STRATEGIC-PLANNING FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS

This paper attempts to advance the integration of business and public affairs planning. The original concept of strategic planning envisioned a comprehensive, integrated process through which the firm would develop plans for responding to the opportunities and threats in both the economic and sociopolitical environments. In practice, however, business planning and public affairs have evolved into distinct and separate activities within most companies. The paper traces the reasons for this bifurcation of the planning process, and describes the actions necessary to develop the analytical capabilities and management systems needed to integrate these two critically interdependent functions. © 1990.