Strategic planning is the process of translating the enterprise's vision and mission into how resources, including IT's capabilities, are deployed to generate maximum value for stakeholders.

IT strategy helps guide the business strategy based on IT capabilities and opportunities, and determines IT's contribution to delivering on the business strategy. A great IT strategy focuses on how IT will help the business achieve its goals, and includes three sections. The demand section clarifies the business context — how the business will win, what business capabilities are needed and IT's contribution to that success. The control section outlines how decisions will be made and how behaviors will be monitored to align with demand. The supply section details the services that will be provided, and the enterprise architecture migration to support the business capabilities, the IT human capital development to meet business needs, and the strategic approach to sourcing.

The discipline of strategic planning focuses on developing strategies to help the business win. Consider these points before beginning a strategic planning discipline initiative:

• First, determine how the IT organization should clarify the purpose and scope of the IT strategy in light of the business's vision, mission and value proposition.
• Clarify the demand side. What will make the business win? What business capabilities are needed, and how will IT contribute?
• Consider how to plan for uncertainty, and the degree and types of flexibility that could potentially be required.
• Determine how best to create a group-level strategy, including how you will address and engage the similar and differing needs of the enterprise and all business units.

Gartner recommends that IT leaders follow six major phases in their strategic planning discipline initiatives. These phases may vary, depending on the organization and the extent of the planning initiative:

• Strategize and Plan: Develop the change, tactical and communications plans for creating your IT strategy and plan. Set the scope, and establish resources, budget and governance systems. Integrate your IT strategic planning with other planning, budgeting and change initiatives.
• Assess Current State: Assess the enterprise's history, best practices, competencies and approach to strategic planning. Identify and seek feedback from key stakeholders and related roles about the current state — what works and what does not. Identify risks.
• Assess Competencies: Use feedback from key stakeholders and from external sources of advice to develop best practices for the discipline. Identify competencies that are necessary to carry out the discipline.
• Gain Approval: Draft an implementation proposal for your strategic planning process. Seek feedback and buy-in from stakeholders and related roles. Revise based on feedback from stakeholders, and present the final strategic planning process to senior leaders for approval.
• Implement: Staff and manage the implementation of the discipline. Seek feedback from users. Monitor risks.
• Operate and Evolve: Use governance systems to track progress and success with strategic planning. Adjust the discipline approach based on operational results and changing business needs.

The following documents are foundational research to get started with this initiative:

"IT Strategy: A CIO Success Kit"

"Getting Started With an Effective IT Strategic Planning Process"

"Toolkit for IT Executives: Clarifying the Demand Side of IT Strategy"