1. What is strategic planning and why is it important for healthcare organisations? Strategic planning is the process of defining the vision, mission, goals, objectives, strategies and action plans of an organisation for a specific period of time. It is important for healthcare organisations because it helps them to align their activities with their purpose, values and stakeholders' expectations, to respond to the changing needs and demands of the health system and the population, to improve their performance and outcomes, and to ensure their sustainability and competitiveness. 2. What are the main steps of the strategic planning process in healthcare organisations? The main steps of the strategic planning process in healthcare organisations are: - Environmental analysis: This involves scanning the internal and external environment of the organisation to identify its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT analysis), as well as the key issues and challenges that affect its current and future situation. - Stakeholder analysis: This involves identifying and engaging the relevant stakeholders of the organisation, such as patients, staff, partners, regulators, funders, competitors, etc., to understand their needs, expectations, interests and influence on the organisation's strategy. - Vision and mission formulation: This involves developing a clear and concise statement of the organisation's desired future state (vision) and its core purpose and values (mission). - Goal and objective setting: This involves defining the specific and measurable outcomes that the organisation wants to achieve in relation to its vision and mission, as well as the indicators and targets that will be used to monitor and evaluate its progress. - Strategy formulation: This involves selecting the best courses of action that will enable the organisation to achieve its goals and objectives, taking into account its resources, capabilities, opportunities and threats. - Action plan development: This involves detailing the specific activities, tasks, responsibilities, timelines, budgets and resources that will be required to implement the chosen strategies. - Strategy implementation: This involves executing the action plan according to the established guidelines and procedures, as well as monitoring and controlling the performance and results of the organisation. - Strategy evaluation: This involves assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of the strategy implementation, as well as identifying the achievements, gaps, challenges and lessons learned from the process. 3. What are some of the tools and techniques that can be used for environmental analysis in healthcare organisations? Some of the tools and techniques that can be used for environmental analysis in healthcare organisations are: - PESTEL analysis: This is a framework that examines the political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors that affect the organisation's external environment. - Porter's five forces analysis: This is a framework that analyses the competitive forces that shape the