As mentioned in the module introduction, one of the challenges for government managers is identifying important externalities and understanding their implication for the organization.
management
Description
Web Field Trip: PEST Analysis
As mentioned in the module introduction, one of the challenges for government managers is identifying important externalities and understanding their implication for the organization. One fairly straightforward tool for environmental scanning is a PEST analysis. PEST stands for political, economic, social, and technology trends. This is a tool one would typically use in preparing for the planning phase of a strategic planning initiative. To learn more about PEST, visit www.mindtools.com
. At the home page, on the upper right corner, is a box saying "Free eNewsletter." Fill in your name and email address. When you fill this out, another screen will open with a menu on the left. Click on "Strategy Tools." In the Browse by Category box click on “Core Strategy Tools” and you will see the PEST tool.
Using the government unit you identified in your Module 1 your professional development memo assignment(Copy of the memo attached), identify at least three sources of external information for each of the four PEST categories. In other words, given what you know about your government unit, what advice would you give them on seeking out pertinent information regarding the four categories? (Note: you may want to interview a key management official for his or her insights on sources of information. In turn, this could also be a valuable networking opportunity.) This assignment will give you an opportunity to demonstrate your sophistication on the array of potential courses of information to aid in completing a credible PEST document.
Module 3: Web Field Trip Discussion
Share your findings as a formal post and include a thought on what you learned in completing this task—particularly the challenges in finding relevant information.
In addition to your
formal post, please be sure to react to the points of at least two colleagues.
