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Developing a vision and goals

The SWOT analysis, including the draft vision and draft goals, plus the examination of how regional development and eWork are implemented, will together form the building blocks for developing the actual vision, and then the goals and strategies necessary for carrying this out. Opportunity should be allowed for as wide a consultation process as possible, especially as a focus on ICT and eWork may be something new and unfamiliar for many actors and stakeholders so that substantial awareness raising may be necessary.

Vision

A short (and preferably inspiring) statement of what the region is able to, and wishes to, do or be over the medium or long-term in relation to eWork, as well as to regional development more generally, needs to be developed. It is necessary, as far as possible, for a shared vision to be established of what the area should be in the future. A vision statement should be prepared to establish a sense of purpose and direction for the rest of the planning and implementation process. This vision statement should reflect the views put forward by local stakeholders. It is likely to be effective if they feel they ‘own’ it — but not if they feel that it has been imposed from outside.

Once the vision, as a short statement, is prepared and agreed, the following can be developed and specified in sequence:

Goals

Goals are desirable future conditions which can achieve the vision statement. Goals should be forward looking (ie long term) and synergetic (ie complement each other), but there must not be too many otherwise resources and effort will be spread too thinly. Draft goals should have arisen out of the SWOT analysis.

  Examples of eWork goals

Strategies

A strategy describes the steps and components, and how they are achieved, leading from individual projects, through objectives to goals, and then the vision. Thus, each goal is operationalised by designing a strategy as a relatively detailed description of measurable objectives and projects. (Step 6)

Objectives

These are realistic, measurable targets of how and when each goal (or part of a goal) is to be achieved as part of the strategy. (Step 6)

Projects

These are manageable units of effort each with its own time horizon, resources (inputs, including funding), activities and outputs which can be measured against the objective they serve. (Step 6)

The relationship between components making up a strategy
(Note: this is an elaborated scheme — it may not be necessary to implement all steps or components)

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© 2002, Institute for Employment Studies