Assignment:
The vision that I have for the Directorate of Gender Affairs, which is the national gender machinery, is to be an organization that impacts and changes lives in a meaningful. The mission of the Directorate of Gender Affairs is to be the leading agency in responding to and advocating for the eradication of persisting gender inequalities and inequities in all forms, through; sensitization and awareness, gender mainstreaming, programs, policies and community-based action that make a notable contribution to the national development of Antigua and Barbuda. This can only be done through strategic planning and measuring and evaluating the work of the Directorate so that those improvements can be made and gaps can be closed where they exist.
The Directorate of Gender Affairs must ensure that it is able to respond to the changing needs of individuals and to the clients that the programs and policies seek to serve. Strategic planning is used to translate the organization’s mandate, vision and values into realistic and achievable goals. The strategic planning process provides a road map for organizations such as the Directorate of Gender Affairs to be in a position to address the needs and changes that may arise in the organization.
Further, the Directorate of Gender Affairs can benefit from strategic planning by clearing defining the purpose of the organization and by establishing realistic goals and objectives that are consistent with the mission of the organization in a defined time frame within the organization’s capacity for implementation.
Strategic planning also assists the organization with communicating the goals and objectives of the organization to constituents. Based on experience also, when organizations work collectively to develop the strategic direction of the organization they develop a sense of ownership of the plan and direction of the organization. It also ensures that the mist effective use is made of the organization’s resources that the organization has and also ensuring that the key priorities are implemented. Also, strategic planning would assist the organization in providing a base from which progress can be measured and will also help with establishing a mechanism for informed change when the need arise.
The Directorate of Gender Affairs, in its effort to be the leading agency for gender equality and women’s empowerment must ensure that there is a clear road map to be followed with the organization’s goals and objectives must be clearly articulated. It therefore means that strategic planning is of utmost importance to bring the skills, knowledge and experience of everyone in the organization together to ensure that the resources are used effectively.
Finally, stakeholders have a pertinent role in the work of the organization and having a strategic plan in place will allow stakeholder groups to monitor and evaluate the work of the organization and to contribute their skills and expertise throughout the implementation process. The organization will have a positive impact on the future using strategic planning by ensuring that the needs of the population it serves are met and that the population, particularly women and girls are empowered to realize their potentials and life more meaningful lives.
References:
Bryson, J. M. (2011). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.