Nature and Characteristics of Planning:
Planning is concerned with the establishment of objectives of an enterprise and finding out the way of realization of those objectives. However, without setting the objectives there is nothing to organize, direct or control. Therefore, every organization is required to specify what it wants to achieve. Planning is basically related to this aspect.
The nature and characteristics of planning may be stated as follows:
- Intellectual Process:
Planning is an intellectual and rational process. Planning is a mental exercise involving imagination, foresight, and sound judgment. It requires a mental disposition of thinking before’ acting in the light of facts rather than guess. The quality of planning depends upon the abilities of the managers who are required to collect all relevant facts, analyze and interpret them in a correct way.
- Goal-orientation:
All planning is linked up with certain goals and objectives. It follows, therefore, that every plan must contribute in some positive way to the accomplishment of group objectives. Planning has no meaning without being related to goals and objectives. It must bridge the gap between where we are and where we want to go at the minimum cost.
- Primary Function:
Planning is said to be the most basic and primary function of management. It occupies first place and precedes all other functions of management which are designed to attain the goals set under planning. This is so because the manager decides upon the policies, procedures, programs, projects, etc. before proceeding with the work. The other functions of management—organising, direction, coordination, and control—can be performed only after the manager has formulated the necessary planning.
- Pervasiveness:
Planning pervades all managerial activities. It is the job of all managers in all types of organizations. It is undertaken at all segments and levels of the organization—from the general manager to the foreman. Whatever be the nature of the activity, management starts with planning. The character and breadth of planning will, of course, vary from one job to another—depending on the level of management.
- Uniformity:
There may be separate plans prepared at different levels in the organization, but all the sub-plans must be united with the general plan so as to make up a comprehensive plan for operation at a time. So, uniformity must be there at all levels of planning to match the general plan.
- Continuity:
To keep the enterprise as a going concern without any break, it is essential that planning must be a continuous process. So, the first plan must follow the second plan and the second plan the third, and so on in never-ending series in quick succession.
- Flexibility:
Plans should not be made rigid. It should be as flexible as possible to accommodate all possible changes in the enterprise with a view to coping with the changing conditions in the market. In fact, planning is a dynamic activity.
- Simplicity:
The language of the work schedule or program in the planning should be simple so that each and every part of it may easily be understood by the employees at different levels, especially at the lower level.
- Precision:
Precision is the soul of planning. This gives the planning exact, definite, and accurate meaning in its scope and content. Any mistake or error in planning is sure to upset other functions of management and, thus, precision is of utmost importance in every kind of planning.
- Feasibility:
Planning is neither poetry nor philosophy. It is based on facts and experience, and thereby realistic in nature. It represents a program that is possible to execute with more or less existing resources.
- A choice among Alternative Courses:
Planning involves the selection of a suitable course of action from several alternatives. If there is only one way of doing something there is no need for planning. Planning has to find out several alternatives, estimate the feasibility and profitability of the different alternatives, and choose the best one out of them.
- Efficiency:
Planning is directed towards efficiency. A plan is a course of action that shows the promise of optimizing return at the minimum expense of inputs. In planning, the manager evaluates the alternatives on the basis of efficiency. A good plan should not only attain the optimum relationship between output and input but should also bring the greatest satisfaction to those who are responsible for its implementation.
- Inter-dependence:
The different departments may formulate different plans and programs for their integration in the overall planning. But sectional plans cannot but be interdependent. For example, production planning depends upon sales planning—and vice versa.
- Forecasting:
Above all, no planning can proceed without forecasting—which means assessing the future and making provision for it. Planning is the synthesis of various forecasts—short-term or long-term, special or otherwise. They all merge into a single program and act as a guide for the whole concern.
CHARACTERISTICS OF PLANS
Effective plans aside from the fourteen (14) cited characteristics have certain identifiable characteristics such as the following:
- Clearly defined objective or goals
- Simplicity, directness, and clarity
- Flexibility
- Possibility of attainment
- Provisions for standards of operation
- The economy in terms of resources needed for implementation; &
- Anticipated effects or effects on future operations.
The identifiable characteristics of effective plans as enumerated in this section serve only as a guidepost for a commander to adopt and develop. The success of any plan lies in the success of its implementation. A good plan poorly executed is as ineffective as a poor plan. The effectiveness of planning likewise depends to a degree on the timeliness of the plan and on the strategy used for implementation.
EXECUTION OF POLICE PLANS
Once plans are made, the same shall be put into operation and the result thereof evaluated accordingly. Operations on the public safety force shall be directed by the chiefs or commander to attain the following objectives:
- Protection of lives and property
- Preservation of the peace and order
- Prevention of crimes
- Repression and suppression of criminality
- Apprehension of criminals
- Enforcement of laws and ordinances and regulations of conduct
- Safeguarding of public health and moral
- Prompt execution of criminal writs and processes of the court; and
- Coordination and cooperation with other law enforcement agencies
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