Olivier NGORORABANGA
Title: Strategic Planning
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Available for Download: Yes
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Table of contents
1. Introduction
2. Executive Summary
Background and History
Direction and Results
Goals
Organization of the Strategic Plan
3. Vision
4. Mission
5. Core Operating Value
6. Summary Of Most Important Points in the Environmen
7. Business Objectives
8. Key Strategies
9. Major Goals
10. Strategic Action Plan
11. Some references during planning

INTRODUCTION
This strategic plan was developed with assistance from the Board of Directors and Staff of the Rural Energy Promotion Ltd. It provides The Rural Energy Promotion Ltd. Co. with a five-year roadmap for supports, services and organization development. The board of Directors and Staff will review progress quarterly and will review and update the plan annually as needed.

Short meetings with the Board of Directors were organized to reflect on the mission, vision, core operating values and assumptions underlying the organization’s approach to its work. The staff helped coordinate the planning process and provided important support and analysis to complete this plan.

The environmental scan and organizational assessment were used to identify both challenges and opportunities that Rural Energy Promotion Ltd.co. is likely to face over the next five years and set the context for the choices reflected in this strategic plan.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Rural Energy Promotion Ltd mission is:
To promote and supply electricity in rural and remote areas in Rwanda

Background and History
Rural Energy Promotion Ltd was established in 2007 as a Rwandese and Dutch partnership Limited Company. Today the company is rehabilitating the Murunda mini hydro power plant in the Western province, which was damaged by 1994 war and genocide. Its activities are to construct / rehabilitate, operate mini hydro power plants in rural and other remote areas and thus make electricity accessible in those areas.

Rural Energy Promotion Ltd identifies potential power consumers from the specific local community and put them into Association of power consumers managed by a committee of selected members. Then, once the association is formed, Rural Energy Promotion Ltd provides technical and financial assistance in connection procedures to the national grid or the mini hydro power plant.

Direction and results
The strategic direction and goals included in this plan are The Rural Energy Promotion Ltd’s response to its understanding of challenges and potentials in mini hydro available in rural and remote areas for facilitating and promoting access to electricity among the local community.

The five-year period of this strategic plan will be a time of assessing and deepening the Company‘s approaches to its work. Concurrently, the Company will take more of a leadership role in working and collaborate with the local community. With a fresh perspective on its mission, understanding what it does well, and the environment in which it operates, Rural Energy Promotion Ltd will pursue the following strategic direction:
1. Rural Energy Promotion Ltd will review and deepen its existing direct supports and services over time to ensure that they are state-of-the art for working effectively with local communities in rural & remote areas according to the Rural Utilities Regulatory Agency in Rwanda (RURA).
2. Rural Energy Promotion Ltd will further assess power demand within the local community and identify gaps or needed shifts in service delivery. This assessment will serve as the basis for expanding or adding new services/assistance.
3. Rural Energy Promotion Ltd will take a leadership role in working with a range of stakeholders; Association of consumers and the parish (former owner of the Murunda mini hydro power plant)
4. Rural Energy Promotion Ltd will explore the feasibility of grid connection option and/or expanding to both grid connection and supplying to local community at the same time Goals

The following goals for Rural Energy Promotion Ltd over the next five years are the Company’s response to the important issues identified in the environmental scan that was completed as part of the strategic planning process. These goals provide a roadmap for fulfilling the strategic direction:
Service delivery
In the process of promoting power access to people in remote and rural areas;
• Potential consumers will be identified and grouped into association of consumers according to their locations, so as to have a strong financial base,
• Technical assistance will be provided to potential consumers in connection process,

Human Resources
The Company Rural Energy Promotion Ltd will develop a stable, highly technically qualified and motivated workforce that actively delivers the organization’s mission.

Resource Development
Rural Energy Promotion Ltd will be a highly visible, profit making company that attracts increased numbers of technicians to support operations in various remote and rural areas where the Company is carrying out its activities. Successful implementation of this strategic plan will result in more quality supports and assistance in services delivered to consumers, more consumers welcomed in the association of consumers and connected to the national grid. The ultimate result The Company aspires to achieve is far beyond high quality supports and services in the supply of electricity in rural areas. It is about making power energy accessible and thus promoting its use within the community as the hydro potentials / resources available in their regions.

Organization of the Strategic Plan
As noted above, this strategic plan is intended to be a management tool for The Rural Energy Promotion Company. It presents the most comprehensive compilation of the plan and its component parts. It is a record of the strategic planning process and the decisions reached by the Board of Directors and staff. At the beginning of each section a box includes a definition of the component part.

Vision
The vision statement describes the organization in the somewhat distant future 10 to 20 years (Michael, A.; Jude, K. 2005). Components of the vision statement may include: 1) How big is the reach or scope of the work? 2) What is the organization doing? What is its role? 3) What does the organization itself look like? 4) Who are biggest partners? 5) What are the major sources of funding? It may also include major external context or assumptions that will influence this vision. The idea is to push the thinking out far enough that it is not tightly constrained by the current environment and capacities.

10-Year Vision for Rural Energy Promotion Ltd co.
Context
In the year 2018, easy access to electricity will add to development programs and activities in rural and remote areas. At the same time, as the nation grid will be extended in the country, rural and remote areas will assisted in connection process. Finally, people from rural and remote areas will enjoy, protect and use energy resources available in their regions.

Role and program Services
- Identify potential hydro power sources within remote and rural areas,
- Make mini hydro power plant to produce electricity which is to be distributed to population in surrounding areas and thus make electricity accessible to people in remote and rural areas.

Funding Sources
While subsidy finance from government and/or other nongovernmental organizations are still a significant source of funding, long-term bank loan supports highly owners’ equity to implement Rural Energy Promotion projects.

Mission
An organization’s mission statement is an opportunity to convey in a concise and compelling way the difference the organization is aiming to make in the world. Stakeholders want to be a part of making this happen and they want the organization to be remembered for this in the future. (Bryson, John M. 2004)

The Rural Energy Promotion Ltd.Co. Mission is:
To promote and supply electricity in rural and remote areas in Rwanda.
Promote means making electricity accessible or producing power energy in rural and remote areas in Rwanda.
Supply means distributing electricity to people in rural and remote areas.

Corporate Values
Corporate Values are the fundamental values or ideals at the heart of the organization. They articulate ideals the organization aspires to hold itself accountable for and offer guidance about how the organization behaves in carrying out its mission. (Fred L Fry; Charles R Stoner; Laurence G Weinzimmer; 2005)

The corporate values governing Rural Energy Promotion Ltd co's development include the following:
- Rural Energy Promotion Ltd co. operates in accordance with the highest standards in all relationships with customers, suppliers, environment and the community.
- Rural Energy Promotion Ltd co. fosters a climate which encourages innovation and diligence amongst staff and rewards accordingly.

Summary of the Most Important Points in the Environment
An environmental scan, called the e-scan for short, is a process for discovering and documenting facts and trends in the operating environment of an organization that are likely to affect the organization in its future work (Gregory G. Dess, G. T. Lumpkin 2003). E-scan findings are used to orient strategic planning participants on the context in which the organization’s mission is carried out. The e-scan can also include a summary of internal information about the organization and its history including who has been served, results it has achieved, its current structure, and financial data. It is often put in the framework of a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis. Strengths are internal characteristics, qualities, and capacities that are doing well and are part of the reason the organization’s accomplishments. Weaknesses are internal qualities that need to be improved. Opportunities refer to external activities or trends that the organization may benefit from, connect with or take advantage of to grow or enhance its performance. Threats are external activities or trends that threaten the current and future success of the organization.

The following is a brief summary of opportunities, threats, strengths, and weaknesses highlighted by the board of Directors and staff of. They represent a small portion of the complete environmental scan related to this strategic plan. Strengths
- Basis for strong management team
- Key first major customer acquired
- Very focused management/staff
- Well-rounded and managed business

Threats
- Changing weather conditions
- Gas methane project for power generation
- Low river capacity (water flow)
- Low purchasing power for people rural and remote areas

Weaknesses
- Dependence on borrowings - Insufficient cash resources
- Board of Directors is too narrow
- Lack of a strong technical position
- Overdependence on few key staff
- Emerging new technologies may move market in new directions

Opportunities
- Existing potential hydro sources
- Government policy in favor of energy sector
- Possibility for grid connection
- Existing cheap labor

Business objective
Business objective is a succinct statement about the strategy or approach an organization will take towards its work over a specific period of time (Bryson, John M. 2004). The statement is based on a combination of both the current environment (opportunities and threats facing the organization) and the mission and competencies of the organization. It is often a direct response to the strategic questions asked by an organization.

The Long term business objectives of Rural Energy Promotion are summarized as follows:
- To expand the business aggressively and offer above-average returns to shareholders.
- To become the leading, innovative hydro company within the rural and remote areas in Rwanda.

Key Strategies
The following critical strategies will be pursued by Rural Energy Promotion Ltd:
- Raise additional venture capital,
- Recruit qualified technicians,
- Strengthen local relationship and introduce share options for local institutions or organizations,
- Appoint Technical advisers for proper maintenance of the power machine and connected infrastructures,
- Seek new mini hydro power sources from remote and rural areas in the country to be exploited.

The following important strategies will also be followed:
- Start participating in trade shows and missions
- Develop East African Countries (EAC) market entry plans
- Pursue strategic alliances with complementary players

Major Goals
The following key targets will be achieved by Rural Energy Promotion Ltd over the next 3-5 years:
- Achieve sales of $100 000 by 2011
- Report annualized profits of $64 000 in 2012
- Increase the number of consumers to 30% of the local population by 2013
- Employ 30 people including 30% technically qualified by 2013
- Identify and operate other power plants in every province before 2013

Strategic Action Programs
The following strategic action programs will be implemented:
- Identify potential small river for hydro power every year
- Prepare comprehensive business plan for each identified facility and develop contacts to raise financing.
- Develop contacts with power machine suppliers including site visit.
- Update technical training for proper maintenance of the power plants

References
Used when defining the some concepts during the above strategic planning:
1. Bryson, John M. (2004) Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: a guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement. 3rd ed.Publication: Jossey-Bass; San Francisco.
2. Michael, A.; Jude, K. (2005) Strategic planning for nonprofit organizations: a practical guide and workbook Publication: Hoboken, N.J. : Wiley,
3. Fred L Fry; Charles R Stoner; Laurence G Weinzimmer. (2005) Strategic planning for small business made easy, Irvine, Calif.: Entrepreneur Press.
4. Gregory G. Dess, G. T. Lumpkin (2003). Strategic Management: Creating Competitive Advantages McGraw