Facilitator’s Guide Using a SWOT Analysis

1 COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE. UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT, LEXINGTON, KY, 40546. CLD2-5-FCS. Facilitator's Guide Using a swot Analysis Taking a Look at Your Organization Nothing stops an organization faster than people who believe that the way you worked yesterday is the best way to work tomorrow. Jon Madonna Rationale: Introduction: Effective organizations must use deliberate plan- A swot Analysis is a deliberate planning method ning strategies to identify issues and needs.

2 Used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an organization or proj- Program Goal: ect. The acronym swot stands for: To develop the skills necessary to implement and S = Strengths: Internal attributes of the organiza- interpret results of a swot Analysis tion that are helpful to achieving the goal(s). W = Weaknesses: Internal attributes of the orga- Program Objectives: nization that are harmful to achieving the goal(s). O = Opportunities: External conditions that are To distinguish the elements of an swot Analy- helpful to achieving the goal(s).

3 Sis for organizational growth T = Threats: External conditions which could do To successfully facilitate a swot Analysis as an damage to the goal(s). effective planning strategy Doing a swot Analysis is a straightforward process To evaluate swot Analysis results for application that will allow your organization to reach their goals to organizational program planning successfully. To develop an action plan to move the swot . Analysis results toward a successful outcome Introductory Activity: The swot Analysis can be helpful in generat- Pre-Program Preparation/Materials: ing ideas and systematically evaluating a project or Read and make copies of the Using a swot organization.

4 This process can be used in making Analysis fact sheet (CLD2-5). decisions, adopting strategies and creating goals in Review Developing and Implementing an Ac- your personal and organizational life. The following tion Plan for Community Organizations fact scenario will allow your group to practice determin- sheet (CLD2-6) for background information for ing the differences between strengths, weaknesses, Learning Activity 4. opportunities and threats: Print comment cards for Introductory Activity. Your County Homemaker Club is in need of a Print copies of Using Our Brains Handout, one fundraising idea.

5 Someone brings up creating a Home- per member. maker cookbook. Your club has many ideas but this Print one copy of the Interpretation and Strategy one has created some buzz so your president asks the Worksheet for recorder. membership to discuss the pros and cons. Members Print copies of the Action Plan Worksheet (one have written down their comments. per group). Gather scissors, pencils, pens, markers and easel This leadership curriculum was developed by Family & Consumer paper (if desired). Science (FCS) agents with University of Kentucky specialists.

6 Ex- amples in the Guide are geared toward an FCS audience such as Kentucky Extension Homemakers. This Guide may be reproduced or modified for educational or training purposes and used with other audiences. Agriculture and Natural Resources Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Youth Development Community and Economic Development EXTENSION. Activity Directions: Extension Homemaker Organization. Through the Cut out the comment cards. years, the County Homemakers Association has lost Label four small containers or baskets with the membership due to low numbers of first-time members words strength, weakness, opportunity and joining and an aging membership.

7 The Vice President threat. would like to attract newcomers and a wider variety Shuffle and hand out comment cards to members of ages. Her goal is to increase membership. Follow the until they are gone. directions below to undertake a swot Analysis . Allow members time to read the comment cards. Activity Directions: Ask each member to place comment card(s) in the appropriate container/basket. Read the scenario to the club members. Take turns taking comment cards out of the four Use the swot Analysis Using Our Brains Hand- container/baskets, and use the following discus- out handout as a reference and for taking notes.

8 Sion questions as a Guide : Facilitate the discussion. Why did you place that card in that particular Use the following questions and hints to facilitate basket? discussion if needed: Did some comment cards fall into more than Be honest and real. one category? Be constructive while truth telling. Who needs to be at the table for the discus- Put your feet in someone else's shoes. sion? Internal? External? Be open-minded and think outside the box. What are the next steps for the club Consider changes in society.

9 Strengths: Objective 1: To distinguish the elements of an What do we do well? swot Analysis for organizational growth What advantages do we have? What are our resources and assets? Learning Activity 1: What do other acknowledge as strengths of our organization? Show a PowerPoint slide (or flip chart paper with a Weaknesses: swot Analysis table illustration) that explains each What could we do better? letter of the acronym swot . Clearly review/explain Where are we at risk? each component of the swot Analysis (Strengths, Opportunities: Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats).

10 Ask the audience: What do we know about but have not been How do you think a swot Analysis could be un- able to try? dertaken within your organization? Are there any new frontiers that we can How would knowing each of these aspects explore? (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats). Threats: help to improve your organization? NOTE: Focus Are any of our weaknesses likely to make us on each of these aspects separately if you have time. vulnerable? Objective 2: To successfully facilitate a swot What outside issues beyond our control or Analysis as an effective planning strategy within that block our progress?