Issues management: the other side of strategic planning

Most health services organizations follow a strategic planning model that emphasizes organizational changes to adapt to the environment. This limited view overlooks the possibility of changing the environment to better suit the organization's goals. Health services leaders in particular are concerned because they have not been effectively engaged in dealing with external policy matters. A strategic issues management system provides an integrated approach to this responsibility and can be established by expanding current strategic management activities. Additional resources will be required for new analyses and interpretations and for more intense interaction with stakeholders, but these costs will be significantly less than the benefits realized from operation of an effective strategic issues management system.