Value Proposition
Strengthen the National Society’s ability to adapt, learn, and stay relevant by embedding strategic thinking, evidence use, and risk awareness into everyday leadership and organisational culture.
Purpose & Strategic Importance
No strategic plan can predict the future. A strategy is a framework for what a National Society would like to achieve under the most likely circumstances. The role of leadership is to ensure the organisation adapts to its changing environment, keeps the strategy relevant, and focuses on results rather than rigid adherence to the plan.
“No plan will ever be implemented as it is. The problem comes when the focus is more on why we have deserted from the plan or what was planned to do than the result of a change of course or the impacts we are having.”
Building a culture of strategic thinking means creating an environment where people understand the importance of planning, feel safe to look ahead, and develop the capacity to adapt to change. While strategic planning may happen periodically, the long-term goal is for National Societies to build ongoing capacity for strategic thinking, becoming more agile and resilient over time.
Core Concepts & Definitions
- Strategic thinking: The ability to continuously interpret context, anticipate change, and make informed choices that guide the organisation toward its mission.
- Adaptive leadership: Leadership that prioritises learning, flexibility, and results over rigid compliance with plans.
Principles
- Strategy is a living framework, not a fixed script
- Learning and adaptation are normal and expected
- Leadership behaviour shapes organisational culture
- Evidence, reflection, and risk awareness go hand in hand
Activities & Decisions
- Activity – Balancing inside and outside the Movement: Ensure strategic thinking reflects both Movement commitments and the domestic context in which the National Society operates, balancing global policies with local realities.
- Activity – Gathering and analysing data continuously: Maintain ongoing collection and analysis of internal and external data so strategic decisions remain evidence-informed and responsive to change.
- Activity – Modelling learning and innovation: Encourage reflection, experimentation, and innovation across the organisation, signalling that learning from success and failure is valued.
- Activity – Building planning capacities locally: Strengthen the ability of branches and individuals to think ahead, plan effectively, and contribute to strategic discussions beyond headquarters.
- Decision – Embedding risk management: Integrate risk awareness into strategic thinking by anticipating threats, assessing uncertainty, and building resilience into plans and ways of working.
Results
- Outputs
- Leadership behaviours and messages that reinforce strategic thinking
- Regular use of data, reflection, and learning in decision-making
- Strengthened planning skills at national and branch levels
- Outcomes
- Greater organisational agility and responsiveness
- Increased confidence to adapt strategy when context changes
- Stronger alignment between plans, learning, and action
- Impact
- A National Society that remains relevant, resilient, and effective in a changing humanitarian environment
- Sustained ability to deliver humanitarian impact despite uncertainty
Enabling Resources
- People: Leadership, managers, branch leaders, staff, and volunteers modelling and practising strategic thinking.
- Culture: Psychological safety, openness to learning, and acceptance of adaptation and course correction.
- Data: Continuous access to operational, contextual, and risk-related information.
Variations in Practice
- Some National Societies may emphasise risk management due to unstable contexts.
- Others may prioritise local planning capacity in highly decentralised structures.
- Resource-constrained settings may focus on a smaller number of learning and adaptation mechanisms.
Common Challenges and Risks
- Strategy treated as fixed → Mitigation: Normalise adaptation and learning in leadership practice.
- Planning seen as HQ-only → Mitigation: Invest deliberately in branch-level strategic skills.
- Fear of failure → Mitigation: Model learning and experimentation from the top.
Implementation Notes
- Reinforce strategic thinking through behaviour and decisions, not only documents.
- Use regular reviews and reflections to keep strategy alive.
- Treat adaptation as a sign of strength, not failure.
- Focus on impact and learning, not deviation from the original plan