Strategic Planning for Open Futures
Status: Completed February 2023
Client: Open Futures
Background
Open Futures is a disability support provider based near Queensland’s Sunny Coast. They offer a range of services to help people with disabilities live independent and fulfilling lives. Their services include personal care, daily living assistance, community participation, home modifications, social skills development, and 24/7 support. Open Futures also prioritises creating a supportive community by matching individuals with like-minded peers to share their living space and experiences.
Beacon Strategies was engaged by Open Futures to help them with a strategic planning process that would help them to provide clarity and focus on the organisation's future direction, service offerings, and long-term strategic priorities, amid significant growth.
A new CEO with strategic expertise had recently taken the helm of Open Futures, fostering the leadership team's willingness to take part in the process.
Approach
The project was delivered over four distinct phases as summarised below:
PHASE 1: PROJECT ESTABLISHMENT
Project governance arrangements were established and key aspects of project delivery, including timelines and accountabilities were confirmed.
PHASE 2: WORKSHOP 1
We prepared and facilitated an interactive workshop with the Open Futures leadership team using a SOAR analysis structure.
PHASE 3: WORKSHOP 2
A second workshop was held with the broader leadership team at Open Futures. The key findings from Workshop 1 were presented, and work was carried out to further develop the key strategic priorities.
PHASE 4: REPORTING
A final reporting product was developed based off the information gathered from workshops 1 and 2.
Project outcome
We submitted a comprehensive final report that outlined the process and findings from Workshops 1 and 2. The report included:
Vision for Open Futures: a clear statement outlining the future direction of Open Futures, defining the organisation's long-term goals and aspirations.
Core Business and Service Offerings: An articulate description of the organisation's core business, highlighting the services and solutions it provides to its stakeholders.
Key Strategic Priorities: an outline of the org’s crucial strategic priorities for the upcoming years, along with a prioritisation plan.
Program Outlines: Detailed descriptions of the programs to be implemented to achieve the key strategic priorities.. Relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and success measures were incorporated where applicable to assess program effectiveness.
With this comprehensive final report, we aimed to present a clear roadmap for Open Futures, ensuring a focused and effective approach in achieving its vision and organisational objectives.
Impact alignment
The strategic planning project for Open Futures aligns with our vision of 'a more impactful social purpose sector' in a number of ways. Primarily, the project aimed to clarify and focus Open Futures' service offerings, which are crucial in assisting individuals with disabilities to live independent and fulfilling lives. These improvements can increase impact of the services and contribute more effectively to people who experience disabilities in Queensland.
