Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

Introduction

Change is an inevitable part of community organizing. If you know how to take stock of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, you are more likely to plan and act effectively.

SWOT provides a tool to explore both internal and external factors that may influence your work.

Source: Val Renault, https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/assessing-community-needs-and-resources/swot-analysis/main
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

What is a SWOT Analysis and Why Should You Use One?

SWOT stands for: Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat. A SWOT analysis guides you to identify your organization's strengths and weaknesses (S-W), as well as broader opportunities and threats (O-T). Developing a fuller awareness of the situation helps with both strategic planning and decision-making.

The SWOT method was originally developed for business and industry, but it is equally useful in the work of community health and development, education, and even for personal growth. SWOT is not the only assessment technique you can use, but the strengths of this method are its simplicity and application to a variety of levels of operation.

When Do You Use SWOT?

A SWOT analysis can offer helpful perspectives at any stage of an effort. You might use it to:

• Explore possibilities for new efforts or solutions to problems.
• Make decisions about the best path for your initiative. Identifying your opportunities for success in the context of threats to success can clarify directions and choices.
• Determine where change is possible. If you are at a juncture or turning point, an inventory of your strengths and weaknesses can reveal priorities as well as possibilities.
• Adjust and refine plans mid-course. A new opportunity might open wider avenues, while a new threat could close a path that once existed.

SWOT also offers a simple way of communicating about your initiative or program and an excellent way to organize information you've gathered from studies or surveys.

What are the Elements of a SWOT Analysis?

A SWOT analysis focuses on Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. 

Remember that the purpose of performing a SWOT is to reveal positive forces that work together and potential problems that need to be recognized and possibly addressed. 

We will discuss the process of creating the analysis below, but first here are a few sample layouts for your SWOT analysis.

Ask participants to answer these simple questions: what are the strengths and weaknesses of your group, community, or effort, and what are the opportunities and threats facing it?

If a looser structure helps you brainstorm, you can group positives and negatives to think broadly about your organization and its external environment.

Below is a third option for structuring your SWOT analysis, which may be appropriate for a larger initiative that requires detailed planning. This "TOWS Matrix" is adapted from Fred David's Strategic Management text. 

David gives an example for Campbell Soup Company that stresses financial goals, but it also illustrates how you can pair the items within a SWOT grid to develop strategies. (This version of the chart is abbreviated.)

This example also illustrates how threats can become opportunities (and vice versa). The limitation of tin cans (which aren't biodegradable) creates an opportunity for leadership in developing biodegradable containers. Whatever format you use, don't be surprised if your strengths and weaknesses don't precisely match up to your opportunities and threats. You might need to refine, or you might need to simply look at the facts longer, or from a different angle. Your chart, list, or table will certainly reveal patterns.

Listing Your Internal Factors: Strengths and Weaknesses (S, W)

Internal factors include your resources and experiences. General areas to consider:

• Human resources - staff, volunteers, board members, target population
• Physical resources - your location, building, equipment 
• Financial - grants, funding agencies, other sources of income
• Activities and processes - programs you run, systems you employ
• Past experiences - building blocks for learning and success, your reputation in the community

Don't be too modest when listing your strengths. If you're having difficulty naming them, start by simply listing your characteristics (e.g., we're small, we're connected to the neighborhood). Some of these will probably be strengths.

Although the strengths and weaknesses of your organization are your internal qualities, don't overlook the perspective of people outside your group. Identify strengths and weaknesses from both your own point of view and that of others, including those you serve or deal with. Do others see problems - or assets - that you don't?

How do you get information about how outsiders perceive your strengths and weaknesses? You may know already if you've listened to those you serve. If not, this might be the time to gather that type of information.

Listing External Factors: Opportunities and Threats (O, T)

Cast a wide net for the external part of the assessment. No organization, group, program, or neighborhood is immune to outside events and forces. Consider your connectedness, for better and worse, as you compile this part of your SWOT list.

Forces and facts that your group does not control include:

• Future trends in your field or the culture
• The economy - local, national, or international
• Funding sources - foundations, donors, legislatures
• Demographics - changes in the age, race, gender, culture of those you serve or in your area
• The physical environment (Is your building in a growing part of town? Is the bus company cutting routes?)
• Legislation (Do new federal requirements make your job harder...or easier?)
• Local, national, or international events

How do You Create a SWOT Analysis?

Who Develops the SWOT?

The most common users of a SWOT analysis are team members and project managers who are responsible for decision-making and strategic planning.

But don't overlook anyone in the creation stage!

An individual or small group can develop a SWOT analysis, but it will be more effective if you take advantage of many stakeholders. Each person or group offers a different perspective on the strengths and weaknesses of your program and has different experiences of both.

Likewise, one staff member, volunteer, or stakeholder may have information about an opportunity or threat that is essential to understanding your position and determining your future.

When and Where Do You Develop a SWOT Analysis?

A SWOT analysis is often created during a retreat or planning session that allows several hours for brainstorming and analysis. The best results come when the process is collaborative and inclusive.

When creating the analysis, people are asked to pool their individual and shared knowledge and experience. The more relaxed, friendly, and constructive the setting, the more truthful, comprehensive, insightful, and useful your analysis will be.

How Do You Develop a SWOT Analysis?

Steps for conducting a SWOT analysis:

• Designate a leader or group facilitator who has good listening and group process skills, and who can keep things moving and on track.
• Designate a recorder to back up the leader if your group is large. Use newsprint on a flip chart or a large board to record the analysis and discussion points. You can record later in a more polished fashion to share with stakeholders and to update.
• Introduce the SWOT method and its purpose in your organization. This can be as simple as asking, "Where are we, where can we go?" If you have time, you could run through a quick example based on a shared experience or well-known public issue.
• Depending on the nature of your group and the time available, let all participants introduce themselves. Then divide your stakeholders into smaller groups. If your retreat or meeting draws several groups of stakeholders together, make sure you mix the small groups to get a range of perspectives and give them a chance to introduce themselves.
  • The size of these depends on the size of your entire group – breakout groups can range from three to ten. If the size gets much larger, some members may not participate.
• Have each group designate a recorder, and provide each with newsprint or dry -erase board. Direct them to create a SWOT analysis in the format you choose-a chart, columns, a matrix, or even a page for each quality.
  • Give the groups 20-30 minutes to brainstorm and fill out their own strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats chart for your program, initiative, or effort. Encourage them not to rule out any ideas at this stage, or the next.
  • Remind groups that the way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas. Refinement can come later. In this way, the SWOT analysis also supports valuable discussion within your group or organization as you honestly assess.
  • It helps to generate lots of comments about your organization and your program, and even to put them in multiple categories if that provokes thought.
  • Once a list has been generated, it helps to refine it to the best 10 or fewer points so that the analysis can be truly helpful.
• Reconvene the group at the agreed-upon time to share results. Gather information from the groups, recording on the flip-chart or board. Collect and organize the differing groups' ideas and perceptions.
  • Proceed in S-W-O-T order, recording strengths first, weaknesses second, etc.
  • Or you can begin by calling for the top priorities in each category -the strongest strength, most dangerous weakness, biggest opportunity, worst threat--and continue to work across each category.
  • Ask one group at a time to report ("Group A, what do you see as strengths?") You can vary which group begins the report so a certain group isn't always left "bringing up the end" and repeating points made by others. ("Group B, let's start with you for weaknesses".)
  • Or, you can open the floor to all groups ("What strengths have you noted?") for each category until all have contributed what they think is needed.
• Discuss and record the results. Depending on your time frame and purpose:
  • Come to some consensus about the most important items in each category
  • Relate the analysis to your vision, mission, and goals
  • Translate the analysis to action plans and strategies
• If appropriate, prepare a written summary of the SWOT analysis to share with participants for continued use in planning and implementation.

How Do You Use Your SWOT Analysis?

Better understanding the factors affecting your initiative puts you in a better position for action. This understanding helps as you:

• Identify the issues or problems you intend to change
• Set or reaffirm goals
• Create an action plan

As you consider your analysis, be open to the possibilities that exist within a weakness or threat. Likewise, recognize that an opportunity can become a threat if everyone else sees the opportunity and plans to take advantage of it as well, thereby increasing your competition.

Finally, during your assessment and planning, you might keep an image in mind to help you make the most of a SWOT analysis: Look for a "stretch", not just a "fit". As Radha Balamuralikrishna and John C. Dugger of Iowa State University point out, SWOT usually reflects your current position or situation. Therefore one drawback is that it might not encourage openness to new possibilities. You can use SWOT to justify a course that has already been decided upon, but if your goal is to grow or improve, you will want to keep this in mind.

In Summary

A realistic recognition of the weaknesses and threats that exist for your effort is the first step to countering them with a robust set of strategies that build upon strengths and opportunities. A SWOT analysis identifies your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to assist you in making strategic plans and decisions.

SWOT Checklist

Developing and Using a SWOT Analysis

___Your group or organization has determined, based on its strengths and characteristics, to use a SWOT analysis to help develop strategies for change

___You have designed your retreat or meeting as well as the form of the SWOT analysis you will conduct

___You have involved a diverse group of stakeholders in creating the SWOT assessment

___You conducted the SWOT analysis meeting and generated a list of internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats

___You considered the SWOT factors from others' points of views as well as your own

___You have used your SWOT analysis as a tool to discover or confirm areas for action and improvement

___You have used your SWOT analysis to develop strategies for change

Conducting a SWOT Analysis

___ At your meeting or retreat, designate a leader or group facilitator

___ Designate a recorder if your group is large. Use newsprint on a flip chart or a large board to record the analysis and discussion points

___Introduce the SWOT method and its purpose in your organization

___Divide your stakeholders into smaller groups (of three to 10, depending on your size). Mix the small groups to get a range of perspectives, and give people a chance to introduce themselves

___Direct each group to designate a recorder, and provide each with newsprint or dry-erase board. Instruct them to create a SWOT analysis in the format you choose -a chart, columns, a matrix, or even a page for each quality

___Give the groups 20-30 minutes to brainstorm and fill out their own strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats chart for your program, initiative, or effort

___Reconvene the group to share results, recording on the flip-chart or board. Collect and organize the differing groups' ideas and perceptions by asking for results from one group at a time or by opening the floor to all groups. Use one of the following orders to record results:

• S-W-O-T order, recording strengths first, weaknesses second, etc.
• Top priority order for each category -the strongest strength, most dangerous weakness, biggest opportunity, worst threat

___Discuss insights, repeated items, and cross-connections between categories -"This strength plays into that opportunity"

___Use the results to support your purpose for the meeting:

• Come to some consensus about the most important items in each category
• Relate the analysis to your vision, mission, and goals
• Translate the analysis to action plans and strategies

___If appropriate, prepare a written summary of the SWOT analysis for participants to use in planning and implementing your effort

SWOT Examples

Example 1: Using SWOT for a Neighborhood Development Project

A neighborhood group in Chicago developed combined lists for their SWOT analysis, one for positives and one for negatives. They agreed upon these internal and external factors:

Some Strengths and Opportunities (Positives)

• Trust among partners
• Intellectual capacity
• People who are committed to the work
• Neighborhood with a proud history
• Right people at the table
• Ability to influence policy
• History of collaboration
• Experience in community development
• Attention of internal and external investors
  
  

• Violence and gangs among youth
• People in the community need to define success
• Not enough people doing the work
• Funders need to become genuine partners
• Difficulty balancing service delivery and advocacy
• Partnering takes time; more resources needed
• Regional planning that harms community

While the terms are general, the analysis still offered direction to the participants in their planning. The group identified one of their strengths as people who are committed to the work, while one of their weaknesses was difficulty balancing service delivery and advocacy. They needed to be aware of both internal qualities as they formed strategies for community change.

When they looked at their external and internal opportunities, the group realized they had the attention of funders. They could capitalize on this opportunity for grant money, but they needed to define projects with an awareness of an internal weakness: people in the community need to define success. If the group accepts a grant to carry out a project that the community does not consider important (i.e., has not defined as success), their future effectiveness could be compromised.

More specifically, the neighborhood group knew they want to make improvements in certain goal areas, so they used the SWOT analysis to guide planning.

One goal area was economic development and job creation. Knowing they possessed certain strengths, they developed a plan that addressed some of their weaknesses:

Based on these facts, they devised an economic development strategy:

To create a community revolving loan fund to support the start-up of small businesses.

This would bring the neighborhood's investors into a partnership with the neighbors (matching opportunity with limitation) and the creation of jobs could offer other opportunities to youth who were tempted to join gangs (addressing a weakness).

The neighborhood group also concluded that certain strengths equipped them to take on another threat. Here's another example minus the box.

• Based on these facts about their group's assets:
  • Ability to influence policy
  • Right people at the table
  • History of collaboration
• The members developed two broad strategies to address this liability:
  • Regional planning that harms the community
• The strategies they formed were:
  • To promote citizen involvement in key policy issues that affect the neighborhoods (e.g., fair housing, welfare reform, public safety).
  • To enhance participation, involvement, and influence of neighborhood leaders and organizations on broader policy issues.

In this way, even a very simple SWOT analysis can be a basis for brainstorming and concrete planning, within the context of the vision, mission, and purpose an organization has already established.

After the SWOT analysis, of course, the neighborhood group moved on to the next step - developing action plans to implement its strategies. Information from the SWOT was useful in that context as well, helping to clarify strengths and weaknesses in resources and experience.

Tool: Performing a SWOT Analysis

Here are some general questions in each SWOT category to prompt analysis of your organization, community, or effort.