Led by Dr. Hyung Joon Yoon, Ph.D., SPHR and facilitated by Ph.D. student consulting team (see below), the purpose of this WFED Strategic Planning Project is to develop strategies of the Workforce Education and Development (WFED) program utilizing SWOT Analysis by involving ALL stakeholders of the program together. The process of this initiative was firmly grounded in Organization Development (OD) philosophies and values. The objectives of the initiative were to:
- develop strategies of the Workforce Education and Development (WFED) program;
- develop a full awareness of the program strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats (SWOT);
- adapt to COVID-19 challenges and changes;
- improve the WFED to address the needs of various stakeholders; and
- maintain the top position in the field.
OD Model: SWOT Strategic Planning
A SWOT analysis is a compilation of an organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The primary objective of a SWOT analysis is to help organizations develop a full awareness of all the factors involved in effective organization decision-making (Schooley, 2019). The present organization assessment and diagnosis project adopts the SWOT analysis model to discover the WFED strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and develop strategies with a focus on leveraging strengths and opportunities to overcome weaknesses and threats.
Elements of SWOT Analysis Model
Strengths. This element includes anything that gives the organization an advantage or that helps processes and projects run smoothly or helps the organization achieve business goals that will fall into this category.
Weaknesses. This element includes everything that keeps the business from staying on track to achieving business or project goals and objectives. These are the things that need to be fixed or changed to achieve success.
Additionally, the external environment elements include:
Opportunities. This element includes factors outside the organization that the business can take advantage of to reach business goals and move the business forward.
Threats. This element includes anything in the external environment that might cause issues for a project or that pose a future threat to the organization’s success.
Based on all combinations of the above internal and external elements, the elements of strategical planning are as follows.
S-O Strategies. This element includes opportunities that are a good fit for the organization’s strengths.
W-O strategies. This element includes potential opportunities to overcome weaknesses and pursue opportunities.
S-T strategies. This element includes ways that the unit can use its strengths to reduce its vulnerability and external threats.
W-T strategies. This element includes a defensive plan to prevent the unit’s weaknesses from making it highly susceptible to external threats.
Project Leader and Student Consultant Team
