WHAT IS PLANNING


Planning is deciding in advance what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and who is to do it. Planning bridges the gap from where we are to where we want to go.

Planning can be defined as a management function which establish goals and objectives and the means by which they can be achieved.

Planning is the process of determining which is the best way to approach a particular goal.

Planning is an intellectually demanding process: it requires that we consciously determine courses of action and base our decision on purpose, knowledge,and considered estimates.

WHY PLAN?
Planning prepares the organization for change. If there is anything that sport managers can predict about future events it is that change is inevitable.

1. Planning reduces organizational conflict
2. Planning helps to increase work efficiency in organizations by reducing overlapping and wasteful activities.

ESSENTIALS ELEMENTS OF PLANNING.


Step1: ¯ Research Internal/External Environmental Factors Step 2: ¯ Set Goals and Objectives
Step 3: ¯ Develop Action Plans
Step 4: ¯ Periodic Review
Step 5: ¯ Evaluate Effectiveness of Plans

Regardless of the level of planning and administrator is doing, he or she should follow these six steps :


1. RESEARCH ENVIRONMENTS
You must ask a variety of research questions about your environment to develop achievable objectives. For example, is the economy healthy so that your business will thrive? Will people have the money the purchase your particular service or product? Who are your competitors and do you have the capability to ‘outgun’ them? Are the social and cultural needs and expectations such that people buy your product( i.e., opening a surf).
2. ESTABLISHING OBJECTIVES
the objectives of the plan must be compatible with the objectives of any broader plan already in effect. For example, if a facility committee is planning a new gymnasium for a university, the objectives for the gymnasium must be compatible with the objectives of the departments it will serve.

3. DEVELOPING PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS
Establishing and agreeing to use certain common planning assumptions is the second step in planning. A coordinated planning effort requires that those who are primarily responsible understand and agree to use a consistent set of planning assumptions.
4. COLLECTING INFORMATION
data and estimates must be collected for the situational analysis in planning, and source for the information include those both within and outside of the company or institution.
5. IDENTIFIYING AND APPRAISING ALTERNATIVES
Every alternative or possible course of action will have its advantages and disadvantages. These advantages and disadvantages should be listed.

6. CHOOSING FROM THE ALTERNATIVES
In choosing from the alternatives, the decision maker should be receptive not only to recommendations from the planning committee, but also to input from any and all employees who may have some thoughts regarding the plan.

KINDS OF PLANS

STRATEGIC PLANS
Strategic plans are the broad plans developed by top managers to guide the general directions of the organization.
Strategic plans follow from the major goals of the organization and indicate what business the firm is in or intends to be in and what kind of company its top managers want it to be. The key components of a strategy, then, outline how resources will be deployed and how the organization will position within its environment.

TACTICAL PLANS
Whereas strategic planning has a broad scope and extended time frame, tactical planning has a moderate and intermediate time frame. Tactical plans tend to focus on people and action. That is, they are concerned with how to implement the strategic plans that have already been developed. They deal with specific resources and time constraints.
Tactical planning is most closely associated with middle management rather than top management.

OPERATIONAL PLANS
The third kind of plans is operational plans, of which there are several types. In general, operational plans have the narrowest focus and the shortest time frame. They are usually supervised by middle managers but executed by first-line managers there are two basic kinds of operational plans, standing plans and single-use plans.
Standing Plans: Policies, standard operating procedures, and rules and regulations are forms of standing plans, which are designed to handle recurring situations.
Standing plans are those that are developed to handle recurring and relatively routine situations.
They include policies, standard operating procedures, and rules and regulations.
Single-Use Plans plans set up to handle events that happen only once. The two types of single -use plans are programs and projects

TIME FRAMES FOR PLANNING
LONG RANGE PLANNING
Long-range planning covers a period that can be as short as several years to as long as several decades. Virtually all large companies have long-range plans.
INTERMEDIATE PLANNING
Intermediate planning generally involves a time perspective of between on e and five years. Because of the uncertainties associated with long-range plans, intermediate plans are the primary concern of most organizations. Accordingly, they are usually developed by top managers working in conjunction with middle managers.
SHORT-RANGE PLANNING
Finally, short-range planning covers time periods of one year or less. These plans focus on day-to-day activities and provide a concrete base for evaluating progress toward the achievement of intermediate and long-range plans.

CONTINGENCY PLANNING
Contingency planning is the part of the planning process in which managers alternative courses of action that the organization might follow if various conditions arise.

MANAGING THE PLANNING PROCESS

ROADBLOCKS TO EFFECTIVE PLANNING
The Environment
Resistance to Change
Constraints
Poor Goal Setting
Time and Expense

AVOIDING THE ROADBLOCKS
Start at the Top For planning to be effective, it must start at the top . Top managers must set the goals and strategies that lower-level managers will follow.
Recognizing the Limits
Communicate
Participate
Integrate
Develop Contingency Plans

TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES FOR PLANNING
FORECASTING
Forecasting is the systematic development of predictions about the future.
Revenue Forecasting
Technological forecasting involves predicting breakthroughs and innovations before they happen.

Forecasting techniques

Time-series forecasting, which involves plotting the subject of the forecast against time for a period of several years.
Delphi Forecasting. Delphi forecasting is the systematic refinement of expert opinion. Under the Delphi method a panel of experts is asked to make various predictions.

OTHER PLANNING TECHNIQUES
Linear Programming Linear Programming, or LP, is a method managers use to determine the best combination of resources and activities.

Break-Even Analysis Another useful planning technique is break-even analysis. Break-even analysis helps the manager determine the point at which revenues and costs will be equal.

KEY PRINCIPLES OF PLANNING

PRINCIPLE OF FLEXIBLE PLANNING
Because change is inevitable, plans should be created with change in mind.

PRINCIPLES OF REVIEW AND CHANGE

PRINCIPLES OF PLANNING COMMITMENT

PRINCIPLES OF PLANNING
1. Planning requires a concentrated effort on the part of everyone involved, especially administrators.
2. Planning should start at the top. Without a commitment from the chief executive, few projects or programs have a chance of surviving. Responsibility for the plan itself lies with the director.
3. Planning must be organized. Operating codes and assignment of responsibilities must be precise and free of gaps.
4. Planning must be clear and definite. Everyone involved must have a valid perception of what others are doing.
5. Goals, premises, and strategies must be communicated clearly.
6. Long-range and short-range planning must be integrated and must be complement one another.

MAINTAINING THE PLAN

Maintaining the plan is a critical concern of director, facilitated by these hints on how to stay on track:
1 Do not panic because of current or short-term pressures.
2. Maintain an emphasis on the basic objectives of the program.
3. Fix the responsibility for the preparation and execution of each planning area or section.
4. Coordinate all types of planning required to support the program.
5. Review results periodically and make appropriate revisions.

PES 402 ADMINISTRATION & MANAGEMENT IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS