Design of a strategic planning model

Chapter I. Conceptual theoretical considerations on the Strategic Management process

This chapter aims to establish the theoretical and conceptual considerations that serve as a benchmark for the development of research and the subsequent design of a strategic plan for the career coordinations of UNEFA, Nueva Esparta nucleus.

In the theoretical framework, a synthesis of change and new strategic projections, the main concepts of strategy and strategic direction and their constituent elements are presented first, delving into strategic planning in the first component. Then we refer to the intimate and external analysis matrix, the latter is ideal for dealing with intimate and external factors, with the aim of generating different strategy options. The chapter closes with an emphasis on strategic planning in Venezuela. Below is the common thread that from the theoretical point of view will be followed in the present investigation and which will later be developed in the thesis.

1.1 Planning and Administration

Firstly, the term Planning has different connotations; Among these is the one presented by the Royal Spanish Academy (2006) in its dictionary, which indicates that Planning is the action and effect of planning. General plan, methodically organized and frequently of great amplitude, to obtain a determined objective, such as the harmonious development of a city, economic development, scientific research, the operation of an industry, among others. (p. 83).

In this definition, it is expressed that planning includes the organized steps that must be followed in order to obtain or fulfill a particular objective, and that it is useful for any organization, company or institution.

On the other hand, the Administration according to Chiavenato (2001) defines it as: "the process of planning, organizing, directing and controlling the use of resources to achieve the objectives" (p. 9).

According to the author, the administration understands the process of designing and maintaining an environment in which the people working in groups efficiently reach the selected goals. This applies to all types of organizations, whether small or large, for-profit or non-profit, manufacturing or service.

1.2 Administration Objectives

Chiavenato (1999) states that the administration's objectives are the following:

Achieve in an efficient and effective way the objectives of a social organism. Efficiency, when the company reaches its goals. Efficiency when it achieves its objectives with a minimum of resources. Allow the company to have a broader perspective of the environment in which it develops. (p. 10).

Through the administration, the companies reach the established objectives that serve as a guide for the execution stage of the actions in an efficient way, achieving the established goals with the minimum use of resources.

1.3 Importance of Administration

According to Chiavenato (1999) "the administration is a social organ specifically in charge of making resources productive, it reflects the essential spirit of the modern era, it is indispensable and this explains why, once created, it grew so quickly and with so little opposition" (p.11).

According to the author, administration is an activity of the utmost importance within the business of any company, since it refers to the establishment, search and achievement of objectives.

The establishment and achievement of objectives are challenging and productive tasks for any size of company, and through it the administrative obstacles that are presented to achieve success will be discovered, they are very similar in all types of business activity.

1.4 Administrative processes

Regarding administrative processes, according to what Chiavenato (1999) has stated, they are:

Planning: It is the administrative function that determines in advance what must be done and what objectives must be achieved. Control: The essence of control resides in the verification of whether the controlled activity is achieving the desired results or not. Direction: It means interpreting the plans for other people and give instructions on how to put them into practice. Organization: It is the constitution of the double material and social organism of the company. (p. 16).

The author refers to everything that comprises the administrative process, since to effectively achieve the goals set, the steps described must be met, such as planning, control, direction and organization of what you want to achieve.

In this sense, according to Viran, J. (1998), planning is defined as: »Obtaining and maintaining an adequate strategy of the company's goals and capabilities with the changing market opportunities». (p.145).

While for Mateas (1990), it means thinking before acting, thinking methodically, in a systematic way; explain possibilities and analyze their advantages and disadvantages, set goals, project yourself into the future, because what may or may not happen tomorrow decides whether my actions today are effective or ineffective. Planning is the tool for thinking and creating the future. It contributes the vision that crosses the curve of the road and limits the virgin land not yet traveled and conquered by the human being, and with that long view it supports the decisions of each day, with the feet in the present and the eye in the future. (p.56).

Planning for Sánchez Velasco, in his book Strategic Planning, Theory and Practice (2007) states that: "It is the process of setting objectives and choosing the most appropriate means to achieve them before taking action" (p 11).

In the above definitions, it is possible to find some important common elements: the establishment of objectives or goals, and the choice of the most convenient means to achieve them (plans and programs). It also involves a decision-making process, a process of anticipation (anticipation), visualization (representation of the desired future) and predetermination (taking actions to achieve the concept of guessing the future).

For the United Nations (UN), in its 1970 document it is established that Planning is the process of election and selection among alternative causes of action with a view to the allocation of scarce resources, in order to obtain specific objectives based on a preliminary diagnosis that covers all relevant factors that can be identified.

The Organic Planning Law, understands Planning as the permanent, interrupted and reiterated technology of the state and society, destined to achieve its structural change in accordance with the Bolivarian Constitution of the Republic of Venezuela.

1.5 Dynamics of change and business strategy

The word change is used to explain the transformations that are taking place in different areas related to institutions and companies. Many experts argue that the environment where companies and organizations live and feed will be substantially different from the one we have known until a few years ago. There is a general consensus on the qualitative importance of the changes, some of a structural nature; Where there are discrepancies is in the consequences, due to the range of uncertainties and associated risks that are managed.

If these transformations are indeed so important and affect institutions and companies, how should we respond from management positions. For companies managed under the principles of order, centralization, omnipresent boss, pyramid organization and mechanistic processes, it is not easy to adapt, especially when this behavior has reported high levels of efficiency for a long time. The question is: will the same guiding principles continue to be valid in the future as in the past to achieve similar levels of efficiency? In my opinion, without going into the convenience and legitimacy of its application in the past, the truth is that the assumptions in which they were applied are changing substantially. Indeed, the environment surrounding companies and organizations is no longer as stable as it used to be,nor is it characterized by the certainties that allowed the activity to be carried out with rigid approaches; rather there is instability, uncertainty, complexity… and it is agreed by consensus among experts that this table where companies operate will continue irreversibly - at best - and possibly become more pronounced. Therefore, this is the challenge for those who want to see it: how to respond to a hostile, changing and difficult to control environment. For those who do not perceive it this way, we suggest that they be permanent lookouts for the future.complexity… and it is agreed by consensus among experts that this picture of where companies operate will continue irreversibly - at best - and possibly become more pronounced. Therefore, this is the challenge for those who want to see it: how to respond to a hostile, changing and difficult to control environment. For those who do not perceive it this way, we suggest that they be permanent lookouts for the future.complexity… and it is agreed by consensus among experts that this picture of where companies operate will continue irreversibly - at best - and possibly become more pronounced. Therefore, this is the challenge for those who want to see it: how to respond to a hostile, changing and difficult to control environment. For those who do not perceive it this way, we suggest that they be permanent lookouts for the future.

If "change has become the rule and stability the exception" we must couple our companies and institutions to the new paradigm, if we want to save and strengthen them.

The changes that are taking place in the socio-economic sphere are so important, so profound and some at such a rate, that the effects have already begun to be felt in companies. In this context of uncertainty, conventional analyzes that are fed from and with exclusive data from the past are not enough; It is also essential to have new tools that explore and illuminate possible future developments of complex problems in which companies are immersed. Only in this way can the most appropriate strategies be adopted to compete or serve efficiently in an increasingly interrelated world.

It can be said without a doubt that change is the constant of today, the turbulence and unpredictability increases uncontrollably; Its impact is evident not only in the strategic and policy processes in organizations that involve the reorientation of the mission and vision, but fundamentally in the technology in use, methods and procedures for the production of goods and services.

Traditionally, business administrations have focused more on problems of efficiency, a valid approach when operating in a stable environment, but when in the presence of a changing environment, it is necessary to conceive a management model that is constantly interrelated with the evolution of this environment given that the performance factors of organizations are related to their ability to master change and adapt to it. (Menguzzato)

The experience of long-term survival and development of organizations depends much more on the progress made in effectiveness, (which links the changes of the company with its environment) and not with efficiency (links the changes with the internal aspects of the company), (Hofer and Schendel, 1978).

Correspondingly, the changes that are taking place in the business environment oblige administrations to assume new management models that allow them to project themselves into the future, adopting a broader vision regarding the relationship of the company with the environment and thus achieve greater understanding the reality in which it operates and placing itself in better conditions to face threats and take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to it. (Navas)

Considering these aspects, dissimilar are the models that organizations can assume to face this constantly changing reality, but to obtain success there is no doubt that these must be models that contain a strategic vision where intelligence and the participation of all its members are mobilized.; Participation and commitment that can only be achieved under the protection of high-quality, executive, focused, realistic, planned management with a clear medium and long-term vision.

1.6 Concept of strategy seen by different authors:

The genesis of the concept of strategy comes from the art of waging war, that is, from the world of the military. In 1944 it begins to be applied in the economic and academic field with the game theory of Von Neuman and Mongentern. The main idea defended by these authors is that of competition, of acting against the adversary to achieve certain objectives.

The evolution of strategic planning has also been addressed by several theorists of Administrative Theory, Ansoff, Garcías Falcón, Menguzzato and Renau, among others. In the middle of the year 1950 it was first introduced in some commercial companies. The most important companies were mainly those that developed formal strategic planning systems or as it was also called, long-term planning systems. However, Igor Ansoff, a great theorist of strategy, locates the beginning of strategic planning in the 1960s and sees it associated with changes in strategic impulses and capacities. Strategic planning, for other authors, understood as a management system, formally emerged in the 1970s, as a result of the evolution of the planning concept.This shifts the emphasis from "what to achieve" (objectives) to "what to do" (strategies).

Taking a brief tour of the concepts formulated by theorists of the past century from various years, some that are important can be cited, as they move from the simplest to the most complex of the system. For example, strategic planning has been viewed in the following ways:

First group: It brings together the concepts related to the interaction between the environment, Tabatorni (1975), Ansoff (1976), Hoffer (1978), Quinn (1991), Mintzberg (¡)) •), Le Blanc (1994), Certo (1994) and Wright (1996). These authors provide definitions that show the essence of the emergence of strategic management, such as the need for a management tool to facilitate the organization's adaptation to a turbulent environment and guarantee proactiveness to avoid being surprised by constant changes.

Second group: Presents the definitions of the concept that refer to the achievement of organizational objectives, Andrews (1962), Menguzzato (1984), Paz (1984), Stoner (1987), Koontz (1992), Stainer (1991, Porte (1992) and Lambin (1994).This shows the influence that had been the success of the management by objective presented by Peter Drucker since 1954 and argues the strategy as a way to achieve the achievement of organizational goals.

Third group: It has the definitions that focus attention on the term competence. Quinn (1991), Porte (1992), Mintzberg (1993), Ohmae (1993) and Londoño (1995). This trend was accentuated in the 90s of the 20th century, using concepts related to rivalry, combat or the need to defeat the opponent on the battlefield.

And based on this conceptualization, it leads to the following graph, which more clearly illustrates the impact of changes in company policy, fig. 1.1.

The variety of the strategic models have responded to the specific conditions of the development of business policies, as it is to be supposed it is not the same to direct the policies to decisions directed to the production, product or sale, that those formulated to satisfy the needs of your clients.

Fig. 1.1: Historical evolution of strategy trends

Historical evolution of strategy trends

Taken from: Notes on strategic direction. How to integrate the strategic, tactical and operational levels? Ronda Pupo and Marcané Laserra, 2003.

All the concepts explain to a greater or lesser extent, what is currently understood by strategy, since there is a constant reference to the weight that the objectives set above all have in the company or entity, especially in the medium and long term, foreseeing events that may affect its development. After analyzing the concepts on strategy previously exposed, there is no doubt about the importance of strategic management for business administration.

1.2.1 The strategic direction:

In most of the researches consulted, they agree on the thesis that the origins of business strategy are located in the word strategy that emerged as a military term. The word strategy comes from the Greek term strategos, which means the art of the general in the context of directing military operations. The similarity that exists between the war and the business world has led to imitate technical language, adapting it to the business field as a strategic direction.

Among the first writings on strategy in the field of management are the renowned authors: Chandler, Ansoff, Andrews, among others. Those that are cited, given the importance of facilitating the understanding of the subject. The strategy is the determination of the basic long-term goals and objectives of a company and the adoption of courses of action and the allocation of resources that are necessary to carry out these goals. (Chandler, 1962).

The strategy is the dialectic of the company with its environment. Later described as the set of missions and main objectives or goals, as well as essential policies and plans to carry out these goals, presented in the form of definition of activities to which the company is dedicated or is going to be dedicated. (Ansoff, 1976). The business strategy makes explicit the general objectives of the company and the fundamental courses of action, according to the current and potential means of the company, in order to achieve its optimal insertion in the socio-economic environment. (Menguzzato and Renau, 1991). Strategy is the product of a set of applicable logical and creative actions that lead to the formulation of broad objectives, main policies and the allocation of resources to achieve the transcendental goals of an organization,in search of a better competitive position and a more coherent response to the current and future environment. (Gárciga, 1999).All the concepts explain to a greater or lesser extent, what is currently understood by strategy, since there is a constant reference to the weight that the objectives set above all have in the company or entity, at medium and long-term, foreseeing events that may affect its development. After analyzing the concepts on strategy previously exposed, there is no doubt about the importance of strategic management for business administration.since a constant reference is made to the weight that the objectives set above all have in the company or entity, in the medium and long term, foreseeing events that may affect its development. After analyzing the concepts on strategy previously exposed, there is no doubt about the importance of strategic management for business administration.since a constant reference is made to the weight that the objectives set above all have in the company or entity, in the medium and long term, foreseeing events that may affect its development. After analyzing the concepts on strategy previously exposed, there is no doubt about the importance of strategic management for business administration.

It is "an iterative and holistic process of formulation, implementation, execution and control of a set of activities, which guarantees a proactive interaction of the organization with its environment, to contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness in fulfilling its corporate purpose." (Galarza and Almuiñas, 2007).

The Strategic Direction in its extension has three main stages: (Galarza and Almuiñas, 2007).

Strategic planning (formulation).Strategic administration (organization, execution and command) (implementation).Strategic control (strategy control).

The objective of this research is focused on the first stage, due to the importance it represents for business management, the formulation of Strategic Planning.

Strategic planning

The real purpose of planning is not to predict or make plans, but to increase the capacity for an organization to better understand its position in the environment, interpret and assimilate new realities, and increase its ability to produce, sustain and institutionalize change. In this way, planning is learning, and learning means increasing the capacity for reflection, rethinking mental models about the environment and organization, and improving the processes by which strategic decisions are made. (Geus, 1988)

Strategic planning is only one stage of strategic management is a concrete form of decision making that addresses the specific future that managers want for their organization. It is the key element of the administrative cycle. (Acosta and García, 1999).

«Strategic Planning is a participative, systematic, critical and self-critical, comprehensive, reflective process, structured at various times, which allows the formulation, among others, of objectives and strategies in different time horizons, which requires external and internal information, responds to the demands of the environment and of the institution itself, and whose results require monitoring and evaluation ». (Galarza and Almuiñas 2007).

“… Strategic planning is understood as the process of developing and maintaining a project that links institutional goals and skills with the changing opportunities of the market. This depends on the development of a clear institutional mission, that supports objectives, and an appropriate implementation. ” (Kotler, 2004)

Strategic planning is a coherent, unifying and integrating decision model that determines and reveals the organization's purpose in terms of long-term objectives and priorities in the allocation of resources. It is the way to select the current or future business of the organization, looking for a long-term sustainable advantage and responding appropriately to the opportunities and threats that arise in the external environment of the company. All this process must be carried out taking into account the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. With strategic thinking, new concepts are incorporated into the management process, which are more intuitive than analytical elements. Concepts like mission, vision and values,they require the active participation not only of the management team but also of the approval by the workers of the same.

"Strategic thinking provides the basis for Strategic Planning, the latter constituting the skeleton on which the strategy must take shape. The intention to dominate and prosecute the destiny of the company, specified in the strategy, can be carried out within the framework of Strategic Planning which is defined as the rational analysis of the opportunities and threats that the environment presents for the company, of the strengths and weaknesses of the company compared to its environment and the selection of a set of strategies between these two elements ". (Menguzzato and Renau, 1991).

Strategic planning is a systematic evaluation process that has several dimensions (social, cultural, political, economic, scientific, technological) where long-term objectives are defined, identifying goals and developing strategies that promote their achievement. A correct strategic planning allows to foresee and decide the actions that can lead from the present to a desirable future, making the pertinent decisions for this event to occur, it should be seen as a participatory process, which does not provide a solution to all uncertainties, but which allows you to draw a line of objectives to act accordingly.

After analyzing the concepts previously exposed by the different scholars of the subject, it can be specified and summarized, that strategic planning is the rational analysis of the opportunities and threats that the environment presents for the company, of the company's strengths and weaknesses In the face of this environment and the selection of a strategic commitment between these two elements that satisfy their aspirations, taking into account the values, with the intention of naming and channeling their destiny, a constant reference to the weight of the objectives is appreciated short, medium and especially long-term plans and strategies, anticipating events that may affect their development. This being one of the points on which most scholars agree, it is made clear,that planning must be able to foresee changes in the environment that slow down the company, in addition to having the sharpness to realize when objectives, plans, strategies and goals do not maintain adequate coherence.

Strategic planning allows organizations to narrow down a precise picture of the current situation in relation to the situation that is expected to come in the future. Four edges are considered in strategic planning: (González, 2008)

The future of current decisions: planning deals with the future of current decisions, means that it observes the chain of consequences of causes and effects for a time, related to a real or intentional decision that the director will make. The essence of it is the systematic identification of future opportunities and dangers, which combined with other important data provide the basis for a company to make better decisions today to exploit opportunities and avoid dangers. Planning means designing a desired future and identifying ways to achieve it. Process: Strategic Planning is a process that begins with the establishment of organizational goals, defines strategies and policies to achieve these goals,and develops detailed plans to ensure the implementation of the strategies and thus obtain the desired ends. It is also a process for deciding in advance what kind of planning effort should be made, when and how it should be done, who will carry it out, and what will be done with the results. Strategic Planning is systematic in the sense that it is organized and conducted based on an understood reality. Philosophy: Strategic Planning is an attitude, a way of life; It requires dedication to act based on observation of the future, and determination to plan consistently and systematically as an integral part of leadership. Furthermore, it represents a mental process, an intellectual exercise, rather than a series of pre-written processes, procedures, structures or techniques.It is a formal Strategic Planning system that unites three types of fundamental plans: strategic plans, medium-term programs; short-term budgets and operational plans. It is the systematic and more or less formal effort of a company to establish its basic purposes, objectives, policies and strategies, to develop detailed plans in order to put the policies and strategies into practice and thus achieve the company's basic objectives and purposes..to develop detailed plans to implement the policies and strategies and thus achieve the company's basic objectives and purposes.to develop detailed plans to implement the policies and strategies and thus achieve the company's basic objectives and purposes.

Strategic management is a whole process in which two moments or great phases are articulated: the formulation of strategies and the implementation and control. The formulation of strategies basically includes the approach of strategic planning and is developed from a strategic analysis (internal and external diagnosis) that allows defining its strategic position with respect to the environment, evaluating and formulating the different strategic options that are appropriate to it. and the implantation of these with its corresponding control system that facilitates making the necessary adjustments, having to previously define basic aspects such as: mission, values and vision, since they constitute the starting point for developing the strategic diagnosis (Menguzzato and Renau, 1991).

The implementation of strategies constitutes the second and important moment to implement the strategy, the organization must establish annual objectives, devise policies, motivate employees, in such a way that they allow executing the strategies formulated (Menguzzato and Renau, 1991).

Strategy implementation is often said to be the active stage of strategic management. For its analysis, it is frequently divided into 3 main components, which lead to a successful implementation that influences strategic change in one way or another:

Resource planning: Your goal is to plan and execute how resources should be distributed to take advantage of strategic change. Organizational Structure: One of the most important resources in an organization is human resources, so how they are organized is crucial for the effectiveness of the strategy.Management of change: it involves the implementation of a strategy in which the attention of the academics who have considered it as one of the fundamental and frequent parts of the policy of management.

The three fundamental activities to evaluate strategies are: the review of the internal and external factors that are the basis of the present strategies, the measurement of performance and the application of corrective actions. The strategies must be evaluated because the success of today does not guarantee the success of tomorrow. Success always creates new and different problems, that is, complacent organizations fall into decline.

There is a great variety of methodologies to develop the strategic management process, whichever is used responds in essence to the same procedure:

Carry out a strategic analysis to define the position of the organization in relation to the evolution of the environment and its capabilities and internal expectations. Formulate and evaluate the different strategic options and the choice of strategies that are appropriate to the organization. Implement them with the corresponding control and evaluation that allows the necessary adjustments.

When talking about strategic planning, future studies are always used, among them foresight is at the forefront, since they represent a scientific foundation activity systematically deployed by professionals and aimed at enunciating the possible evolution of events.

1.2.2 The Matrix of Intimate and External Analysis (DOFA)

Sánchez and Velasco (2007), The SWOT Matrix: is a conceptual structure for a systematic analysis that facilitates the adaptation of extreme threats and opportunities with the intimate strengths and weaknesses of an organization.

This matrix is ideal for dealing with intimate and external factors, with the aim of generating different strategy options.

(F) Fortress; (0) Opportunities; (D) Weaknesses; (A) Threats.

The confrontation between the opportunities of the organization, with the purpose of formulating the most convenient strategies, implies a reflective process with a high component of subjective judgment, but based on objective information. Internal strengths can be used to take advantage of external opportunities and to mitigate external threats. Likewise, an organization could develop defensive strategies aimed at countering weaknesses and avoiding threats from the environment. External threats coupled with internal weaknesses can lead to disastrous results for any organization. One way to lessen internal weaknesses is by taking advantage of external opportunities.

The SWOT matrix: Leads to the development of four types of strategies:

The FO strategy: It is based on the use of internal strengths of the organization in order to take advantage of external opportunities. This type of strategy is the most recommended. The organization could build on its strengths and, through the use of its positive capabilities, take advantage of the market to offer its goods and services. The FA strategy: tries to minimize the impact of threats from the environment, using the strengths. This does not imply that threats from the environment must always be dealt with in such a direct way, since it can sometimes be more problematic for the institution. The DA strategy: It aims to reduce weaknesses and neutralize threats, through actions of defensive character.Generally this type of strategy is used only when the organization is in a highly threatened position and has many weaknesses, the strategy is aimed at survival. In this case, it may even lead to the closure of the institution or a structural and mission change. The DO strategy: It aims to improve internal weaknesses, taking advantage of external opportunities, an organization to which the environment offers certain opportunities, but you cannot take advantage of them because of their weaknesses, you could say invest resources to develop the deficient area and thus be able to take advantage of the opportunity.It can even lead to the closure of the institution or a structural and mission change. The DO strategy: It aims to improve internal weaknesses, taking advantage of external opportunities, an organization to which the environment offers certain opportunities, but cannot take advantage of them Due to its weaknesses, it could mean investing resources to develop the deficient area and thus be able to take advantage of the opportunity.It can even lead to the closure of the institution or a structural and mission change. The DO strategy: It aims to improve internal weaknesses, taking advantage of external opportunities, an organization to which the environment offers certain opportunities, but cannot take advantage of them Due to its weaknesses, it could mean investing resources to develop the deficient area and thus be able to take advantage of the opportunity.

For all these reasons, the DOFA matrix is proposed as a powerful analysis tool that provides us with that vision to which we refer.

Why the SWOT Matrix?

SWOT analysis is one of the essential tools that provides the necessary inputs to the strategic planning process, providing the necessary information for the implementation of corrective actions and measures and the generation of new or better improvement projects.

In the process of analyzing the strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats, SWOT Analysis, the economic, political, social and cultural factors that represent the influences of the external environment of the company are considered, which affect its internal work, since potentially they can favor or jeopardize the fulfillment of the institutional Mission.

The anticipation of these opportunities and threats enables the construction of anticipated scenarios that allow reorienting the course of the institution.

The strengths and weaknesses correspond to the internal scope of the institution, and within the strategic planning process, an analysis must be made of which are those strengths that it has and which are the weaknesses that hinder the fulfillment of its strategic objectives.

Some of the characteristics of this type of analysis include the following

They facilitate the analysis of the institutional task that the company must fulfill by attribution. They facilitate the realization of a diagnosis for the construction of strategies that allow reorienting the institutional direction, by identifying the current position and response capacity of our institution. The strategic planning process is considered functional when weaknesses are diminished, strengths are increased, the impact of threats is considered and promptly addressed, and the use of opportunities is capitalized on in achieving the objectives, the Mission and Vision. of the company.

Figure 1.2 Schematic of the SWOT matrix

SWOT matrix scheme

Source: self made

1.4 Strategic planning in Venezuela

Conceiving planning as a comprehensive, rational and continuous systemic process of forecasting, organizing and using the available resources of a country, a region, a company or a family with a view to achieving objectives and goals in a predetermined time and space, allows deducing that at UNEFA, a planning process will lead to efficient attention to the challenges posed by the current socioeconomic situation and future needs.

What is planning?

Planning is planning and deciding today on the actions that can take us from the present to a desirable future. It is not about making predictions about the future but about making the appropriate decisions for that future to occur.

Strategic planning should be understood as a participatory process, which will not solve all uncertainties, but which will allow drawing a line of purposes to act accordingly. The conviction that the desired future is possible allows the construction of a community of interests among all those involved in the change process, which turns out to be a basic requirement to achieve the proposed goals.

The planning process understood in this way must compromise the majority of the members of an organization, since its legitimacy and the degree of adherence that it arouses among all the actors will largely depend on the level of participation with which it is implemented.

In the modern era, for 1918, planning arose, based on the law of just proportions, which made it a necessary condition to try to organize and make society work. Also in the capitalist field, planning began around 1930 with the control of military spending and monetary legislation.

At the end of the Second World War, companies began to realize some aspects that were not controllable: uncertainty, risk, instability and a changing environment. So the need arose to have relative control over rapid changes. In response to such circumstances, managers begin to use strategic planning.

Nowadays, the possibilities of making a good planning have been favored by the development of informatics (software and hard), which has optimized the capacity to generate, store, process and transport information. However, technology by itself is not enough: those who make up organizations and especially Communication Directors must know how to use it and the business culture must stimulate the innovations and harmonious changes produced by the integration of technology and the torrent of information.

Today it seems more than necessary to implement this type of methodologies. It is true that there are not many companies or consultancies that are dedicated to these issues or that have professionals prepared for such purposes. But as the saying goes "an image is worth a thousand apologies" therefore taking care of it becomes essential, of course not only for the image but also for business.

On the other hand, it is an advance positioning tool that allows the organization to know the threats and opportunities to win customers, position, launch and / or withdraw products, in short, anticipate and adapt to changes in the market and in society.

The changes that the decentralization process has generated in the governmental apparatus brought with it the revision of the concept of region in the field of planning. In this regard, the State Reform Commission (COPRE) suggests that in development planning, the region as a concept should be referred to the spatial areas of the states and municipalities.

State Level: It has its foundation in the Law of decentralization, delimitation and transfers of powers of the public powers and the Organic Law of Territorial Organization. The Law of Decentralization in its article 4, Chapter 2, indicates that the planning, coordination and promotion of integral development, in accordance with the national laws on the matter, will be transferred to the states, among other services traditionally provided by the Central Level. Consequently, the law provides for the participation and responsibility of the state governments in the elaboration of the State Development Plan and the Annual Operational Plan.

Types of Development Plans

The planning process is one and it is materialized through the elaboration of plans, which are classified according to the economic sphere, geographical area or according to the time they contemplate for its execution. However, it is convenient to keep in mind this classification although it is basically formal; in practice, there should be a close relationship between the plans.

According to the Economic Scope: The plans can be global and sectoral. The global plans are those that cover all the productive, distribution and investment activities carried out at the national level. They are called national development plans. The sectoral plans arise from the need to plan a part of the economic activities, according to the technological process that is used; in this way the sectors are identified: Oil, Agriculture, construction, Tourism, Education, etc. According to the Geographical Scope: They are the plans that cover certain geographic areas such as region, state, municipality or the political-administrative regions in which it is divided to the country. Even when they are plans (regional, state, municipal) located in a certain space,they respond or are related to global and sectoral economic policy processes due to the development of a region and the other regions of the country with which it is closely linked, in addition; There is the need to assign financial and physical resources to each region. According to Time: They are those plans that are established according to the time horizon of the processes that are planned. These, in turn, can be: Long-Term Plans: They are called "perspective" or "projective" plans because they are made for 10, 15 or more years, depending on the nature of the content, since there are aspects that, being very variables do not allow to be projected, such as: Oil prices. However, it is possible to formulate plans regarding the population, use and depletion of certain natural resources and animal species.Education and health are also long-term programmable resources; particularly education is organized into cohorts with duration ranging from approximately 3 to 7 years by educational level. The same happens with the transport networks, the conformation of cities, etc. The advantage of this type of plan is that it forces you to reflect and analyze present situations, as a result of their historical evolution, and project them into the future, in a way that allows you to glimpse the behavior of current events and take initiatives to drive changes from the present to the desired appearance. They are very general plans, with which it is tried to have an image of the future. Medium-term Plans: Their duration is associated with government periods or periods of five to three years. They are plans aimed at solving immediate problems:Increase productivity, improve the provision of health and education services, increase employment, increase investment and exports, etc. Short Term Plans: They generally cover twelve months, but can be formulated for two years. They are intended for immediate measures towards the fulfillment of specific goals within pre-established conditions. That is why they are plans with much more quantifications and details than the medium-term ones. They include in detail the monetary and internal and external financing flows, for which they are called operating plans. These plans are of particular importance because they are the basis for the formulation of the annual budget. The relationship between plan and budget is stated in the Organic Law of the Budgetary Regime.The fundamental purpose of annual planning is to organize the set of political decisions that in an integrated and complementary way will guide the action of each sector, for the fiscal year. Through this plan, the objectives and goals of the budget programs are determined, the necessary resources are allocated, the quantity and quality of the results are established, and the location and administrative responsibilities in the fulfillment of the activities are determined.the quantity and quality of the results are established and the location and administrative responsibilities in the fulfillment of the activities are determined.the quantity and quality of the results are established and the location and administrative responsibilities in the fulfillment of the activities are determined.

Milestones in Planning Development

From the creation of CORDIPLAN in 1958 to the present, a set of development plans have been formulated that express the methodological and socio-historical evolution of the country, as well as the different treatments of the political, social, institutional and legal aspects that cover the different levels of planning.

That is why planning as an instrument of development has been a constant that has been reflected in the different national plans. From its beginnings in 1959 to 1973 - three presidential terms -, the Import Substitution Development Model predominated. The role of the State could be described as "rentier and paternalistic", and all the successive Plans of the Nation had the normative focus of planning.

In the period 1974 - 1978, with which the increase in oil prices coincides, the Development Model is emphasized with a paternalistic and capitalist State that invests in companies and industries, for which it earned the label of "Omnipotent State".

Another relevant moment occurred in the design of the Plan of the Nation in 1979 (Seventh Plan), when for the first time a Situational Strategic Planning Model was introduced. This was no more than a methodological exercise since it did not have the political support for its viability.

When changing the paradigms that were handled in the international market, the Neoliberal Model was introduced with great force, endorsed by international organizations, whose basic principles refer to the globalization of the economy and the competitiveness of the markets. When referring to the situation in Latin America and other so-called Third World countries, the new approach considers poverty a limiting factor for its economic development. Hence the need to create programs and projects that offset the social impact of adjustment policies that the neoliberal model introduces as a way to improve macroeconomic indicators.

In the neoliberal model, the State would no longer be rentier, paternalistic or entrepreneur, but would reduce its dimensions through strategies of privatization, decentralization and State reform to make it more efficient in those priority areas that are determined as state responsibility.

The article “The challenges of planning in public policies: different visions and practices”, analyzes planning problems, particularly with respect to public policies, in the so-called developing countries. “In Brazil, these problems are related to the technicality phase, to the formulation bureaucracy and the forecasts of the economists. This tends to cast a shadow on the most important part of planning: the decision process, which is a political and social construction ”, describes the author Jose Antonio de Olivera, professor at the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV) in San Pablo. The professor shows that planning in public policies has to be seen as a process and not as a technical product only. ”The importance of the process is mainly given in the implementation,since it is the one that leads to the final results of the policies, programs or projects, ”he says. The author argues that planning is a political-social decision process that depends on precise information, transparency, ethics, temperance, acceptance of different visions and the desire to negotiate and seek joint solutions that are acceptable to all of society, mainly for the involved parts. "One of the reasons that leads to failures in the results of public policies is the dissociation that exists between the elaboration and the implementation in the planning process, according to some visions of practice or schools of thought," says the author. According to him, Brazilian policies often fail, because planning is related to the attempt to control the economy and society, Venezuelan universities are engaged in perfecting the methodology to be followed in shaping their strategic plans. The greatest emphasis has been placed on:

Define the scenarios from the application of foresight as the most precise technique. Formulation of the measurement criteria that must guide the achievement of the strategic objectives. Preparation of the action plans and the control and evaluation system of the objectives that prove their correct application.

In universities they have used little business techniques and methods to plan the future. Despite this reality, the possibility of developing practices and renewed conceptions of Higher Education planning have always existed. Planning was not conceived as an essential operation of the desirable university administration.

Despite the complexity of the organization, it was limited, most of the time, to carrying out short-term actions, inspired by the current situation, rather than by thematic study and internal and external analysis of the needs and expectations of community. However, since the 1960s, certain universities, inspired by organizational theory and planning emanating from other companies, have gradually adopted certain planning processes, adapting them to their own projects and activities.

Strategic planning conceives of the university as an open and dynamic system, sensitive to external influences and ready to respond to the demands of the environment. Planning then becomes a continuous process, articulated rather to the quality of the interventions, than to the quantity of data, and it rests on an open system in which the organization is called to change as it integrates different information from the external and internal environment and is considered a logical and realistic activity.

To finish, it should not be forgotten that the quality of a planning work is not measured by the ability to make correct predictions, but by the questioning of the mental models and the transformation of the people involved, the development of their skills for coordination and the concertation of strategies, and the stimulation of instruction and cognitive processes that help to understand and lead an effective action, for the benefit of the men of tomorrow.

1.5. Partial conclusions

1. The antecedents and evolution of the concepts, related to the complexity of the future of the organizations, have been treated in this chapter expressing the existing correlation between strategy, strategic planning and the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities in the object of study, highlighting the role that the latter plays in the process of strategic reflection on the future of the system with the participation of the actors.

2. It describes the characteristics of the SWOT matrix, its useful tools that will be applied in the investigation

3. The chapter discusses the experiences, modest but in constant improvement, of Venezuela, which could also be useful for Latin American countries and that fraternally there is a willingness to share and develop together in order to build a better future.

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