Central College Limerick Strategic Planning Report: Module Analysis

This report, submitted by a student of Central College Limerick, details a strategic planning assignment for a community development module. The assignment focuses on the Maria Goretti nursing home and involves both short-term and long-term strategic plans. The student utilizes SWOT and PESTLE analyses to identify inequalities and deficits within the nursing home. The long-term plan proposes the development of a cafe to enhance resident and family interactions, while the short-term plan aims to improve communication among the nursing home staff through a communication workshop. The report outlines the objectives, strategic formulation, customer considerations, market share, capacity, conformity, personnel, and performance appraisals for both plans. The analysis aims to improve the quality of care and the working environment within the nursing home.

Part B Strategic planning 35%:
Intro: My name is. I am a student of Central college Limerick who is currently studying
community development level 6. I am really enjoying this course and I have enjoyed my time at
the college as well. This assignment I am currently writing up is as a part of my strategic
planning module. This assignment is a direct continuation of my previous assignment in which I
critically analyzed the Maria Goretti nursing home in Kilamallock county Limerick. As part of
this assignment, I am required to write up a short term and a long-term plan to better balance out
the inequalities and deficits that are contained within the nursing home. I will do so by looking
back at my SWOT analysis which I previously conducted, and I will also reflect on my PESTLE
etc. These will help make the basis of my plans.
What is a strategic analysis? Before I begin breaking down my plans for the future, I would like
to begin by speaking abit about strategic analysis since I will be using this process and this term
a lot throughout the essay. A strategic analysis is defined as the process whereby a company
conducts a detailed reflection on themselves. They do so as they intend to make changes that will
greatly affect their future. These changes may only be small but the intention of making them is
that they will help benefit the company or organization in some way.
A strategic analysis requires a lengthy reflection into the inner workings of the company. There
are many ways of self-reflection and analyzing the company. Some companies may use SWOT
analysis while some may use Porters 5 forces etc. All are valuable ways of strategically
analyzing the company.
( https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com 2021 )

Box 1:
Formulation of a 3-5 year strategic plan:
Strategic Analysis
• What is your plan and how did you decide on this plan. Think back to
your SWOT, PESTLE tools etc.
I would like to implement a long-term plan for the Maria Goretti nursing home which would
occur within the next 3-5 years. My long-term goal would be to help build a café within the
nursing home which could be used by the residents. I identified this gap in the market during my
initial SWOT analysis in part A of this assignment. My initial reasoning for developing a café
like business within the nursing home was to benefit the residents and their families as they
didn’t really have a place to talk and chat with their families. By having a safe space where they
could have tea and coffee and a chat the older people and their families would be greatly
benefitted. Some of the kitchen staff could be employed here and new staff members could also
be hired to work the café floor etc.
The café plans would not have to stop here. I feel like the nursing home could go even further
with this café idea and make a full-blown service/business of it. I know many nursing homes
around the county have recently added café style restaurants to their homes. These commercial
businesses allow for nursing homes to make an extra profit and it would also allow for the local
community to become more familiar with the services provided by the nursing home. If the
nursing home was to properly adapt a café business into there organisations, they could also hire
new staff to work exclusively in the café etc. Eventually the café could be leased out to a 3 rd
party organisation in order to make more money etc. The possibilities with such a small space
really are endless.

What is your objective? How is your plan going to fix/change? What are you trying to
achieve?
My objective for this plan is to help create a small café area within the nursing home for which
the residents can use with there visiting families. I twill give them a place to rest and relax and it
will act as a mental and physical break from the nursing home. The café would have a seating
area for larger groups and families, and it could also be used for private family functions after
hours. Eventually th café would be opened to the local public and it would be meeting place for
friends and family while also tending to the needs of the older people. This would also bring
financial reward to the nursing home as the café would be leased out.
Strategic Formulation
Customers/ clients
The older people who live in the nursing home would be some of those most affected by the new
café restaurant extension. The initial plan was created so that the older people would have
someplace to meet their families and to get a break the nursing home. The kitchen staff from the
nursing home would also be involved in the initial set up for the café. Eventually the café would
probably expand into a proper business with someone leasing out the premises in order to better
expand the business further. They would hire new staff to work in the restaurant etc.
Market share/coverage
The target market can be expanded by the expansion of the café services. Like I have already
mentioned the café services would eventually be expanded to house more than just the residents
of the nursing home. The café would eventually welcome in people from the local community in
order to expand the service as well.
Capacity
The capacity to make the change is as follows. There aren’t any viable areas in the nursing home
for older people to meet there families and interact with each other. A new café restaurant would
be an excellent opportunity for the nursing home as it would allow the older people to meet there
families in a more suitable and stress free manner.
Conformity

The workers of the nursing home who begin working in the cafe would need to be trained in
using the different machines within the café. To not show them properly would be negligent. If
new workers were to be employed in the café nursing home they would need to be garda vetted
before beginning to work there since the café will be part of the nursing home.
Programs and processes
Seeing as the new café would probably take up one of the vacant rooms in the nursing home
there wouldn’t be many physical changes around the nursing home. Safety procedures and how
the older people walk around the home would probably have to change as being in the busy café
unsupervised could cause an accident etc. New rules and regulations would greatly affect the
nursing home as well in order to keep the workers and residents safe.
Personnel
There will be many different staff involved in the café making process. Managerial staff will
have to oversee the work, which is happening, and kitchen staff will also be involved as well.
New staff may need to be drafted in order to keep things moving smoothly etc.
Performance appraisal:
Before selecting any of the kitchen staff to work in the nursing home a short performance
appraisal should take place. This would allow the home to pick out the most suitable candidate to
work in the nursing home café. Short questions would be asked like have you any experience
working in a café etc. This would help the home find the most suitable candidate etc. Staff
meetings would also be held to help find volunteers for the new café etc.
Formulation of a strategic plan for immediate implementation:

Strategic Analysis
What is your plan and how did you decide on this plan. Think back to your SWOT, PESTLE
tools etc.
I would like to implement a short-term plan for the Maria Goretti nursing home in which we help
to improve the communications service between the various staff within the home. At the minute
the caring staff, nursing staff and cleaners all operate independently. There is a lack of synergy
or cohesion between the various staff. I would like to address this issue and see it amended in the
short term. I decided on this plan as communication is essential in any organization but
especially in a workplace like a nursing home where vulnerable groups and people are being
looked after. Working on the communication between these various groups will only help to
make the service being offered a better one for all those receiving care here. I would like to
therefore hold a communications workshop for all staff within the nursing home in hopes of
improving communication efforts between the various staff. At present thr cleaning staff don’t
really interact with nursing home staff like the carers or nurses. Communication between the
nurses and carers is also very weak. I therefore think a workshop which may only take a day or
two would benefit the home greatly.
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What is your objective? How is your plan going to fix/change? What are you trying to
achieve?
My objective is to help improve communication efforts between the various staff of the Maria
Goretti nursing home. I hope that this plan will make working in the nursing home a more
pleasant experience and that there will be some synergy achieved through this communication
workshop or group session. Synergy is achieved when various groups working in an organization
work together in great harmony etc. By achieving this synergy, the residents of the nursing home
will experience a better service and better living conditions etc.
Strategic Formulation

Who are the customers/ clients that are involved in your plan?
The residents of the Maria Goretti nursing home will greatly benefit from the implementation of
this new plan as their home environment will be greatly improved from this new communication
skills update from the staff. The working environment of the nursing home will also be greatly
improved thanks to this change to the communication structure within the home. An outside
independent body may need to enter the home in order to assist the staff etc. They will elaborate
on new communication skills that the workers could use etc.
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What is the capacity to the make the change?
The capacity to make change is as follows. The nursing home as is stands is already
communicating at a fairly good level. But with an extra bit of help from an outside body it could
be improved on tenfold. This would benefit the nursing home the staff and the residents Aswell.
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What quality standards or legal requirements are needed to conform to?
All communications workshops should be completed by a qualified personal who has a
background in communications skills etc. If a workshop is to take place adequate leave should be
provided to the staff so that they can attend the workshop without worrying about the nursing
home while they are attending this workshop etc.
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What internal programs or processes are already in place and how will the new strategy
impact?
Communication between the various staff is already at an all-time low and so with this new
workshop there will hopefully be some more synergy created between the various workers. At
the minute most carers only operate underneath the head carer and barely interreact with thr
nurses. The same protocol goes for the cleaning staff and other staff around. By creating a new

layer of communication between the various staff the nursing home should see positive changes
etc.
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What staffs are involved?
There will be an independent outside body present to help the workers learn new skills etc. in the
home. Managerial staff will also be present as they will be needed to oversee the training being
completed. All staff who work in the nursing home will be present Aswell as they attend to learn
new skills etc.
Performance appraisal:
There will be a short performance appraisal process completed before the skills demo workshop
is completed to try and get some tips on improving communication efforts in the nursing home.
These tips and tricks could be implemented almost instantly and it would greatly affect the home.
3-5 year plan:
Strategic Implementation
Your Plan – how did you decide on the plan?
I would like to implement a long-term plan for the nursing home in which we set out to design a
café for the older people to use. The older people would be allowed to visit the café when they
want and they would be able to meet there families and friends there. The café would be built
using the already existing building as there are a few vacant rooms that could be converted for
the purposes of this extension. This café would benefit the older people as it would be a break
from the home and. The café could eventually be converted into something the entire community
could use and not just the older people. This would then allow the nursing home to make a profit
off the lease that has been signed. With the nursing home being linked directly to the café the
home would greatly benefit from the Café. The older people would also benefit as well,

What goals did you look at when setting your plan.
The main goal of the conversion is to give the older people a nicer place to chat with family and
friends. This is the main goal of the entire operation and if we just even get a basic café put
together, I believe everyone would be delighted with our efforts. Another goal set out is the idea
to turn the new café into something the entire community could use. This idea of bringing the
community into the nursing home is quite a lovely one and its something that many nursing
homes all over the country are adapting.
Create an action plan to meet your goals. Include timeframes, and how are you going to meet your
goals.
To start the entire process of converting a section of the nursing home into a café there are
several different things that will need to occur. This process will be long and drawn out one as
planning the build is very important and costly in time. The nursing home will also have to
receive planning permission to renovate the room which will become the café. This will all
happen in the first year. Eventually when planning is granted the renovation work would begin
within the home. This may take some time depending on the availability of builders etc. Café
equipment would also need to be purchased. With it being about 2 years in and the café build
being nearly completed new staff would need to be sourced for the café. Kitchen staff may
initially work within the café in order to get things started. Once things are working at steady
pace with the older people enjoying the services it would be time to develop the next phase of the
café with the focus on being the leasing out of the premises in order to make a community café.
This could take some time but creating a community café out of the nursing home would really
aid the community.
Who is responsible, at different stages of the plan.
The managers and the owners of the nursing home would take over control over overseeing the
new developments within the home. They would need to stay on top of planning permission as
well as hiring someone to do the conversion work around the home is very important. Planning
for the future and having things organized is essential when working on such a big build. Once
the build is completed new workers would need to be hired to work in the café. These workers
would help serve drinks to families and friends of relatives etc. The managers and owners would

then need to find someone to lease out the café to to fulfill the community feel we are striving
towards.
There are 4 types of plans, what other plans are involved in your strategic plan. (Mention:
contingency)
Tactical plan: A tactical plan is used in conjunction with a strategic plan and its used so that all
the points set out in a strategic plan are checked off and completed. These plans are often very
specific with there goals etc. These plans often focus on completing short term goals that have
been set out etc. In terms of the nursing home something that may be included in a tactical plan
would be to focus on getting planning permission
Contingency plan: This is a plan used when something goes wrong during the process of
something. For example, what if planning permission for the new café was declined what would
the nursing home do. They would have to reapply again making changes to the plans etc.
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Organizational structure – who is impacted by your plan?
The staff of the nursing home will all be affected by my new plans. The residents of the nursing
home may also find themselves affected by the new changes going on around the nursing home
as building work may cause disruption to their daily lives. The same goes for the staff working in
the nursing home. Building work and a new café is bound to bring about new changes to the
organization. The managerial staff will find a great change in there own workload as they try to
manage the new building work as well. Managerial staff will also have to change around dates
for upcoming events as they may not be able to take place as a result of the building work. The
managerial staff should continue to lead with a democratic approach as staff may become upset
and exhausted while the building work is occurring.

Resources required for implementation - Personnel, funding, time, information and materials
There are many different resources required for this long-term plan. People time and money will
all be used throughout. Building materials and new equipment will also be used in this build as
the conversion is made to the room which will become the café. Time is also important and its
important to not rush anything especially when it comes to building work.
Staff involvement – identify key staff needed and explain how a performance appraisal could
be used to keep staff, upskill staff or identify new staff.
Common features of successful implementation
Managerial staff will be essential in planning the entire conversion process along with the
owners of the nursing home. The entire process will be fairly hands and it will be a fairly labor-
intensive process. Builders and other fabricator will also play a key role in converting the vacant
room of the nursing home into the new café for the older people. The care staff and cleaning staff
will also play a key role in ensuring that life in the nursing home remains as normal as can be for
the older people etc. Performance appraisal may be used when searching for staff to work within
the café. Kitchen staff could be interviewed and appraised to find the right staff to work in the
nursing home café. The café itself may also be appraised and evaluated after a few months of
running to see if it has been a worthwhile endeavor.
Leading and controlling the process.
Managerial staff and the owners of the nursing home will be the key leaders and they will also
control the process as well. If anyone has any questions or queries about the ongoing build these
will be the people to contact. They should act in a democratic manner as they will need to
empathize with the other staff and the residents while the conversion work is going on.
Organisations ability to adapt to change and new strategy
Your role in the plan – how did you lead? How did you communicate? How did you motivate staff?
How did you introduce the change?
I will use my communication skills to communicate and relay information onto the various staff
and residents. This new build may cause confusion around the home so its good to have someone
explaining the build to the older people. I will also lead in a democratic manner as I will want to
lead the various workers but ensure that we keep their support as well etc.

Short term plan:
Strategic Implementation
Your Plan – how did you decide on the plan?
I decided on working on the communication efforts within the nursing home as I feel they were
severely lacking. I noticed this during my work experience within the nursing home. Certain
groups within the home wouldn’t communicate with each other and this often led to tension etc.
Hopefully by completing this workshop communication efforts may improve.
What goals did you look at when setting your plan?
I would like to help improve communication efforts within the nursing home. That is my main
goal here. This will be done through a communication workshop
Create an action plan to meet your goals. Include timeframes, and how are you going to meet
your goals.
The communications workshop would take place within work hours. Qualified personnel would
need to be contacted one who could teach the staff effective communication skills etc. Once a
date has been decided on all staff working within the home would need to be given notice about
the workshop. More than likely staff would enter the workshop in groups as to not leave the
nursing home unattended. I hope to meet by goals by having most of the workers from the home
attending the workshop. This will help improve communication skills etc.
Who is responsible, at different stages of the plan.
Managerial staff will oversee a lot of the planning as they try and contact someone with enough
experience to oversee the workshop. Staff members who have excellent communication skills
may also try and assist staff throughout the planning process.
There are 4 types of plans, what other plans are involved in your strategic plan. (Mention:
contingency)
Contingency plans.
This is a plan used when something that has been planned does not go ahead or as planned. In
terms of the communications workshop there is a possibility the speaker may cancel and so the
nursing home would need a contingency plan to assist on the day. They could perhaps have the
speaker send on a useful PowerPoint presentation etc.
Operational plans.

This is a type of planning which can be used for a one-off event or it can also be used for
continuous reasons. It’s a type of planning that is usually used when planning a once off event
like a workshop etc. This type of planning will be essential when planning the communications
workshop.
( https://manojbasnyat7.medium.com/ 2020)
Organizational structure – who is impacted by your plan?
The entire staff of the nursing home will be affected by my new plan. Seeing as its an
organization wide workshop which will effectively have every member of staff training each
worker in the home will be affected by the training process and training day. Managerial staff
will also be affected as they will have an increased workload on the run up to the workshop
taking place. They will need to organize appropriate dates which do not affect the ongoing work
within the home. Organizing of certain events within the calendar will also need to be altered to
ensure that work schedules don’t become too packed with the workshop coming up etc.
Resources required for implementation - Personnel, funding, time, information and materials
There are many different resources required when planning an event like this one. Time money
and people are all very important resources which are being poured into this event. They will all
be used when planning and getting ready for the speaker. They will be allocated as they seem
necessary. If a particular part of organizing is taking too long or proves too difficult then more
time and people will be used on that section.
Staff involvement – identify key staff needed and explain how a performance appraisal could
be used to keep staff, upskill staff or identify new staff:
Common features of successful implementation
Managerial staff will be essential in planning this entire workshop and they will see the
overrunning of much of it. All workers in the nursing home will play key roles as well as they
will be working to improve their communication skills etc. A performance appraisal will be used
to see have the staff learned anything from the process. It will be able to assess whether they are
better off now than they were before. Have their skills changed etc. It will also be a good way to