Planning

Learning Objectives
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
Define planning;
explain types of plan;
Analyze formal planning process(steps);
describe the outcomes of planning
Acquire planning skills so as to plan and prepare health
action plan for HSO or a health project
Conduct SWOT analysis
10/29/2024 2
 Planning

Planning
• It is the process of deciding and establishing an
organizational goals / objectives and suitable course of
actions to achieve these goals/ objectives.
• Is the action you take today to prepare for tomorrow.

• generally planning defines the direction you intend to go.

• Helps to deal with the present and anticipate the future.

• Deciding in advance on what, how, when and with whom

to do.
10/29/2024 3
 Planning cont’d…
• Health planning is the process of defining
community health problems, identifying needs and
resources, establishing priority goals and setting out
the administrative action needed to reach those goals.
It’s concerned with both ends (what) and means
(how).

10/29/2024 4
 Planning cont’d…

• Important components of planning are the

concept of
– Where are we going (objectives)

– With what (resources)

– How (efficient and appropriate implemented)

– When (future)
10/29/2024 5
 Purpose of planning

 Match resources with problem

 Best use of scarce resources

 Avoid duplication and wasteful expenditure

 Develop a best course of action

10/29/2024 6
 Planning cont’d…
Attributes of planning
• Futuristic
 anticipate the future
 what is required and
 how it will be accomplished
• Decision making
 determines what is to be done: when, where, how, and for what
purpose.
 choosing among the alternatives. Resource allocation.
• Continuous and dynamic Why?
 because planned activities are affected by internal and external
factors. And
 need for environment scanning and adaptive changes
• 10/29/2024
Taproot for the other elements of management process
7
 Types of planning

1. Strategic Planning
2. Tactical Planning
3. Operational Planning

1- Strategic Planning: is process of analyzing and

deciding on the organization's mission, objectives,
major strategies, major resource allocation
• Strategic planning is:
 Performed by top level mangers, mostly long range in its
time frame, expressed in relatively non-specific terms
 Type of planning that provide general direction

10/29/2024 8
 Planning cont’d…
2- Tactical Planning

• Tactical plans implement strategic plans through

coordinating the work of different departments in
the organization.
• Tactical plans have more details, shorter time
frames and narrower scope than strategic plans.
• Midlevel managers: design and implement programs and
policies in their area of responsibility.
10/29/2024 9
 Planning cont’d…
3- Operational Planning
 Most specific and detailed
 Concerned with day-to-day activities
 Short-range and more specific and more detailed.
 Contains details for carrying out or implementing
those plans in day-to-day activities,
 First line managers: plan in relation to specific
operations or activities e.g. scheduling work activity

10/29/2024 10
 Strategic plan Vs Operational plan

1.Time horizon: long time versus short time

2.Scope: wide range of goals versus narrow range operations.
3.Degree of detail: simplistic and general versus detail and
specific activities.
4. Who plans: Top level Vs supervisory managers

10/29/2024 11
 Components of strategic plan
– mission,

– Vision, goals &

– Strategy

– objective

Mission
 A mission statement identifies/states the purposes and
reasons for which the organization exists.
 It specifies the unique aim of the organization.
10/29/2024 12
 VISION
• Is a method which can be used to create a picture of
where the organization to be some years is the future

• Is a concrete mental picture of the Organization’s future

 It is “a strategic view of the future direction and a guiding
concept of what the organization is trying to do and to
become”.
 Shared vision is very important to inspire organizational
members
10/29/2024 13
 Mission and vision
E.g. 1- City administration health office
Mission: To reduce morbidity and mortality
through provision of quality and equitable,
promotive, preventive and curative health
services to the inhabitants in the city
administration.
Vision: We aspire to see healthy and productive
inhabitants in the city administration.

10/29/2024 14
 SMART OBJECTIVES
 Specific- helps to solve the cause of the problem that it
is meant to solve.
 Measurable- allows monitoring / Evaluation
 Appropriate- to the problems, goals & strategies
 Realistic- achievable & meaningful
 Time specific (bound)- has specified period of time
• E.g. By the year 2005, 50% of eligible pregnant mothers
will receive antiretroviral therapy in Jimma town.
• A target:- establishes a measured amount of output to be
achieved in relation to a health objective through a
specific program activity.

10/29/2024 15
 Strategies
 The means/ways of accomplishing organizational objectives.

• Is the action taken to achieve the long term goals or objectives

• Strategies:
– Expansion and rehabilitation of H/facilities.
– Adopt and develop standardized operational guidelines.
– Establish strong public-private partnership.
– Establishing E-HMIS or mobile reporting system, etc.
– Strengthening HEP

10/29/2024 16
 Strategies Cont..

• SWOT:- (strengths and weakness. Opportunities and

threats) is a strategic planning tool that matches

internal organizational strengths and weakness with

external opportunities & threats

• By reviewing SWOT, a useful strategy for achieving

objectives will become evident In the health sector.

10/29/2024 17
 SWOT ANALYSIS: a frame work for selecting strategies

Positive Negative

Internal Strength Weakness

1 3
External Opportunity Threat
2 4

10/29/2024 18
• Strengths may be considered availability of resources and

trained human power.

• Weaknesses include lack of managerial talent and

obsolete facilities.

• Threats include adverse cultural believes towards modern

medical practice and growing cost of essential drugs

• Opportunities are clear and supportive government

policies and presence of a functional health committee in

the communities
10/29/2024 19
 The steps of health planning

In the planning process, there are six steps:

– Situational analysis
– Priority setting
– Setting objectives and targets
– Identifying potential obstacles and limitations
– Designing the strategies
– Writing the plan
10/29/2024 20
 Steps in health planning….
1. SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
• The first stage in the development of a
planning
• improve the understanding of the current
situation.
• It allows the selection of priority areas of
concern
10/29/2024 21
 Situational analysis cont’d. . .
Contents
1. Population characteristics
 Study the size, composition and distribution of
the population.
 Identify the target groups
 Determine population size by category
 Estimate overall population growth
 Determine educational and cultural characteristics

10/29/2024 22
 Situational analysis cont’d. . .
2. Area characteristics and infrastructures
 Assess:
 Geographical and topographical situations
 Infrastructures –transport modes and routes, means
of communication, water supply and sanitary
facilities, electric supplies etc
 Socioeconomic situations-distribution of family
income
 Public and private sector structure

10/29/2024 23
 Situational analysis cont’d. . .

3. Policy and political environment

 The national policies, programs and priorities

 Relate actual situation in the area of concern with

these guidelines

10/29/2024 24
 Situational analysis cont’d. . .
4. Health need analysis
 Analyzing the health needs and the magnitude of
health problems is a basic prerequisite for planning
 analyzing the health needs and the magnitude of
health problems
 Medical perceived
 Community perceived

10/29/2024 25
 Situational analysis cont’d. . .

5.Review past implementation experience

6. Analyze organizational structure and identify
limitations/bottle necks in organizational
structure
7. Analyze resources

10/29/2024 26
Step 2: PROBLEM PRIORITIZATION
 In a situational analysis list of problems (disease,
resources, health service structure problems were
identified).
 Is identifying priority health problems
 Setting priorities for health services organization in
the light of competing needs and limited resources
 A problem is a difficulty or an obstacle seen to exist
between the present situation and a desired future
situation

10/29/2024 27
 Problem prioritization cont’d…
o In analyzing problems:
 Define clearly what the problem is
 Find all possible causes of the problem
 Don’t confuse ‘problems’ with ‘causes’
E.g. Diarrheal disease ………..problem
 Inadequate and unsafe water supply
 Poor sanitary conditions
 Low level of awareness……..are all causes

10/29/2024 28
 Criteria for problem prioritization
 Magnitude of the problem: the public health
burden imposed by the problem.
 Degree of severity: consequent suffering, death and
disability
 Feasibility: in terms of cost effectiveness, social
acceptability and local sustainability
 Government concern: political acceptability with
consideration of equity and multisectoral approach,
consistency with government plan and budgetary
system
 Community concern: how much does it relate to
community perceived health needs?
10/29/2024 29
Criteria for prioritization cont’d. . .
• Ranking is then done by using criteria on 5 point
scale
i.e. very high (5), high (4), moderate (3), low (2)
and very low (1)
 Involvement of at least primary stakeholders,
experts and health workers is mandatory in
prioritization
10/29/2024 30
 E.g. Prioritization of health problems for DBR
Health Center, Nov, 2013
N Magnitud Severity Feasibil Community Governm Rank
Problem Total
O e ity concern ent
s
concern
2
1 EPI 4 3 5 5 4 21
50%
1
2 Delivery 5 5 5 5 5 25
3.4%
4
3 Latrine 2 2 3 4 4 15
84%
3
4 FP 3 3 5 5 4 20
76%

10/29/2024 31
Step 3: Setting Objectives & Targets
 ’ Describing the desired direction of a service
definition in terms of measurable parameters
 Answers the question “where do we want to go?”
• Importance
Clear statement of objectives enables:
• To decide how to achieve them
• Objectives of a program must be ‘SMART
Eg. in this year 60% of pregnant women will be attend
antenatal care

10/29/2024 32
Step 4 :Identifying potential obstacles and limitations
 Situations that may prevent the achievement of
each objectives & targets
 The limitations may be :
(i) Resources
o Human –lack of interest/skill
o Equipment –not available/Expensive
o Money- lack of budget
o Time- people may not have time
o Information- needed for implementation not
timely/well processed
10/29/2024 33
 Identifying Potential Obstacles & Limitations Cont..

(ii) Environmental obstacles

o Geographical features like lakes, rivers, mountains
o Climate– affect the nature of health problems
o Technical difficulties
o Social factors- taboos, traditions
Three groups of Obstacles
(1) Obstacles that can be removed
(2) Obstacles that can be reduced or modified
(3) Obstacles that can’t be changed

10/29/2024 34
 Step 5: Designing Strategies
• Strategies are the tactics or techniques that should be
devised or adopted & utilized to facilitate the
achievement of objectives & targets.
• Strategies are ways of achieving objectives & targets
• Potential strategies often include
 Technology to be applied
 Procedures to be used &
Defining the role of communities and other sectors

10/29/2024 35
 Designing Strategies cont’d . . .
For each chosen strategy, the corresponding activities to be
undertaken & the resources needed should be
detailed.
• What is to be done?
• Who will do the activities?
• Which resources are needed?
• How?(procedures for technical, administrative,
community
• workers, contribution of other sectors)
• When to do it? (beginning , end)
• Where the work will be done?
• The methods of controlling
10/29/2024 36
 6. WRITING UP THE PLAN
• Purpose of writing a plan
(i) to request funds or resources from the government or
funding agencies
(ii) For monitoring & evaluating the implementation
process by all concerned bodies.

10/29/2024 37
 failing to plan is planning to fail

Plan your work,

Work your plan!

10/29/2024 38
 Group assignment(20%)
Take your organization and;
1. State its mission
2. State its vision
3. Write the core values
4. Assess the current situation(SWOT) in relation to your
objective
5. State one measurable result/objective/
6. Identify the obstacles and limitation
7. Develop an action plan

10/29/2024 39