Asce's Strategic Plan—Issues and Challenges

The ASCE Board of Direction unanimously adopted a Strategic Plan and strategic planning process in April 1985. However, the continuing success of strategic planning for ASCE remains to be assessed over the next two years in terms of the effective implementation of the many Plan initiatives, and maintenance of the broad‐based level of support and participation that is critical to a continuing strategic planning process. The paper, authored by the Chairman of the COSOPO Task Committee on Strategic Planning, traces the development of the Plan over a period, of eighteen months leading to Plan adoption. The paper identifies a number of issues and obstacles to effective strategic planning in general, examines them in light of the ASCE strategic planning process and experience to date, and analyzes the challenges remaining to make strategic planning work for ASCE on a continuing basis. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations for developing a strategic plan and implementing a strategic planning process.