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Strategic Thinking & Public Sector Planning

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PSL-502xtraLesson PublicLeadership & Governance in Public SectorIntermediate
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About Course

Course Code: PSL-502

Pillar: Leadership & Governance in Public Sector

Course Overview: Strategic thinking helps public institutions look beyond immediate activity and make deliberate choices about future needs, priorities, risks, resources, and outcomes. Effective planning then translates that direction into coordinated and measurable action.

Learners analyse the strategic environment, define priorities, align stakeholders and resources, develop implementation plans, monitor progress, and adapt responsibly while keeping mandates, public value, and service realities in view.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Explain the role of strategic thinking in public sector leadership.
  • Understand how public sector planning supports institutional priorities and citizen outcomes.
  • Analyze internal and external factors that affect government planning.
  • Align team, departmental, and service plans with institutional strategy.
  • Identify strategic priorities, risks, trade-offs, and resource implications.
  • Translate strategic objectives into practical action plans, initiatives, and performance measures.
  • Support planning through stakeholder awareness, evidence, and public value thinking.
  • Develop a practical strategic planning improvement plan for a government role, team, department, or service area.

Target Audience: Public-sector supervisors, managers, department heads, emerging leaders, planners, strategy and policy teams, performance professionals, service leaders, project leads, and senior specialists with planning responsibilities.

Course-specific Learning Experience: Learners engage through focused video overviews, audio deep dives, study guides, practical examples, reflection prompts, workbook activities, applied tasks, discussion activities, knowledge checks, and end-of-module quizzes. Activities support environmental analysis, priority setting, stakeholder and resource alignment, implementation planning, monitoring, and strategic adaptation.

Course Structure: 5 modules / 20 lessons.

Special Feature: Every module concludes with a Putting It All Together audio deep dive that connects the key lessons and supports reflection and practical application.

Pathway Focus: Understand the environment. Set priorities. Turn strategy into action.

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Course Content

Course Introduction
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  • Strategic Thinking & Public Sector Planning
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Foundations of Strategic Thinking in Government
This module introduces Foundations of Strategic Thinking in Government within Strategic Thinking & Public Sector Planning. Introduce learners to strategic thinking as a public sector leadership capability that supports better direction-setting, prioritization, public value creation, and institutional performance. Learners explore Understanding Strategic Thinking in Public Service, Strategy, Planning and Public Value, Mandate, Vision, Mission and Strategic Priorities, and Strategic Thinking as a Leadership Behavior.

Understanding the Strategic Environment
This module introduces Understanding the Strategic Environment within Strategic Thinking & Public Sector Planning. Help learners analyze the internal and external environment that shapes public sector priorities, planning choices, risks, constraints, and opportunities. Learners explore Scanning the Public Sector Environment, Stakeholder Needs and Strategic Expectations, Identifying Strategic Risks and Opportunities, and Using Evidence in Strategic Planning.

Strategic Planning and Priority Setting
This module introduces Strategic Planning and Priority Setting within Strategic Thinking & Public Sector Planning. Enable learners to understand how public institutions define priorities, set objectives, evaluate options, and make planning choices that support public value and institutional performance. Learners explore Setting Strategic Objectives, Prioritizing What Matters Most, Strategic Trade-Offs and Resource Choices, and Aligning Plans Across Teams and Institutions.

Translating Strategy into Action
This module introduces Translating Strategy into Action within Strategic Thinking & Public Sector Planning. Help learners convert strategic priorities into practical initiatives, action plans, responsibilities, timelines, performance indicators, risks, and implementation routines. Learners explore From Strategic Objectives to Initiatives, Building Action Plans and Implementation Roadmaps, Measuring Strategic Progress, and Monitoring, Review and Course Correction.

Leading Strategic Planning Practice
This module introduces Leading Strategic Planning Practice within Strategic Thinking & Public Sector Planning. Enable learners to strengthen strategic planning practices through leadership, stakeholder engagement, communication, collaboration, review discipline, and continuous improvement. Learners explore Leading Strategic Planning Conversations, Communicating Strategy Clearly, Building Planning Discipline and Accountability, and Strategic Thinking and Public Sector Planning Action Plan.

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