Strategic Planning in Spokane Washington - Case Study Example

Case 3 - Strategic Planning in Spokane, Washington When Chief Manga was appointed the Chief of Police in Spokane, he focused on creating an environment that was conducive to working with community members instead of against them. Chief Manga did not enact any long-term goals probably because he did not want to place any added pressure on the Spokane Police Department (SPD). Instead, Chief Manga knew that the SPD would have to change its attitudes with the community and encourage regular citizens to provide input through volunteer programs.

One of the ways that Chief Manga fostered greater relations between the SPD and the community was to come up with a think-tank that comprised of leaders throughout the organization. The purpose of these regular meetings was to brainstorm rather than implement any long-term solutions. Chief Manga figured that the organization’s leaders are in a better position to suggest changes rather that through the central police department. The group was turned into a Strategic Planning Committee that could communicate between the different actors in the SPD.

Chief Manga was trying to instill a corporate culture that was based on mutual trust and understanding rather than fear. An added benefit of this was that committee members felt confident enough to share any concerns because there was no chance of any repercussions. Instead of taking the lead role, Chief Manga acted more as a sounding board to let committee members bounce ideas off him. When determining the department’s values, Chief Manga allowed everyone one in the department to contribute towards it.

Whenever a set of department values are created, it is always best to include everyone in the decision-making process because they will be the ones to carry out those values on a daily basis. In the same way, the vision statement also provided a path for the SPD to follow and allow the department to take ownership of it. Chief Manga also encouraged innovation on all levels because it would help to improve the efficiency of the department. The Strategic Planning Committee helped to form community policing into defined responsibilities that would improve all tasks throughout the department.

A result of this was that the department should be working more closely with those in the community. Chief Manga also knew the importance of originality, so he gave authority to individuals who demonstrated innovation by allowing them the freedom to design new programs. This was not restricted by rank and was inclusive of everyone working in the department. In conclusion, Chief Manga adopted an attitude towards organizational change and community policing that empowering individuals to innovate and come up with new ways to improve the SPD.

As a result, the organization identified with the community and was better able to meet its needs.