Pandemic Strategic Planning

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in new and unexpected demand signals for how to conceptualize our world. Strategic trends that once seemed inevitable and predestined, like the anticipated global trend towards democracy at the 20th century’s conclusion, are now enduring fundamental questions. Where and when will people travel? Why will some countries be effective in preventing social and economic ills with certain policies, and others will not? How can we project these trends to unfold in the 21st century during and after the pandemic in a way that we can use to support planning and decision making?

In January 2021, KSA was pleased to share a four-part video series on some of the foundational concepts and principles we have been using to accomplish Pandemic Strategic Planning to the public through LinkedIn. The first video provided an introduction on the video series, and, as we described in the second video, we’re not trying to predict the future. Effective organizational strategic planning requires digesting both qualitative and quantitative data, blending art and science with an awareness of an organization’s (or a state’s) culture, values, and influences as well as a clear-eyed understanding of the facts and key metrics that will impact decisions. We argue that a “return to normal” is not what we are preparing for or expect post-pandemic.

The third video explains our preparation model: the expectation and anticipation that, based on the available historical data, global pandemics of similar magnitude and scale that we’ve witnessed in COVID-19 (specifically the 20th century Spanish flu, late 18th century post-American Revolution flu, and 13th and 14th century bubonic plague in Europe), a pandemic has the ability to generate a cycle of scarcity and conflict that unfold in unpredictable ways. Finally, in the fourth video, we note broadly the focus on public health is with the intention of yielding an inverse cyclical impact of harmony and stability as well.

Although KSA’s team presented this as a public service, the conceptual design work and foundational research skills that go into strategic planning are core elements of each line of business with which we engage. This video series is meant to illustrate how during 2021, and beyond, KSA will continue to use our team’s comprehensive research background to lead in developing superior and sustainable solutions for our clients in data analytics, organizational and process improvement, training and education, and veteran support.

About KSA Integration

KSA Integration, LLC, is a Service Disabled Veteran-owned Small Business (SDVOSB) that was founded by LtGen Keith Stalder (USMC, Ret.) in November 2010. LtGen Stalder and his partner, Bryan Altmire, built KSA Integration with a vision of providing custom consulting solutions to address the unique needs of organizations. Team KSA offers a comprehensive portfolio of support capabilities in four critical areas: 1) Data Analytics, 2) Comprehensive Veterans Support, 3) Organizational & Process Improvement, and 4) Training and Education.