Senior Management Committee and incorporated into the annual Business Plan.
Main Results:
- The regional environmental scans provided valuable information for the ministry's annual Business Plan, enhancing its content.
- The process proved highly useful for regional staff, directors, and executives in priority setting and budget allocation.
Conclusions:
- Systematic regional environmental scanning is an effective method for informing strategic planning in large, regionalized organizations.
- Integrating diverse regional data enhances the relevance and utility of strategic plans and budget decisions.
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