Many large businesses conduct a SWOT analysis to identify the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of the business in order to keep pace with the competition. You may not consider yourself a large corporation, but completing a regular SWOT analysis of your farm or agricultural business can be beneficial to keep you competitive. It may sound like a difficult task to complete, but it does not have to be. The following paragraphs help explain what a SWOT analysis involves and how to complete this process.

Strengths and Weaknesses
The first two sections of the SWOT analysis usually examine the internal workings of your farm business. These issues or items are usually within the control of the business owners. One example could be future management of the business. Is there a next generation owner/manager who has the interest in the business and the ability to manage the complexities of the business? Another example could be the financial position of the business. Does the farm business have too much debt held as short term?
Here are some sample questions that can be asked to assist in determining your business’ strengths and weaknesses.

What is SWOT?
SWOT is the acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. It is an easy-to- use tool that has been around for quite some years. Different organisations use it in different ways. A Red Cross/Crescent version was developed when we started to produce tools for institutional analysis of a National Society.

SWOT can be used, for example:

• As an initial analysis of the situation of a National Society: to identify the main strengths and weaknesses of the organization, as well as the most important outside opportunities and threats emanating from its working environment;
• To go into more depth concerning a specific activity or program. Example: refugee operation, first-aid training, health programs, youth, etc.
• To analyze a problem area in more detail. Example: lack of money
• For doing a quick analysis, or “reality check” before proceeding with a project or program - especially if the planned activity involves some risk and/or investment of time and money.

What is SWOT?
Qualitative self-assessment is an important aspect of data driven prevention planning that augments more quantitative analyses that are usually done. Using the following document as a reference, you can conduct a qualitative assessment of the critical aspects of your suicide prevention effort that identifies its Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. In the course of this evaluation you may determine that certain aspects fall into more than one category; for example, a shift in state political leadership might be both a threat and an opportunity. After conducting a SWOT analysis, you and your coalition will be able to make better choices as you move through the various phases of planning and implementation.

Necessary Components
Because of the collaborative nature of this tool, your working group will need certain qualities to succeed:

“Strategic Planning” sounds a lofty pursuit and perhaps beyond our humble capabilities. Not so with a SWOT Analysis. Learn how to do a SWOT analysis using the SWOT matrix and become an effective strategic planner today, achieving your goals.

What’s Strategic Planning Anyway?
Strategic planning is just management speak for long term future planning. Strategic planning concerns anything that will bring results in anything from 1 year to 5 years or beyond. It’s good management practice to raise your head above the daily grind every now and then, and take action now to positively affect your future.

Definition of SWOT
As with most management models, the clue is in the name.
S = Strengths W = Weaknesses O = Opportunities T = Threats

The SWOT Matrix Explained
All the best management models have four quadrants, and the SWOT matrix is no exception. You use each of the four quadrants in turn to analyze where you are now, where you want to be, and then make an action plan to get there.

STRENGTHS (Internal)

• Public service orientation
• Well-qualified, team-oriented and dedicated staff
• Commitment to strong instruction program
• Relationship with campus departments, including collaborative collection development
• Ongoing goal of building quality collections and providing access to information

WEAKNESSES (Internal)

• Impact of budget on staff, facilities, equipment, and collections
• Lack of consistent short- and long- range planning
• Lack of systematic approach to assessment of services, collections and facilities
• Continuing need for consistent communication among library units

OPPORTUNITIES (External)

• New staff and faculty hires, evaluation and possible reconfigurations of positions
• Outreach and marketing library services and collections
• Build on and expand external and internal collaboration (UW System, campus departments, IT)
• Support innovations in teaching and changes in learners and learning styles across campus with new collections, services, and technologies
• Potential for new uses of building space and increased sustainability

Capacity Assessment for State Title V (CAST-5) is a set of assessment and planning tools for state Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant programs interested in examining their organizational capacity to carry out key MCH program functions. For more information on CAST-5, visit www.amchp.org/cast5.

The analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats is used for an in-depth analysis of performance for each Essential Service.

Instructions

For each Essential Service, identify the internal and external strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that are relevant to undertaking or enhancing the specified function. Examples of factors to consider are provided for each component of the analysis.

Many strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats will emerge from the discussions of Process Indicators for each Essential Service; note these issues on the worksheet as they arise. After completing the full set of Process Indicators, and before moving on to the next Essential Service, walk through the SWOT worksheet to make additions and revisions as necessary.