The Price Of Governement-Strategic Reviews

Strategic Reviews
Divesting to Invest

In the budget season, there is often not enough time to handle the politics, and build the necessary public support for deep strategic change. It is important to develop a long-range plan to properly educate and inform community leaders, and the general public of desired shifts in fiscal policies. Smart leaders create forums, and utilize other avenues to accomplish this. The process of “Strategic Review” must also be conducted outside of the budget cycle to allow for proper planning and implementation. This process involves the work of eliminating obsolete functions, and ineffective strategies, developing new strategies, and refining existing policy.

Strategic Reviews often includes the utilization of forums, commissions, and planning groups to help determine priorities, and steering policies. Utilization of such groups can be a very effective form of strategic review, if they are given real authority, and rules are set up so politicians cannot circumvent their decisions.

Strategic Reviews can be conducted in a number of ways, and are most effective when implemented as a reoccurring process, focusing on one policy arena at a time. One common type of review is the “Sunset Review”. This process requires that a program be reauthorized periodically. In most cases sunset reviews lead to fine-tuning rather than eliminating programs, or agencies.