Public, community, and nonprofit organizations are working to tackle increasingly complex social challenges in an an environment of competing priorities and inadequate resources. Organizations need to be strategic and innovative to be relevant to their stakeholders, and to be effective for their beneficiaries. In this course, you will study how organizations operate and how they can adapt and improve. You will learn about the factors and conditions that contribute to creating strategic and innovative organizations. This includes leadership; values, mission, and vision; organizational culture; external environment; and change management; among others.

This course contributes to your leadership training by developing your knowledge and skills for organizational planning and implementation, which can be applied in a wide range of settings. We will use course readings, class exercises, and case studies, and other learning methods to engage in analysis, diagnosis, and problem solving, so that you are prepared to participate in the strategic leadership of a social change organization.