last updated August 31, 2003
A SWOT analysis—an analysis of the organization's "Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats"—is simply the creation of a clear picture of the internal and external situation in which the organization finds itself. SWOT analysis involves an assessment of the organization from the inside (its competitive advantages or past performance), as well as from the outside (current and future needs of the community, competitors' performance, new legislation, changes in the donor base, entry of new NGOs into the field, or new program opportunities). Particularly for younger organizations, evaluating competitors' performance, successes and failures can help identify coming challenges.
At the end of a SWOT analysis, participants will have a list of concerns or issues that require an organizational response. Not all concerns voiced must be included in this list; rather, the participants should identify those that are most important. These identified concerns are then translated into long- and short-term goals for the organization. Goals should ideally be SMARTER—that is, Specific, Measurable, Acceptable to those working to achieve the goals, Realistic, Extending the capabilities of those working to achieve the goals, and Rewarding to those individuals. The Basic Guidelines for the Successful Planning Process provides an extended discussion of SMARTER goal design.
MAP describes SWOT in more detail and breaks the process down into easy-to-follow and concrete steps. An in-depth discussion of the SWOT process and a "SWOT Worksheet" are provided by Radha Balamuralikrishna and John C. Dugger, in SWOT Analysis: A Management Tool for Initiating New Programs in Vocational Schools (1995). Judith Teitelman's essay, Hello Real World: Understanding Current Realities or How to Conduct an Organizational Self-Assessment, is a helpful discussion of the assessment process and some of the potential pitfalls to be avoided in a SWOT analysis. Morrie Warshawski's Organizational Self-Assessment Checklist, while tailored to an arts organization, outlines a number of questions that might be relevant to any organization's SWOT analysis. MAP's Driving Force Impacts is a useful worksheet for evaluating opportunities and threats, and Bill J. Harrison offers a list of questions to begin the SWOT discussion | 
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