This is a comparative international study of the patterns of planning in local governments. While strategic planning has been a field of interest for public management and administrative science for over half a century there are very few cross-national studies of the specifics of planning in local governments. The book analyses the planning activities of local authorities in 7 diverse countries: France, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Spain, Turkey and USA. Although theoretical models of strategic planning are used, the book’s findings point to a very diverse and interesting environment with cultural, political and legal factors playing a significant role in shaping how planning is done in each country.

From the authors of the best-selling Habits of Mind... A costly gap exists between what we claim to value as educational essentials and how we evaluate results. In Dispositions, Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick present a game-changing look at why and how to "mind the gap". The authors’ Habits of Mind writings have influenced educational policy worldwide. Dispositions incorporates new cognitive science that shows how influencing students’ mental habits is their key to finding meaning in classroom content. Topics include: Making dispositions come alive in the minds of students Shifting the thinking of educational leaders, parents, politicians and the public How to align day-to-day classroom practices with larger dispositional outcomes Featuring techniques for integrating dispositional learning into the Common Core, Dispositions is Costa and Kallick’s most indispensable work on 21st Century learning. "Education must include the development of the human elements in our children. Costa and Kallick present a reasonable, practical and positive alternative—the cultivation of dispositional thinking, the very core of being human." Foreword by Yong Zhao

Create a dynamic strategic plan, central to your organizations ability to make critical business decisions, with this step-by-step walk through the strategic planning process. 10 Steps to Successful Strategic Planning offers a simple 10 step process to assessing your priorities, organizing your goals, and getting your organization on the path to planned success. Loaded with worksheets, exercises, tips, tools, checklists, and other easy-to-use and interactive learning aids, this title guides you through the entire strategic planning process.

Get ahead of the competition with some expert planning As any business manager knows, success doesn't just happen. It takes hard work and planning to get the desired results. Strategic planning is the discipline that helps businesses build on their present success by analyzing all the factors that can impact the future and take measures to anticipate them. The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Strategic Planning offers clear and concrete discussions about: • Defining business goals in mission statements • Proven methods to gather the information necessary to formulate a strategy • Anticipating the competition • Executing a strategic plan

You may have sweated bullets to come up with a great strategic plan, but the really hard part is yet to come: actually implementing your plan for strategic change.