(a)    Carry out a full strategic analysis and evaluation of an organization of your choice taken from the FT 100 or FT 250 index of companies. Your information must be as current as possible.  Please agree your choice with the module Leader.                                                                                                      1,050 words
(b)    Identify and evaluate appropriate strategic options for the organization and explain your conclusions.  From your list of options, make a recommendation for a particular appropriate strategy that the organization could follow and justify your choice.
The strategy you choose must be appropriate for the      organization based on your findings in part (a).
1,050 words

(c)    Identify the key challenges that the organization may face in implementing the chosen strategy if it was to do so and suggest ways that the managers could overcome those challenges or mitigate the effects.

900 words

Task
(a)    The Analysis
The purpose of the analysis is to determine the “condition” of the Company – that is its preparedness or otherwise to face the future. Obviously, a view of the future will have to be obtained so that this can be done. Market and economic projections and the views of relevant analysts can be consulted to develop this view.
All aspects of the company’s positionsituation should be addressed e.g. what are its prospects? What are its skills and competencies? What is the gearing? What resources has it? Thus, an environmental analysis including an analysis of competitors would be necessary as well as a review of capability (Resources and  competences). The information gathered must be up to date as old information is of no use. The requirements and expectations of all the stakeholders should also be considered. This section should conclude with a summaryreview of where the company is in terms of its strengthweakness and its potential to meet the future with success or otherwise.

(b)    The Strategic Choice
Building logically on the picture derived from the analysis, students should proffer as many strategic options as are appropriate in the Company’s situation. In some situations there could be many appropriate strategies but more usually, there will be a small number. Each of these options needs consideration in order to achieve the optimum solution. Students can do this in any way they wish but it is recommended that a systematic method is used e.g. the application of the tests of suitability, feasibility and acceptability to each of the options with further refinements such as ranking or a points allocation system for determining the optimum strategy.

(c)    The Strategy Implementation

Most managers see the implementation of strategies as the most difficult stage – it is the stage at which most failures occur. It involves managers facing real-life difficulties instead of theoretical situations. Students should consider which real obstacles to smooth implementation might arise in their example and, more importantly, how they might advise managers in their chosen firm to avoid or overcome such difficulties.
Many of the issues here will have been considered already earlier in the work for example, in the consideration of the tests of the strategic options. Notwithstanding these, the chosen strategy will probably face difficulties and problems in implementation and it is very rare for there to be no difficulty at this stage.
You should anticipate these and suggest preparations that could be made to mitigate or avoid altogether.

Must meet this criteria

(a) |Environmental review and analysis must be done
-Assessment of organizational capability
-Financial review
-Summary and consolidation of the above

(b)- Review of strategic choices available generally
–  Reduction of numbers of options to those that are appropriate
–  Selection of the most appropriate strategy using evaluation  techniques

(c) -Discussion of some of the challenges which the organization  and its managers might face in the implementation process.
–    Suggested methods of overcoming those challenges or of mitigating the effects.