A Strategic Plan

It is good to know where one is going and how to get there. They say it is better to measure twice and cut once. A master's student writes a thesis proposal before they move into doing the research. I wrote 44 pages single spaced when the average is around 10 (my supervisor requested as much information as possible and a good 17 pages were pictures, consent forms, and questionnaires). That is because planning is important, and to make it specific makes it even better.

Today I was presented with an opportunity to develop a strategic plan for a national organization: the New Zealand Coalition to End Homelessness has contracted me. This will benefit me not only personally but it will help social policy generation in New Zealand as a whole. Additionally, the research necessary for this project, to help create goals and the required background information, will aid me in understanding homelessness in New Zealand.

I have the next two months to complete the project, so I need to plan wisely to accomplish my thesis research as well, as that is number one. We have a strategic planning meeting towards the end of August, so my timeline is going to be tight. Either way, this is a great opportunity for myself to practice what I have learned at Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School.