Strategic planning is planning for results. It is a future-oriented process of diagnosis, objective setting, and strategy building that is an essential part of Managing for Results and Performance-Based Budgeting. It relies on careful consideration of an organization's purpose, capacities, and operating environment. Strategic planning results in a far-reaching plan that drives allocation of an organization's resources in order to achieve meaningful results.

Strategic planning takes a long-range approach, employs regular reviews and updates, and provides guidance for annual operational plans and budgets as well as for capital outlay plans and budgets.

Strategic planning emphasizes deployment of resources to achieve meaningful results.