Strategic planning in public organizations: reviewing 35 years of research

Abstract

Strategic planning’s popularity in public organizations cannot be denied, with legislative initiatives even making it mandatory for certain public organizations. Due to strategic planning’s continued popularity in practice, recent years have seen a surge in research on the topic. A synthesis of said research is necessary to identify empirical, conceptual, theoretical, and methodological challenges that remain to be tackled. Drawing from a systematic review of 75 studies through a Strategy-as-Practice lens, this paper contributes to public management theory, research, and practice in three significant ways. First, it provides a structured synthesis and integration of a growing and disparate body of literature, offering a roadmap for future research on strategic planning in public organizations. Second, it proposes a middle-range theoretical framework that captures the complex and dynamic nature of strategic planning in public organizations, providing insight into how strategic planning is conducted and why it may or may not work in certain contexts. Finally, it offers practical relevance for public managers and other public professionals by providing an overview of the various strategic planning choices available and how to optimize them according to their unique contexts and desired outcomes.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) under Grant 11E7422N.

Notes on contributors

Laure Vandersmissen

Laure Vandersmissen ([email protected]) is a doctoral student at the Department of Public Governance and Management, Ghent University, Belgium. Her research primarily centers around strategic planning in transnational and network governance contexts. Laure holds two master’s degrees: one in Public Administration and Management from Ghent University and one in International Relations and Diplomacy from the University of Antwerp. She is a fellow of the Research Foundation Flanders.

Bert George

Bert George ([email protected]) is associate professor at the Department of Public and International Affairs at the City University of Hong Kong. Previous tenured positions have been at the Erasmus University Rotterdam and Ghent University. Bert’s research focuses on strategic planning and management in public administration, public service performance and behavioral public policy. He is editor of Public Administration Review.