Strategic Planning for the Advancement of Public Health Informatics

Across public health informatics, numerous changes are taking place within organizations as a direct result of varying and numerous external influences. From innovative technology resources, changing government policies and organization governance, and the mission continuum towards advancing the public health informatics community, one theme is emerges above the rest: change is inevitable.  Success in public health informatics does not only rely on the availability of innovative technology and talented public health informatics professionals, but also on the ability of informatics organizations to proactively adapt to multidimensional changes that impact the core mission of public health informatics. To increase accountability, transparency, and foster engagement in collaboration throughout public health informatics while incorporating innovation, strategic planning is an essential tool for leadership teams to utilize.  Strategic planning provides a process with which to define an organization’s future direction through mission achievement and vision attainment and clearly delineates the organization’s purpose while bridging the gap between leadership and staff. Leaders within organizations may, at first glance, not fully realize the potential of a strategic planning initiative; however, it has been proven that transformation initiatives, regardless of objective, are deemed successful due to the incorporation of a robust strategic plan.   This presentation will provide an overview and definition of strategic planning, its organizational value and benefit, illustrations of various strategic planning models, and will provide leading practices applicable specifically to public health informatics initiatives.  A NCPHI case study will be included with examples such as developing a business case, strategic analysis, environmental scanning, setting strategic direction, action planning, and will highlight key techniques used within assorted strategic planning models.