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Develop a Research and Development Strategic Plan You Can Use

Put your research and development strategic plan on one page with this template.

Effective research and development strategic planning connects your enterprise strategy to specific initiatives for your function. Done well, your research and development strategic plan should provide a clear road map to deliver on your business goals.

Use this proven one-page strategic planning template to:

• build a successful strategic plan for research and development;
• communicate your research and development strategy with precision and clarity;
• secure buy-in from business partners; and
• execute your strategic objectives on time and within budget.

Download your research and development strategic planning template

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FigJam Prepare for your next experiment with our research plan example

From user personas and stakeholder analyses to a research plan sample that can help form a strong foundation for your experimentation, FigJam’s has plenty of resources to help you meet your research objectives.

Research plan

Use this interactive template to collaborate with your team and create a top-notch strategic research plan that will uncover the answers you’re looking for.

Ready, set, plan!

Keep your team on track by agreeing on important aspects of your test and providing stakeholders with the why behind the what of your plan.

Identify important details: Define your research questions, goals, and methods from the onset to keep you focused throughout.

Set yourself up for success : Develop an outline that’ll keep you on track from start to finish.

Gather data: Create a plan that allows you to assemble and analyze the data you need to improve your users’ experience.

FigJam When the planning gets tough, the tough get planning

Work together to align your team’s ideas and goals for the ultimate research plan, complete with a clear objective, timeline, and other necessary components. Brainstorm and swap thoughts with ease, then use your insights to create a game plan that brings every research question to the real world.

Keep your eyes on the prize

With everyone on the same page—or plan—you can stay focused on a clear-cut outcome. Set your plan in motion, then use FigJam’s other templates to move forward into the next phase with ease.

User personas

Gain a better understanding of your target audience’s needs.

Stakeholder analysis

Identify and prioritize your stakeholders to ensure all participantsare satisfied.

Other templates from the community

Gather all the right tools to execute your plan and analyze your data.

What is a research plan?

A research plan example is a document that introduces your main question and how you intend to uncover the answer. They often include details like the surrounding context, objectives, methods, budget, timeline, and more to help you learn more about and eventually solve a customer’s pain point or an ineffective interface.

What are the contents of a research plan?

Research plans generally contain information such as:

Background information with general insights into what you already know, why you’re conducting the study, and what the problem is

The objective of your research and what you’re trying to accomplish

Research questions , both primary and secondary, to guide your experiment

The participants and recruitment methods to bring together a relevant, unbiased sample group

Your budget and timeline to plan around any logistical constraints

Intended results , describing what you hope to or anticipate finding

Out of scope elements that will not factor into your experiment

How to write a research plan?

Begin by gathering your team, downloading a shareable FigJam sample research plan, and brainstorming to figure out the issues you’re trying to understand and solve. With that information, you can narrow down your team’s top suggestions to one concrete objective. Then, decide on a few select research questions that will help you achieve your research goal.

As with any good scientific process, you’ll want to thoroughly interrogate and refine your questions using insight from your entire group, until you’re confident in your main question and research method. Don’t be afraid to solicit feedback, leave comments or suggestions, and move questions around—the flexibility is part of what makes FigJam’s market research plan template so valuable to any experiment.

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Research Strategic Plan

In 2019, the Department of Medicine invested considerable effort and resources to devising a strategic plan that will provide a roadmap for our research mission today and into the future.

This work was guided by a Research Planning Committee that convened throughout the first half of 2019, reviewing the current state of research in the Department, generating recommendations for strengthening our research efforts, and developing the following plan. Many of our faculty and research administrators participated and contributed ideas as part of this process—through interviews, a survey, and robust discussions at the 2019 Research Retreat.

The result of this combined effort is the clear, direct, ambitious, and ultimately achievable research strategic plan that follows.

We identified five strategies for achieving our vision.

We will foster the success of our current faculty by enhancing our faculty development, mentoring, and funding programs while also strengthening the pipeline of the next generation of outstanding investigators in Medicine.

Lead: Andrew Alspaugh, MD

Initiatives:

• Strengthen faculty career development programs (Xunrong Luo, Matthew Crowley)
• Build a diverse and inclusive Department of Medicine (Laura Svetkey, Julius Wilder)
• Foster a culture of outstanding mentorship in the Department (Alspaugh, Cathleen Colon-Emeric)
• Expand physician-scientist recruitment and programmatic support (Rodger Liddle, Matt Hirschey)
• Launch a Department partnership hires program (Xunrong Luo, Chris Holley)
• Expand cadre of independent PhD investigators (Scott Palmer, Amy Porter-Tacoronte)

We will enhance our partnerships with other departments, centers, institutes, schools, and programs across Duke University.

Lead:  David Simel, MD, vice chair for veterans affairs

• Duke Clinical Research Institute
• Duke Cancer Institute
• Durham VA Medical Center
• Duke Molecular Physiology Institute
• Pratt School of Engineering and MEDx
• Duke Human Vaccine Institute
• Duke Global Health Institute
• Center for Applied Genomics and Precision Medicine

We will solidify a leadership position in data science by leveraging the clinical disease expertise of our faculty; building our data assets; and improving our data collection, storage and analytics resources.

Lead: Chetan Patel, MD, vice chair for clinical affairs

• Cultivate DOM data assets into open science platform
• Augment biostatistics & bioinformatics resources
• Create new leadership role for data science
• Implement learning health units
• Continue implementation of Science Culture and Accountability Plan

We will foster a community and culture of rich scientific investigation by making research easier while achieving the highest levels of research integrity.

Lead: Erica Malkasian

• Provide outstanding grants and administrative support to investigators
• Position Duke as a leader in site-based research
• Develop next-generation biorepository capabilities
• Catalyze innovation and entrepreneurship
• Expand international research efforts

We will invest in emerging research content and method areas that leverage our strengths and address important unmet patient-centered medical needs.

Lead: Heather Whitson, MD

Cross-cutting themes:

• Immunology, inflammation & fibrosis
• Aging, resilience & pain
• Energy, obesity & metabolic disease
• Precision medicine
• Population health & disparities research

To learn more about our research strategies and initiatives, contact

• Scott Palmer, MD, MHS, Vice Chair for Research
• Saini Pillai, MBA, Senior Program Coordinator, Research

The Top 8 Biotechnology Research Strategy Templates

Biotechnology Research strategy is the framework that guides an organization through developing, producing, and bringing to market biotech innovations. It merges scientific discovery with strategic business planning to create a roadmap for success. With the right strategy, firms can navigate complex regulations, manage R&D processes, and achieve commercialization effectively.

Get ready to dive into a collection of top-notch Biotechnology Research strategy templates. These tools are designed to streamline strategic planning and execution, giving you a clear path to turn goals into tangible results. Prepare to enhance your strategic approach with these free, invaluable resources.

Managing A Biotechnology Research Strategy

Effective management of a Biotechnology Research strategy is pivotal. It ensures that scientific innovation aligns with business objectives. Biotech leaders need to focus on creating value while navigating the maze of R&D, regulations, and market demands. Here's how to keep the strategy on track:

• Set Clear Objectives : Define what success looks like. Be it drug discovery, agricultural advancements, or industrial biotechnology, setting clear goals is the first step toward strategic alignment.
• Prioritize Research and Development : R&D is the heart of biotech. Prioritize projects based on potential impact, feasibility, and alignment with strategic goals.
• Navigate Regulations : Understand and comply with legal requirements. This can be a differentiator in the biotech industry, where regulations are stringent and ever-changing.
• Commercialization and Collaboration : Plan for the market entry of innovations. Forge partnerships with other entities to expand capabilities and reach.
• Monitor and Adapt : Use metrics to track progress. Be ready to pivot as new information comes to light, whether it's scientific breakthroughs or changes in market dynamics.

A robust strategy in biotech research isn't just about making discoveries; it's about turning those discoveries into viable products that meet a market need. Getting the strategy right in biotech is non-negotiable. It's the difference between a breakthrough that changes lives and a brilliant idea that never leaves the lab.

For those looking to further refine their strategic approach, consider downloading our Strategy Levels eBook , a comprehensive guide to understanding and crafting corporate, business, and functional level strategies tailored to organizations of any size. This resource can help biotech leaders ensure their functional strategy is aligned with overarching corporate goals.

Now, armed with an understanding of what it takes to manage a successful Biotechnology Research strategy, it's time to put theory into practice. Explore our collection of templates for famous strategies to gain insights from successful companies and leaders, and apply these proven frameworks to your biotech research plans. These resources are tailored to help you strategize, plan, and execute with precision.

Strategic Planning Template

The Strategic Planning Template is a launchpad for Biotechnology Research strategy. It's crafted to transform ambitious goals into a clear and actionable plan. Integrating this template into your strategy can fast-track the planning process and achieve results more efficiently.

What's included in this template:

• Focus areas: The template includes four broad categories such as Aggressive Growth and Value Creation to help prioritize strategic objectives within the organization.
• Objectives: It specifies fourteen measurable and specific objectives to encapsulate the focus areas and drive impactful results.
• KPIs: Twenty-two key performance indicators are provided to ensure progress is trackable and goals are attainable within the strategic framework.

This free template is an essential tool for biotech leaders and teams at any organizational level. It's designed to align scientific innovation with business goals, creating a seamless bridge between research and market success.

Using the Strategic Planning Template can align your team on what's important. It provides a structure to manage the complexity of biotech projects and ensures you are tracking towards your strategic goals.

👉 Use this free template

Business Continuity Plan Template for Research and Development Companies

Biotechnology research is inherently complex and full of uncertainties. This template is a vital resource to ensure your operations can withstand and quickly recover from disruptions. It helps maintain the focus on innovation and development, even in the face of unforeseen challenges.

• Focus areas: The template outlines three critical areas to maintain operations, prepare for potential disruptions, and review and test the continuity plan.
• Objectives: Define actionable objectives within each focus area to achieve your continuity goals, such as establishing and implementing the business continuity plan.
• KPIs: Set measurable targets with KPIs that track the progress and effectiveness of your business continuity strategies.

This free template is an indispensable tool for R&D organizations aiming to safeguard their research progress. It ensures that your strategy to cope with unexpected events is as innovative and resilient as the research projects you manage.

Leveraging this template can streamline your approach to continuity planning. The structured framework helps you prepare for and respond to disruptions without missing a beat in your biotech ventures.

Technology Roadmap Strategy Plan Template

Biotechnology research demands a forward-thinking and systematic approach. The Technology Roadmap Strategy Plan Template is pivotal for biotech companies looking to align their IT capabilities with their research objectives. This template helps in charting a clear course for technology development and integration, ensuring that innovations are supported by the latest IT advancements.

• Focus areas: The template includes focus areas such as automation and security, crucial for biotech research to streamline processes and protect sensitive data.
• Objectives: It outlines measurable and achievable objectives within each focus area, such as optimizing processes to increase efficiency.
• KPIs: The template features KPIs like decreasing manual process time, enabling teams to track and measure their progress effectively.

This free template is for IT teams in biotech firms aiming to create a cohesive technology strategy that supports their research and development goals. It ensures that everyone is working in sync and making informed decisions towards enhancing technological capabilities.

Leverage the Technology Roadmap Strategy Plan Template to stay ahead in the competitive biotech industry. It's a strategic asset for aligning IT with business goals and accelerating research outcomes. Stay focused, track your progress, and adapt your technology roadmap to meet the evolving needs of the biotech sector.

2 Year Strategic Roadmap Template

Crafting a successful Biotechnology Research strategy requires a clear vision and a structured plan. The 2 Year Strategic Roadmap Template is a vital tool for setting and achieving key milestones within this timeframe.

• Focus areas: The template includes focus areas such as automation, customer insights, and digital transformation, crucial for modern biotech research.
• Objectives: Objectives provided are designed to increase operational efficiency and reduce costs, aligning with the strategic goals of biotech firms.
• KPIs: Measurable targets like reducing manual process time ensure progress is quantifiable and strategy execution stays on track.

This free template is for leaders who understand the importance of a well-defined strategy in the biotech industry. It aligns short-term actions with long-term goals, ensuring teams work cohesively towards a common objective.

Embrace this free template to structure your biotech strategy effectively. It will guide your focus, sharpen your objectives, and clarify KPIs, setting you on a path to tangible outcomes.

10 Year Strategic Roadmap Template

Crafting a 10-year strategy for Biotechnology Research is a complex endeavor. The 10 Year Strategic Roadmap Template simplifies this process, providing a structured approach to long-term planning and execution critical for biotech innovation and sustainability.

• Focus areas: The template outlines focus areas such as product innovation, marketing strategies, and production efficiency, tailored to biotech's dynamic landscape.
• Objectives: It breaks down objectives into actionable tasks like new product development and customer satisfaction improvements, integrating scientific and business milestones.
• KPIs: There are KPIs for measuring success, such as tracking new product launches, ensuring alignment with the strategic vision.

This free template is an invaluable resource for biotech organizations aiming to align their decade-long research endeavors with market needs and business growth. It bridges the gap between ambitious scientific goals and practical business objectives.

Leverage the 10 Year Strategic Roadmap Template to transform your Biotechnology Research strategy into actionable plans. This tool provides clarity and direction, ensuring every step taken is a step toward long-term success.

Strategic Management Process Template

Crafting a Biotechnology Research strategy requires precision and adaptability. The Strategic Management Process Template is an essential starting point for structuring your approach. It provides a clear framework to align biotech research with strategic business objectives, helping you manage complex challenges and accelerate results.

• Focus areas: The template includes essential focus areas such as improving operational efficiency, boosting customer satisfaction, and driving revenue growth which are critical for Biotechnology Research strategy.
• Objectives: With objectives like reducing shipping wait times and increasing resource utilization, this template ensures that every goal is specific, measurable, and achievable.
• KPIs: The template defines clear KPIs, setting the stage for solid performance measurement and strategy refinement, essential for the fast-paced biotech sector.

This free template is tailored for leaders who need to synchronize their scientific pursuits with business strategy. It helps bridge the gap between research breakthroughs and market success. The included structure is ideal for those at the forefront of Biotechnology Research, ensuring that their efforts are not only groundbreaking but also commercially viable.

Leverage the Strategic Management Process Template to fortify your Biotechnology Research strategy. It's engineered to streamline your strategic planning, keeping you ahead in a competitive industry.

Research And Development Strategy Plan Template

This template is a cornerstone for Biotechnology Research strategy, ensuring that R&D initiatives are aligned with strategic business objectives. It's crafted to aid biotech organizations in managing and tracking the progress of their research efforts with precision.

• Focus areas: The template includes three key focus areas that are critical to guiding R&D efforts, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the strategic landscape.
• Objectives: With six defined objectives, this template provides clear direction for achieving strategic R&D goals.
• KPIs: Six KPIs offer measurable targets, helping teams to monitor progress and make informed decisions.

The free Research And Development Strategy Plan Template is ideal for R&D teams aiming to streamline their strategic efforts. It brings clarity to complex initiatives, ensuring that every project is in line with the business's overall strategic vision.

Leverage this template to get a head start on R&D planning. It's structured to help you stay focused on key areas, set measurable goals, and track your progress against them.

Innovation Management Plan Template

Navigating the biotech landscape requires not only scientific acumen but also a structured innovation management process. The Innovation Management Plan Template is a key resource for any Biotechnology Research strategy, ensuring a framework is in place to foster breakthroughs and maintain a competitive edge.

• Focus areas: This template includes focus areas such as fostering a culture of innovation, developing an innovation strategy, and tracking innovation performance.
• Objectives: Objectives incorporate increasing the number of innovative ideas, enhancing innovation investment returns, and shortening time to market.
• KPIs: KPIs are detailed to monitor the progress of objectives, including the generation of innovative ideas, return on innovation investment, and market entry timelines.

This free template is for organizations committed to making significant strides in biotechnology. It helps align innovative efforts with strategic goals, ensuring that every research initiative is a step towards market success.

By using the Innovation Management Plan Template, you streamline the process of innovation management, set clear objectives, and measure outcomes effectively. It's the structured approach you need to translate biotech research into real-world solutions.

Best Practices For Biotechnology Research Strategy

Getting strategy right for Biotechnology Research is more than a necessity—it's a commitment to excellence that separates the industry leaders from the rest. In a field where the race to innovate defines the future, a well-crafted strategy is the compass that guides biotech firms through the uncharted waters of research and development. It’s the blueprint for progress, a document that translates visionary science into market-ready solutions that can revolutionize health, agriculture, and the environment.

Best practices in biotechnology research strategy revolve around an intricate balance of foresight, flexibility, and precision. It starts with a deep understanding of the scientific landscape, identifying emerging trends, and acknowledging the potential impact of new discoveries. From there, it’s critical to align these insights with business acumen, focusing on sustainable growth, risk management, and competitive differentiation.

Biotech strategy thrives on data-driven decision-making. This means employing the right metrics to evaluate progress and employing a nimble approach to pivot when necessary. It involves meticulous resource management, ensuring that both human and financial capital are allocated efficiently, driving forward the most promising projects. Collaboration is another cornerstone, as partnerships can provide access to new technologies, markets, and expertise.

Finally, a successful biotechnology research strategy must be communicated effectively across the organization. This ensures that every team member, from the lab technician to the C-suite executive, is working towards a unified goal. It’s about creating a culture where innovation is nurtured, and every breakthrough is seen as a stepping stone towards achieving the strategic vision. For those looking to streamline this process, implementing a biotech project management software can be pivotal in visualizing strategic plans and monitoring team progress. In a sector where what’s at stake is nothing less than the advancement of human health and knowledge, strategy isn’t just a plan—it’s the DNA of success.

It's Time To Make Your Biotechnology Research Strategy Shine

Crafting a Biotechnology Research strategy is no small feat. It's a meticulous blend of scientific prowess and strategic acumen, tailored to navigate the unique challenges of the biotech industry. The templates provided here are more than just tools; they are stepping stones that guide biotech firms from concept to commercialization. They offer structure to innovation, turning the complexities of biotech research into clear, manageable tasks aligned with your business objectives.

They're designed to enhance every aspect of your strategy—from identifying key focus areas and setting measurable objectives to tracking progress with precise KPIs. With these templates, you're equipped to forge ahead in the competitive biotech landscape, ensuring that every research endeavor is a calculated step towards achieving your strategic vision.

Remember, the right strategy can mean the difference between a scientific breakthrough that revolutionizes the industry and a missed opportunity. Harness the power of these templates to structure your path forward. They're tailored to help you prioritize, manage, and execute your biotech research with confidence and clarity.

Now is the moment to transform your Biotechnology Research strategy into a tangible, results-driven plan. Take the next step and see how Cascade can centralize your strategy execution , offering a platform in one dynamic, intuitive place.

‍ Book a demo and discover a world where strategy and execution converge seamlessly for your biotech endeavors.

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Free Strategic Planning Templates

By Joe Weller | May 16, 2018

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The success of your organization — no matter what size or industry — depends on the thoroughness of your planning and vision. A strategic plan can provide a roadmap for accomplishing specific goals, and will increase your chances of reaching objectives on time and budget. In this article, we’ve rounded up the top strategic planning templates in Microsoft Word and Excel, all of which are free to download and fully customizable.

Additionally, we've provided customizable strategic planning templates in Smartsheet, a collaborative, real-time work execution platform that empowers you to better plan, manage, and report on strategic initiatives.

Strategic Business Plan Template

Download Strategic Business Plan Template

Excel | Smartsheet

A comprehensive, strategic business plan may include company information, SWOT analysis, research, goals, resources, risks and more. A template provides structure for your business planning process as well as a communication tool that’s simple to update or modify. Use the template as a guide for evaluating your business, identifying opportunities for growth and development, and creating a strategic plan.

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Nonprofit Strategic Plan Template

Download Nonprofit Strategic Plan Template

A nonprofit strategic plan often emphasizes vision, values, and mission as the foundation for future objectives. A template can be used to clearly define who is being served and what issues need to be addressed. As with a business plan, nonprofit planning may include sections for evaluating risks and opportunities, measuring financial resources, developing a marketing plan, and creating objectives for organizational change.

HR Strategic Plan Template

‌ Download HR Strategic Plan Template

Create a detailed human resources strategic plan for your organization, or modify the template to focus on one specific area, such as recruitment or employee relations. Use the template to translate strategies into measurable action plans. This simple layout makes it easy for readers to quickly view key information.

IT Strategic Planning Template

‌ Download IT Strategic Planning Template

IT is an essential part of any business, nonprofit, school, or government agency. While information technology is just one part of an overall business strategy, creating a separate strategic plan for IT will help ensure that you have a comprehensive roadmap to follow for managing and purchasing new assets, understanding your current and potential technology usage, and aligning your IT goals with business objectives.

Strategic Marketing Plan Template

‌ Download Strategic Marketing Plan Template

Use this free template to help shape your marketing strategy. It combines information on your target market and business with marketing tactics to help you think strategically and create a plan of action. The template can guide your research process or be used as a simple brainstorming tool.

Social Media Strategy Plan Template

‌ Download Social Media Strategy Plan Template

Social media is an integral part of online marketing, and creating a strategic plan can help ensure that you are using your time and resources effectively. Consider your branding, mission, target audience, competition and other factors to determine which social networks and types of content will perform best for your company. Keep track of KPIs and adjust your social media plan accordingly.

SWOT Analysis Strategy Template

‌ Download SWOT Analysis Strategy Template

This matrix template combines SWOT analysis with strategic planning. Examine the relationships between your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and then list related strategies to tackle your goals. The layout of this template allows you to view the SWOT categories and strategies side-by-side, which may be useful for a presentation or summary.

One-Page Strategic Planning Template

Download One-Page Strategic Planning Template

Excel | Word | Smartsheet

A one-page strategic plan is perfect for small businesses or for summarizing a longer planning process. Use this template as is, or edit the layout or included information to better suit your needs. This template includes all the essentials on one page, including values, strengths and weaknesses, goals, and actions.

Strategic Vision Template

Download Strategic Vision Template

Excel | Word

Summarize your strategic vision and plan, highlighting key information for stakeholders, management, investors, or for your own reference. Combining a vision statement with a brief summary of goals, actions and KPIs makes it easy to see how your business values and purpose relate to your objectives. It also provides a succinct summary for use in a presentation or meeting.

University Strategic Plan Outline

‌ Download University Strategic Plan Outline

This template provides an outline for university strategy planning. The actual strategic plan may cover multiple pages and provide an in-depth analysis and detailed mission and vision statements. Strategic planning is an opportunity for universities to look closely at campus needs, institutional values, infrastructure, long-term goals, important obstacles, and more. The strategic plan will be a guiding document that is reviewed and updated regularly.

What Is Strategic Planning?

Strategic planning is an organization’s process for defining their strategy so that they can accomplish specific goals and objectives. Strategic planning may be utilized on a large scale, such as planning for business growth over several years or to help a nonprofit or governmental organization reach its stated mission. A strategic plan can also be used on a smaller scale, such as crafting a marketing plan or developing strategy for the goals of one department within a business or organization. It is important to note that strategy is distinct from planning: While strategy looks at why certain steps should be taken, a plan outlines how to enact those steps. strategic planning marries these two concepts in order to determine the best possible course of action. The purpose of strategic planning is to provide a thoughtful, deliberate approach to reaching objectives based on an in-depth analysis of both internal and external factors affecting an organization.

A strategic plan often covers multiple years, addressing both short- and long-term goals. It also provides a way of tracking progress and measuring success. However, it’s not a document that is fixed in stone — instead, it’s wise to revisit and adjust a strategic plan periodically based on the evolving vision, objectives, needs, and resources of a business or institution.

Depending on the scope of your plan, you may be working with a team of multiple stakeholders during the strategic planning process. To keep the process running smoothly, make roles and responsibilities clear. Different parties may be responsible for providing data, reviewing the plan, or authorizing strategic decisions. As you prepare for planning, make sure all participants understand what’s involved in the process and have received any relevant information prior to meeting.

Benefits of Strategic Planning

There are benefits of strategic planning, including the following:

• Align the goals of a department or project with larger business goals
• Provide clear communication to team members, stakeholders, or clients
• Clearly define the vision and mission of an organization
• Provide clarity on how to deal with internal or environmental changes

Parts of a Strategic Plan

One way to think about strategic planning is that it identifies any gaps between a current state and desired future state, and then dictates how to close those gaps — how you get from where you are to where you want to be. To that end, various factors are taken into consideration in order to formulate an effective plan. Here are some of the elements often included in a strategic plan.

• Introductory Statement: The introductory statement should briefly describe why the strategic plan was developed and for what time period, and list the authors of the plan.  
• Background Statement: This section may provide information about the organization, such as history, management structure, and supporting partners or agencies. Alternatively, you could use this section as a brief business statement — more of an elevator pitch — to concisely describe your business.  
• Organizational Structure: Include this information if it’s relevant to evaluate how your business or organization operates and is structured, from governing board to staffing.  
• Vision: A vision statement should briefly describe what a company wants to achieve or become. This is one of the primary organizational tenets to consider, along with values and mission.  
• Values: These are the principles that an organization stands for and abides by. Many businesses create core value statements to guide company culture.  
• Mission Statement: A mission statement describes the purpose of a business or organization. This is distinct from a vision statement because it is not a projected goal for the future.  
• Problem Statement: Some plans include a problem statement, which can outline key or discrete issues that need to be addressed.  
• SWOT Analysis: A SWOT analysis provides a foundation and context for developing strategy by examining the strengths and weaknesses within and organization as well as external opportunities and threats.  
• Goals: As stated earlier, a strategic plan may include long-term as well as short-term (i.e, monthly or quarterly) goals. Objectives should be measurable and broken down into actionable steps, and the action plan for each goal should specify who is responsible for implementing the strategy, a timeline for starting and ending the action, and how the outcome will be evaluated.  
• Evaluation: Methods for evaluation should be spelled out in the strategic plan. This could include tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) and documenting the progress of action steps on an ongoing basis.  
• Executive Summary : This final summary helps employees, investors, or other readers quickly understand your plan.

No matter what type of strategic plan you are working on, using a template provides a simple and quick outline to organize your process. In the following sections, you’ll find free, downloadable planning templates for business, nonprofit, human resources, marketing, IT strategic planning, and more.

Simple, powerful project management with Smartsheet. See for yourself.

Smartsheet is a cloud-based platform that allows teams and organizations to plan, manage, and report on projects, helping you move faster and achieve more. See Smartsheet in action.  

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The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed. 

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time.  Try Smartsheet for free, today.

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Researchers Strategic Plan Template

• Great for beginners
• Ready-to-use, fully customizable Subcategory
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As a researcher, you know that effective planning is the cornerstone of successful research. That's why ClickUp's Researchers Strategic Plan Template is here to help you streamline your research process and achieve your goals with ease.

With this template, you can:

• Define clear research objectives and align your team around a common vision
• Strategically allocate resources to maximize your research output and impact
• Collaborate seamlessly with colleagues and institutions to foster innovation and knowledge exchange
• Track and measure progress towards your research milestones and deliverables

Whether you're working on groundbreaking scientific discoveries or pushing the boundaries of knowledge in your field, ClickUp's Strategic Plan Template is your go-to tool for research success. Start planning your next breakthrough today!

Benefits of Researchers Strategic Plan Template

When researchers utilize the Researchers Strategic Plan Template, they can reap numerous benefits, including:

• Streamlining the research process by clearly defining goals, objectives, and strategies
• Facilitating effective communication and collaboration with team members and stakeholders
• Maximizing the chances of securing funding by presenting a well-thought-out research plan
• Enhancing the visibility and impact of research findings through strategic dissemination strategies
• Increasing efficiency and productivity by providing a roadmap for research activities
• Ensuring alignment with organizational goals and priorities
• Enabling continuous evaluation and adaptation of research plans for optimal outcomes.

Main Elements of Researchers Strategic Plan Template

ClickUp's Researchers Strategic Plan template provides a comprehensive solution for organizing and managing your research projects effectively. Here are the main elements of this List template:

• Custom Statuses: Track the progress of your research tasks with statuses like Cancelled, Complete, In Progress, On Hold, and To Do, ensuring clear visibility of project stages.
• Custom Fields: Utilize 8 custom fields such as Duration Days, Impact, Progress, Ease of Implementation, Team Members, Department, and Project Lead to capture relevant information and streamline your research process.
• Custom Views: Access 6 different views, including Progress, Gantt, Workload, Timeline, Initiatives, and Getting Started Guide, to gain insights, visualize timelines, allocate resources, and plan your research projects effectively.
• Collaboration and Planning: Leverage ClickUp's collaboration features like assigning tasks, setting due dates, adding comments, and utilizing task dependencies to enhance team productivity and ensure successful project execution.

How to Use Strategic Plan for Researchers

If you're a researcher looking to develop a strategic plan, here are four steps to help you get started:

1. Define your research objectives

Begin by clearly defining the objectives of your research project. What specific questions do you want to answer or problems do you want to solve? This will help guide your entire strategic plan and ensure that you stay focused throughout the research process.

Use the Goals feature in ClickUp to clearly define and track your research objectives.

2. Determine your research methodology

Next, decide on the methodology you will use to conduct your research. Will you be using qualitative or quantitative methods? Will you need to collect primary data through surveys or interviews, or will you be analyzing existing data and literature? Consider the resources and time available to you, as well as the most effective approach for answering your research questions.

Create tasks in ClickUp to outline each step of your research methodology and assign them to team members if necessary.

3. Develop a timeline and milestones

To ensure that your research stays on track, it's important to develop a timeline with specific milestones and deadlines. Break down your research project into manageable phases, and assign estimated timeframes for each phase. This will help you stay organized and accountable throughout the research process.

Use the Gantt chart feature in ClickUp to create a timeline with milestones and deadlines for each phase of your research project.

4. Monitor progress and make adjustments

Once your strategic plan is in motion, regularly monitor your progress and make adjustments as needed. Keep track of your research findings, analyze the data, and evaluate whether you're meeting your objectives. If necessary, make changes to your methodology or timeline to ensure that you're on track to achieve your research goals.

Utilize the Dashboards feature in ClickUp to monitor and visualize your research progress, and make data-driven decisions based on your findings.

Get Started with ClickUp’s Researchers Strategic Plan Template

Researchers and research organizations can use this Researchers Strategic Plan Template to streamline their research process, track progress, and achieve their goals.

First, hit “Add Template” to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you’d like this template applied.

Next, invite relevant members or guests to your Workspace to start collaborating.

Now you can take advantage of the full potential of this template to create a strategic research plan:

• Use the Progress View to track the progress of each research project and ensure timely completion
• The Gantt View will help you visualize the timeline and dependencies of various research tasks
• Utilize the Workload View to allocate resources and manage the workload of your research team effectively
• The Timeline View will provide a comprehensive overview of all research activities and milestones
• Use the Initiatives View to manage and track different research initiatives and their progress
• Refer to the Getting Started Guide View to familiarize yourself with the template and its functionalities
• Organize tasks into five different statuses: Cancelled, Complete, In Progress, On Hold, To Do, to keep track of their status
• Update statuses as you make progress to keep stakeholders informed of the research project's progress
• Monitor and analyze tasks to ensure maximum productivity and successful completion of research projects.

Related Templates

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Research Strategic Plan

Before doing anything else, especially when you are dealing with important matters such as researches, you need to plan your way through as well as the steps needed in order to have a progress toward achieving a certain goal. Without proper planning and preparation, there is a great tendency that the tasks we do will not be in line with our professional goals . We may end up doing something else, consuming most of our time in unnecessary tasks.

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On the other hand, with planning, we will be guided in whatever we do and we can constantly check our progress in the path that we are taking. We can monitor things if they are still in accordance with our plan and take necessary actions to keep it on track and in line with our goals in cases when we got derailed. You may also see recruitment strategy plan examples .

The dos and don’ts with regard to strategic planning can be found in the later section of this article. For now, you may check the next section for some useful examples of research strategic plan.

Applied Research Strategic Plan Example

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Aurora Research Institute Research Strategic Plan Example

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IADT Research Strategic Plan Example

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Dos and Don’ts in Strategic Planning

A lot of entities in different in industries adopted strategic planning since it is proven helpful in the first stage of achieving a certain goal and in preparing and monitoring for the execution of tasks needed to be taken in order to achieve the planned goals. Planning must be paired with and completed through proper execution for the efforts in planning alone without proper execution is in vain.

Here are some dos and don’ts that you need to know as regards strategic planning. You must be mindful of these things for you to be focused on the right track on your strategic planning.

Dos in Strategic Planning

Here are some things that you must do in your strategic planning for it to be effective and working:

1. Do lay down your goals, missions, and objectives. This is among the first things that you must determine so that you will know where you are going. These are the things that you need to achieve, the reason why you are having your strategic plans .

2. Do lay a foundation of objective analysis. Make sure that you have a good solid foundation in analyzing your objective so you have a clear compass toward the direction you are going.

3. Do make choices and be clear with regard to your strategic intent.

4. Do follow the modified KISS principle which is “keep it simple and sustained.” Always remember the commonly known notion, less is more. Among your goals is to create goals and objectives that focus your work for several years. Limit the goals and objectives to one page for it to be brief and concise.

5. Do follow all of steps you are designing in your strategic plan because you have chosen it based on its effectivity as evidenced by other successful entities.

6. Do stay focused on the mission or the thing the organization wants to do or be. This is the center in your planning and day-to-day execution. You can ask this question before you accept any goal, objective, strategy, “How will this help fulfill the mission?” You may also see strategic planning checklist examples .

7. Do measure. Carefully choose a useful and significant measurement for your goals, objectives, and strategies. Determine what information you need to make decisions.

8. Do manage by fact. Good planning sets the stage for good performance, and the results will be based on how we do in our planning.

Always review the results to make decisions and manage the current processes and procedures that you are doing. If you are not getting the results that you have desired or planned, investigate the causes and modify your plans or targets appropriately for it to stay on track and in line with the path that you planned to take. You may also like sales strategic plan examples .

9. Do keep an open mind. You may ask yourself these questions for you to keep an open mind: “Are you sure that you know the priority strategic issues?” and “Does your leadership team agree on the most important strategic issues?”

10. Do address uncertainties in the market or the industry. There might be internal and external factors that may affect your plans and that there are many uncertainties that you face as you go on in your execution. Make sure to analyze and address them carefully. You may also check out  HR strategic plan templates .

11. Do use the “brain dump” activity to alleviate the excitement in starting the tactical plan prematurely. Most of the people who are planning are also an excellent tactician and you can quickly suggest solutions. This is considered as a liability in strategic planning where you and your team need to create high-level goals based on the mission. You might be interested in brief strategic plan examples .

However, you need to “brain dump” or set these ideas aside until you are ready to create the tactical plan.

12. Do ensure that your measures in your execution and monitoring are clear and the data can eventually be available and retrieved at times when you want to retrieve them.

13. Do link your strategic plan to other business plans  such as your financial plan. Your plans must be quantifiable and it must show the impacts in the different financial aspects such as revenue, infrastructure use, and budget efficiency.

14. Do measure quality of results constantly or wherever possible. This is important since this provides the best information for strategic decision-making, and this also keeps you focused not only on your mission but also your customers and prospects. You may also see health and safety strategic plan examples .

15. Do provide training, direction, resources, support, guidance, and coaching to make sure that you achieve your general plan . People need appropriate resources in order to complete a certain task. People management do really affect the performance of the members of an entity or organization.

Office of Financial Research Strategic Plan Example

Organizational Research Strategic Plan Example

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Oslo University Hospital Research Strategic Plan Example

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Don’ts in Strategic Planning

Meanwhile, here are also the don’ts when you are laying down your strategic plans. Make sure to avoid them or, if it is hard for you to completely avoid them, take it to a minimum. Always keep a watch on these things and make sure that you are not doing it in any aspect. Never be too lazy in checking whether you are already committing these things for these might hinder your progress toward achieving your goal .

1. Don’t hurry. Most of the time, we are hurrying because we do not have enough time in doing a certain task. In order to prevent this, you must carefully lay a detailed schedule on your plans. You must spend and give time for interviewing people, gathering and analyzing data, group meetings, and tactical planning. You may also see personal strategic plan examples .

2. Don’t set too many goals or objectives that is other than the necessary ones. Too many details can lead to confusion, conflict, micromanagement, and failure of execution.

3. Don’t skip steps. When you have already laid down your steps in your planning, never skip steps just to complete the other steps. Furthermore, avoid tinkering with the process unless you have a solid justification in doing such.

4. Don’t avoid measurement just because you have a hard time in doing it. All measurement is difficult, especially when dealing with customer satisfaction or effectiveness of your work. These intangibles may be hard to measure, but it is important because it is necessary in your process. You may also like department strategic plan examples .

5. Don’t select productivity measures just because they are easy. You must create a product or service that are demanded and wanted by your customers. You must focus on the quality of your work to avoid processing again or rework. You may also check out one-page strategic plan examples .

6. Don’t manage by intimidation or placing blame. This will only make people not fully engage in a certain task that they are doing. Yes, they might comply, but that does not mean that they are fully engaged in their tasks.

7. Don’t surrender to “analysis paralysis” in which you got stuck in doing things that are of least importance. Make sure that you are focusing on the most important things that are in line with your goals.

8. Don’t leave people without having the resources they need in order to get the job done. You must also know how to delegate tasks and trust that a certain person can do it and that they are accountable for the acts they are doing. You might be interested in club strategic plan examples .

9. Don’t use modeling to validate your biases. You must have a combination of qualitative and quantitative information in order to identify the issues with the greatest strategic significance for your organization.

10. Don’t take the path of least resistance. Make sure that you are encouraging your team and yourself every day so you won’t burn out.

11. Don’t do things because you are always doing it or you think you should do it even though it is not in line with your mission. Without the mission, you might drift off course and do not know where you are heading to. You may also see school strategic plan examples .

12. Don’t begin laying out the specific tasks before the mission, goals, and objectives. The mission sets forth the context for the goals, which are in turn the context for objectives, tasks, and strategic plans.

13. Don’t expect that everyone in your team will easily accept and embrace the recommendations immediately. Be open to their suggestions, and brainstorm to achieve the most effective plans .

14. Don’t allow important or key individuals and the management to opt out of the process and planning.

Research and Development Strategic Plan Example

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Transportation Research Synthesis Strategic Plan Example

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University of Manitoba Research Strategic Plan Example

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Well-Organized Research Strategic Plan Example

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There are a lot of dos and don’ts that you have known as presented above and will still know as you go on with your strategic planning, but it is important that you properly lay down your goals, the necessary small steps you need to take every day, as well as the simple operational plans or short-term plans that must be in accordance with the long-term plans or the strategic plans.

There are no shortcuts in achieving your goal; it is better that you take small sure steps each day toward achieving your goal than having large, inconsistent, and uncertain steps.

You might face different challenges in having your strategic plans, but we believe you can go through it especially with the assistance of the examples and dos and don’ts presented in the previous sections.

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Research Strategic Plan Update Templates

I. vision statement.

I. Vision Statement Narrative Update Template

II. Plan to Increase Research Funding and Productivity

II. Plan to Increase Research Funding and Productivity Narrative Update Template

II. Pg.13 Figure 1 Update Template

II. Pg.13 Figure 2 Update Template

II. Pg.14 Table 1 Update Template

II. Pg.15 table 2 Update Template

II. Pg.20 Table 3 Update Template

III. Plan to Improve Master's Degree Level Education

III. Plan to Improve Master's Degree Level Education Narrative Update Template

III. Pg.35 Figure 3 Update Template

IV. Plan For Doctoral Programs

IV. Plan for Doctoral Programs Narrative Update Template

IV. Pg.38 Table Update Template

IV. Pg.40 Table 4 Update Template

IV. Pg.43 Table 5 Update Template

IV. Pg.44 Table 6 Update Template

IV. Pg.45 Table 7 Update Template

IV. Pg.49 Table 8 Update Template

V. Plan for Faculty and Student Development

V. Plan for Faculty and Student Development Narrative Update Template

VI. Other Resources

VI. Other Resources Narrative Update Template

VI. Pg.71 Table 9 Update Template

VII. National Visibility

VII. National Visibility Narrative Update Template

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Strategic Plan Template

Use this free Strategic Plan Template for Word to manage your projects better.

When a company wants to map out its long-term business objectives and how it’ll get there, they use a strategic plan. Our free strategic plan template captures all topics that any company needs to define, so everything is aligned with the overall mission and vision of the company. More than that, the free strategic plan template guides you through the actions, resources and costs that will help you get there.

What Is a Strategic Plan?

A strategic plan is a document that company leaders use to capture the company’s future vision, goals and objectives. Unlike a business plan that focuses on short-term goals of serval months to several years, a strategic plan looks at the mid-to-long-term goals such as 3-5 years but is often longer than that.

The strategic plan should be easily shared as it provides a map for the whole company to follow in order to meet its goals. The strategic plan isn’t only shared, but it’s thoroughly understood by company employees, customers, business partners and investors.

Strategic planning and the strategic plan that comes from this process isn’t a one-time occurrence. Teams should conduct strategic planning regularly to quickly respond to changes in the business, industry, legal and regulatory conditions. As conditions shift, so should the response plans.

Why You Need a Strategic Plan Template

A strategic plan template is a great tool in that it’s already laid out for you. Everything you need to define is outlined and saves you the time and effort of creating a new document. Templates are great for creating an archive of consistent documentation, especially as historical data can influence your current strategic plan.

In more general terms, all businesses need a target or direction to work towards. Strategic plans are like the roadmap that gets you there and defines the landscape. If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never know when you get there. That’s true from the highest executive to the newest employee as well as customers, investors and so on.

Strategic plans also help you track your goals across departments. Each department can then set its own goals to help the business achieve its larger goals. These various initiatives can be monitored and tracked with key performance indicators (KPIs). This can be extended to business units, teams and even individuals so everyone is working towards the same goals.

A strategic plan template is only a static document. To implement that plan you need project management software. ProjectManager has online roadmaps that allow you to manage all the projects that feed into your company’s overall mission. You can track your tasks, budgets, resources, processes and more, so you know you’re always progressing. Of course, you can build a strategic plan with milestones in the software, too. Try ProjectManager today for free.

Who Should Use This Strategic Plan Template?

The free strategic plan template can be filled in by any number of people depending on the business. Usually, though, this responsibility falls on the shoulders of the owner or top business managers.

However, sometimes specialists are employed or the whole company becomes involved in the strategic planning process. In fact, more voices provide a wider perspective. One person should oversee refining those different perspectives in order to rein in the possible chaos of too many chefs in the kitchen.

Once the strategic plan is finalized, it should be shared among the company. The strategic plan template acts as a guide to keep the long-term goal in sight and how to get there. For some businesses, the customer should also be aware of the strategic plan. Other companies will want to share the strategic plan with investors.

How to Use This Strategic Plan Template

When you download our free strategic plan template for Word, you’ll find it’s broken up into sections. The free template is completely customizable so you can add or subtract as many sections as you need to flesh out your strategic plan. What we provide you with is the backbone of any thorough strategic plan, which is as follows.

1. Executive Summary

To start, you want to summarize what will follow. That’s all the executive summary is; a short introduction to the important information that’ll be fleshed out in the strategic plan. It gives an overview to investors and stakeholders.

2. Vision Statement

A vision statement is a statement that declares the mid-to-long-term goals of the company. Think of it as the target you want to hit with your strategic plan. What this statement should do is project your company into the future and in so doing help to define the plan and execution of getting you there.

3. Mission Statement

The mission statement is a short description of the purpose of the company. It should be no longer than one to three sentences at most and explain what the company does, who it serves and how it’s different from its competitors. But more than a dry definition, it should be inspirational, offering direction and focus for employees and giving customers a clear picture of what they can expect from the company.

4. SWOT Analysis

SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A SWOT analysis is used to assess those four aspects of the company. This is how a company can capture its current performance and build a strategy to achieve its future goals. But beyond internal factors or charting the company, make sure to explore external factors as well. This provides a fuller picture of how a company can carve a route to reach its objectives.

5. Business Goals

Business goals should define the target that a company is aiming for in the future. By doing this, a company has a way to measure its success, communicate these goals to its employees and ensure the company is going in the right direction.

6. Marketing Plan

The marketing plan outlines a company’s advertising strategy. It can be used to generate leads and reach a target audience, outreach and PR campaigns. Also included is how the company will measure the effectiveness of the initiatives.

• Market research:  Uses competitive analysis, testing, surveys, etc., to determine the target audience and what needs the company is fulfilling or pain point it’s resolving.
• Marketing campaigns: These include promotions, value propositions, differentiation factors, pricing, distribution channels, etc., to see the product or service.
• Marketing KPIs: Using various metrics will help the company measure the success of its campaigns.

7. Operations Plan

The operation plan is an outline of the strategic plan’s goals and how the company plans to meet them. It’s an action plan that shows team members what they’re responsible for in achieving the goals of the strategic plan.

8. Financial Projections

When making financial projections for a company’s strategic plans they should include a forecast of the income statement, the balance sheet and the cash flow statement. These financial projects like the strategic plan are mid-to-long term.

Identify the team members with the skills and experience who will be responsible for executing the operational plan set forth in the company’s strategic plan.

Other Templates to Help with Your Strategic Plan

The free strategic plan document template for Word is a helpful tool to outline a company’s mid-to-long-term objectives. We have dozens of other free templates for Word and Excel that can help you manage every phase of a project, from planning to closure. Here are just a few of the free templates that we offer for download that are related to strategic planning.

Executive Summary Template

If you need help with the executive summary portion of the free strategic plan template, this free executive summary template is a great asset. It breaks down the points you’ll want to capture for an effective executive summary and is a valuable tool to complete that section of the strategic plan.

Marketing Campaign Template

The marketing plan is another section of the strategic plan that can be fully fleshed out with the free marketing campaign template. It outlines all the steps you need to introduce your product or service to market. It has fields to collect the goals of the campaign, identify the target audience and much more.

SWOT Analysis Template 

We’ve included a small SWOT analysis table in the free strategic plan template, but you might want more space to capture this important data. If so, use our free SWOT analysis template for Word, which you can then attach to the strategic plan template. This colorful template helps you see where you are and offer guidance to get you where you want to be.

ProjectManager Is a Robust Planning Tool

Free templates are a great way to gather information and develop a strategic plan, but they’re not as good at managing that plan once you implement it. You need more robust tools, not static documents or spreadsheets. ProjectManager is online project management software that connects teams and helps them plan, manage and track their progress in real time.

Track Progress with Real-Time Dashboards

You’ve put the strategic plan in the Gantt chart and can now see the roadmap in a visual timeline. But to make sure you keep to that schedule you need to have a way to monitor progress and performance. Our real-time dashboards track metrics such as time, cost and more all in real time so you can respond quickly to changes that threaten your goals. Unlike other lightweight tools, there’s no configuration or set. It’s ready when you are.

Work How You Want with Multiple Project Views

Gantt charts are great for managers, but they’re not the ones who are will execute the strategic plan. It’s a group effort that involves every department in the company from marketing and sales to IT and manufacturing, and they all use different tools. That’s why we offer multiple project views that share the same real-time data whether you’re using a list view, the visual workflow of a kanban or a calendar to capture important dates. Everyone is working from a single source of truth.

Related Content

Strategic planning is a big subject and we’ve only scratched the surface. If you want to learn more, you’re in luck. ProjectManager isn’t only a great tool to create and manage your strategic plan, it’s also the online hub for all things project management. We have free blogs each week, tutorial videos, eBooks, white pages and, of course, free templates. Here are a few links to follow and read more about strategic plans.

• 15 Free Word and Excel Templates for Business
• Strategic Planning in Business
• Strategic Planning Models: An Introduction to 5 Popular Models
• A Quick Guide to Strategic Initiatives 

ProjectManager Helps You Reach Your Strategic Goals

ProjectManager is award-winning software that helps you plan, manage and track your strategic plans. Our collaborative platform connects everyone across departments and time zones. With features that help you manage risk, tasks and resources you’re more likely to adjust to changes in the market and hit your target. See why teams in organizations as varied as NASA, Siemens and Nestle use our tool to deliver success. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.

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People have different opinions about the schools they attended and graduated. Adjectives such as terrible, exhausting, sad, hard, gets mixed up with memorable, experiential, happy, full of learnings once one could encounter a question about where they got their education and some just have mixed emotions while remembering it. The school can be a good memory because of the friends you met and got to enjoy and yet at the same time, it can be so sad and tiring because of sleepless nights trying to study in order for you to ace a subject. You may also see IT strategy plan templates .

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Strategic Planning and Research Planning

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Benefits of Research

Here are the benefits of a research:.

• You can learn more about a topic in an in-depth perspective
• It gets you to study harder
• You can contribute greatly to the research world
• Your research can change or effect a community
• You can learn how to work independently
• You get a better understanding of how knowledge is constructed
• Can help you in your career path
• You would know how to analyze data
• You can know when a theory can be used in its proper time
• It challenges you to become a better version of yourself
• It can change your perspective about a particular topic

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