Explain why there needs to be planning at each of the different levels and how planning at one level feeds into and supports planning at the next level. What are the critical elements that define a good planning process within an organization? Who should be involved in the planning process and why? Define the principle components of information security planning as they relate to the planning process within an organization.
Any truly successful plans is never singular. Any effective plan is always multiple plans that redirect one another, intertwining into a multi layered organizational masterpiece. According to our text there are three functional levels of planning: Strategic planning, tactical planning, and operational planning. Like the braids of a rope, the three levels direct and support their adjacent strands, forming a cohesive plan that incorporates the three functional levels of planning.
Strategic planning is the theoretical drive of what you aim to do. In broad strokes, top-down strategic planning illustrates your mission statement and provides a direction for your tactical and operational departments.
Tactical planning is the practical drive of what the organization is attempting. By assessing the resources at hand, the tactical department facilitates the will of the strategic department has designed. While they may not entirely live up to the demands of the strategic department, the tactical office is the compromise that enables the operational department to bring the strategic designs to fruition.
The final level, though some propose that planning should start from the bottom up, is the operational level. Operational planning, the lowest level of planning, organizes the necessary tasks to complete the operation as designed by the strategic department. At this level of organization, you run into the physical impediments that could halt a task. This makes the operational level a very practical voice in the planning procedure, as they know what can and cannot be accomplished.
For these reasons, I think representatives from all three levels should be present in the planning process, as good planning requires a few well rounded perspectives. I believe this planning process holds true for any organization, from one that builds reliable widgets, to a security consulting firm that helps organizations plan for Security SDLC implementations, or developing contingency plans. By consulting with upper, middle, and lower managers and the workers they represent, you can create a tempered plan that, if all involved parties are listened to with respect, will follow the dreams of the strategic planners, at the convenience of the organizational planners, while staying within the budget layed out by the tactical planners.