Strategy resources – useful tools and techniques

As promised at the start of our strategy conversation, here are some links for further reading and tools and techniques:

Readers of our blog may be familiar with story based strategy as told by smartMeme, particularly their Re:Imagining Change publication. They also have downloadable worksheets for the various  strategy steps, also on their resources page.

smartMeme also recommend Beyond The Choir’s Tactic Star as a tool for ensuring that tactics are well thought out

Turning The Tide’s training manual which includes the common strategy tools:

• Forcefield Analysis
• Social Speedometer

Training for Change have a host of innovative approaches including two we’ve specifically mentioned in recent posts:

• Paper plate challenge – as recommended by Kathryn Tulip in her interview on ‘Planning campaigns at the grassroots‘
• From Tactics to Strategy
• They also summarise several frameworks for social change on their site

The Change Agency also have a useful website. There are many overlaps with Turning The Tide and Training for Change, but some useful additions too, such as:

• Cutting the issue – a tool to help groups decide where, on a massive issue, they can make a real difference

We need to mention Chris Rose’s Campaign Strategy website (and e-newsletter). In a recent newsletter Chris outlines 8 basic questions activists can ask to help them plan and act more strategically

Zhaba facilitators’ collective have a range of tools on their website including a variation of F analysis, Royen’s Mill, and a tool for creating a communication-based campaign

New Tactics InterTactica blog by Phillipe Duhamel, whilst focused on nonviolent struggle, has quite a few posts on the strategy of the nonviolent struggle

Mindtools also have a whole host of free resources on their site – many of which are commonly used in strategic planning. You may want to start in the project management and problem solving pages

Want to read more? Try our follow up post with more resources