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Article 1
Implementation Through Risk Mitigation: Strategic Processes in the Nonprofit Organization. 
Sharp, Z., Brock, D. (2011) 
Administration and Society, 44: 571-594. 

Discussion Questions

• Strategic planning can be a lengthy process. How might implementation be impacted by this delay from creation to implementation?
• What factors could necessitate modifying or changing a strategic plan once it is approved? How could those factors be mitigated?
• With regard to the NPO in the study, how were its human resources impacted by the strategic planning process?

Article 2
Does Performance Measurement Improve Strategic Decision Making? Findings from a National Survey of Nonprofit Social Service Agencies. 
LeRoux, K., Wright, N. (2010) 
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 39: 571-587.

Discussion Questions

• What are some of the methods used by nonprofit organizations for performance measurement?
• What is the relationship between formal planning and performance?
• According to the research, does performance measurement promote more strategic decision making within nonprofits or less? Why or why not?

Article 3 
Strategic Public Planning: External Orientations and Strategic Planning Team Members. 
Bruton, G., Hildreth, W. B. (1993) 
The American Review of Public Administration, 23: 307-317.

Discussion Questions

• Define internal and external stakeholders in the planning process. How important is the external component and how might a nonprofit go about ensuring input from that sector?
• Which group of stakeholders is more committed to the planning process? Why?
• Describe what an ideal strategic management team might look like.

Article 4 
A Framework for Assessing the Performance of Nonprofit Organizations 
Lee, C., Nowell, B. (2015) 
American Journal of Evaluation, 36(3): 299–319.

Discussion Questions

• Why do the authors suggest that organizational capacity development be included in a nonprofit’s performance measurement plan?
• Why do Lee and Nowell argue that commercial funding models can improve capacity?

Article 5
The Impact of Capacity-Building Programs on Nonprofits: A Random Assignment Evaluation 
Minzner, A., Klerman, J., Markovitz, C., Fink, B. (2014) 
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 43(3): 547–569.

Discussion Question

• What five critical areas did the federal government’s Compassion Capital Fund (CCF) Demonstration Program provide funding for?
• What were the results of the Impact Evaluation performed by the authors to assess capacity?