1. To develop a road map for the organization; to get everyone heading in the same direction
2. To provide input to the Section (Branch) officers and board; helps to set goals and committee charges
3. To achieve the Section's (or Branch's) Mission
4. To assess opportunities and threats in the civil engineering profession
5. To perform a Reality Check?. where are we? where are we going? how do we intend to get there?
6. To provide focus to everyone in the organization
7. To promote ownership, buy-in and consensus for the programs produced by the organization.
8. To build teamwork among the board and committees.
9. To make course corrections (Yes, that is OK to do).
10. To assess the leadership and delineate roles of leaders and committees.
11. To inventory resources of time and funding.
12. To envision a future image for the Section (Branch).
13. To create a game plan for what needs to be done next, by whom and in what time frame.

A Few Reasons Why Strategic Plans Fail:

• unrealistic Goals or an unrealistic overall plan
• insufficient resources
• the plans are too complex
• lack of buy-in and support from the membership and, especially, the committees.
• upon completion, they are put on a shelf and never referred to