Analysis of Roles of Collaboration, Cooperation, and Coordination in Implementing Strategic Plan for the Department of Homeland Security
Strategy implementation just like its formulation must follow a defined approach to achieve the desired result. Nonetheless, it is important to have collaboration, cooperation, and coordination in the implementation process of strategic plans of any organization. According to Bryson (2011), implementation of strategies acts as a transition from their planning phase where they are incorporated in different subsystems of the organization to bring the desired value.
Concerning the Department of Homeland Security, collaboration, cooperation, and coordination are crucial in the effort of achieving the desired outcomes as intended in the department’s strategic plans. There is a need for the management and the entire stakeholders of the Department of Homeland Security to practice these values to realize effectiveness and efficiency as it is desired in its strategic plan. Nevertheless, it is postulated by Koteen (1997) that collaboration, cooperation, and coordination in the implementation process of any organization have several roles that help to attain targets in the strategic plan.
To begin with, collaboration, cooperation, and coordination in the implementation process of the strategic plan have the role of creating and sustaining a coalition that supports the implementation of changes. However, for the coalition to be created there is a need for all stakeholders of the Department of Homeland Security to have good working relationships that are characterized by collaboration and cooperation and where people are willing to share ideas while working in harmony. This ensures the realization of the common good for the organization. Nonetheless, it is also relevant that the implementation process should be overseen by good coordination exercise so that tasks can be synchronized to avoid conflicts that may occur as a result of poor organization.
Moreover, it is important to acknowledge collaboration, cooperation and coordination in the implementation process of the strategy plans since it helps to prevent the likelihood of failure that may come as a result of resistance. Consequently, these usually occur as a result of negative beliefs and attitudes towards desired changes that strategic plans may desire to achieve. However, concerning the Department of Homeland Security, the department seeks to carry out the education of its stakeholders concerning strategic plans in the effort of reducing resistance to changes in the implementation process.
Furthermore, it is relatively important to note that collaboration, cooperation, and coordination in the implementation phase help to create a network that may help to redesign an environment in the organization that can ensure long term changes in the department. This is possible since these elements help stakeholders in the organization to act as one team. As a result, any change in management like transfer of senior management from the department will still render the department viable since the organization is built on pillars of collaboration, cooperation, and coordination.
Guidelines to help Facilitate Implementation of Strategic Plan
Implementation of the strategic plan of the Department of Homeland Security will follow certain guidelines. These guidelines are desired to result in the expected value of strategic plans. To begin with, a strategy document for implementation will be developed. This document will indicate the responsibility of key parties who will be involved in the implementation process.
Moreover, the action plan will also be in place as a guideline to oversee the implementation process. In this plan, it will be necessary to outline expected results, roles of parties involved, schedules showing the time frame of activities and the resource required for each specific activity.
Furthermore, implementation guideline of the Department of Homeland Security will prioritize changes that may be introduced rapidly and easily as it progresses to more complex changes. This is desired to help the implementation process by avoiding resistance in its initial stages to give it good momentum in the initial phase (Landskroner, 2002).
Description of Department of Homeland Security
Department of Homeland Security is a specialized organ of the government of the United States that came into existence following the occurrence of the terrorists’ attack of September 11, 2001. The department has the responsibility of protecting the United States against terrorists, natural disasters and man-made uncertainties (Homeland Security, 2011).
Guidelines for Implementing a Strategic plan in the Department of Homeland Security
Concerning the implementation of a strategic plan of the Department of Homeland Security, the department will follow three guidelines. These guidelines include creating a strategy document for the implementation process; action plans that details the implementation process and prioritization of changes.
About these guidelines, it is relatively important to appreciate that having a strategy document of implementation plan during implementation aid the process since it acts as a guiding principle as it prioritizes the most necessary changes that need to be implemented first (Poister, 2003). Nonetheless, it is also important to have an action plan that provides details on the implementation process. For instance, matters of scheduling will need to be covered in this guideline to make sure that all plans are implemented as per the specified timeframe. Furthermore, prioritization of changes will serve as a guideline in the implementation process since plans can be categorized as short term, medium-term or long term plans. Therefore, prioritization will help to implement this plan in its required time limit.
To wind up, to be able to follow these guidelines, it will be important to carry out regular evaluation of this implementation process. Evaluation will determine whether the process is on course as desired or whether some changes are required to take the implementation process back on track. This helps the process as it will act as a monitor in the implementation process.
References
Bryson, J.M. (2011). Strategic Planning: For Public and Nonprofit Organizations. U.S: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Koteen, J. (1997). Strategic Management in Public and Nonprofit Organizations. US: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
Landskroner, R.A. (2002). The Nonprofit Manager’s Resource Directory. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Homeland Security. (2011). Quadrennial Homeland Security Review Report. Web.
Poister, T.H. (2003). Measuring Performance in Public and Nonprofit Organisations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.