On 28 May 2012 11:49, Jon Davies jon.davies@wikimedia.org.uk wrote:
The latest version of our five year plan is now available for comment before being taken to the Board on July 1st.
Thank you for posting this. In particular, thank you for posting it in a format that is much easier for us to discuss and edit.
Please remember that this is a plan that will change annually and will not be set in stone.
It is broad brush - looking for where we are going but not the exact details.
Targets and metrics will be attached when the detail is teased out.
I'm a little confused by when you plan to add the targets and metrics. On that page you say "at the level below", what does that mean? Do you mean you'll only add targets when creating an annual plan based on the 5 year plan? If so, I disagree with that approach. There is little point having a plan if you can't tell whether or not you are achieving it.
Year one relates to the period from which it is adopted - hopefully July 1st.
It seems very confusing to have the planning cycle not match the financial cycle. Shouldn't the plan start at the beginning of the next financial year, ie. 1 February 2013?
It tries to find a balance of realism and optimism.
It is not a strategic plan - strategy is what you do in response to circumstances.
I disagree with that definition. Wiktionary defines strategy as:
"1.The science and art of military command as applied to the overall planning and conduct of warfare 2.A plan of action intended to accomplish a specific goal 3.The art of using similar techniques in politics or business"
(http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/strategy)
The second definition sounds like exactly what we're trying to do here. We're specifying goals and (broadly) how we're going to achieve them.