Discussion: Business Planning

Discussion: Business Planning

Program planning, strategic planning, business planning. This Discussion asks you to consider the relationships and intersections between these essential forms of planning.

All programs should have a strategic plan, as well as a sound business plan to guide their endeavors. Although completing a robust business plan (or a strategic plan) is beyond the scope of this course, it is beneficial to understand how and why such a plan could be useful for your program. Give some thought to this as you engage in this Discussion with your colleagues.

To prepare:

Review the information in the Learning Resources, focusing on Chapter 4 of Assessment and Planning in Health Programs (for the logic model), as well as additional resources on business planning such as the U.S. Small Business Administration website.

Conduct additional research on your own regarding the relationship between strategic planning and business planning, and consider how these relate to program planning.

ADDRESSES THE FOLLOWING:

1. What is the prospective impact of a business plan on the strategic planning of a program? Support your response with references to the logic model and program theory models.
2. How does business planning relate to program planning? Support your response with an example from the literature.

REFRENCES

Hodges, B. C., & Videto, D. M. (2011). Assessment and planning in health programs (2nd ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

• Review Chapter 4, “Program Planning: The Big Picture”
• Review Chapter 5, “Social Marketing, Program Planning, and Implementation”

As you review Chapter 4, focus on the budgeting information presented on pp. 113–115.

Kettner, P. M., Moroney, R. M., & Martin, L. L. (2017). Designing and managing programs: An effectiveness-based approach (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

• Chapter 12, “Budgeting for Financial Control, Management, and Planning”
• Chapter 13, “Developing Line-Item, Functional, and Program Budgeting Systems”

Chapter 12 introduces budgeting as an important part of the planning process, noting that it also serves essential management and control functions for programs. Chapter 13 addresses three systems of budgeting—line item, functional, and program—each of which has a distinct focus.

Gaskin, J., Rennie, C., & Coyle, D. (2015). Reducing periconceptional methylmercury exposure: Cost-utility analysis for a proposed screening program for women planning a pregnancy in Ontario, Canada. Environmental Health Perspectives, 123(12), 1337-1344 doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409034.

Palumbo, M.V., Sikorski, E.A. & Liberty, B.C. (2013). Exploring the cost-effectiveness of unit-based health promotion activities for nurses. Workplace Health & Safety, 61(12), 514-520.

U.S. Small Business Administration. (n.d.). Writing a business plan. Retrieved December 12, 2011, from http://www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/starting-managing-business/starting-business/writing-business-plan

The “Writing a Business Plan” section of this website introduces elements of a good business plan, which is an essential document for any program. Investigate the information presented. In addition, see the “Preparing Your Finances” section for information on break-even analysis and other budgeting-related matters.