In Pursuit of Impact: Strategic Narratives in the Public Sector

Written by Len on February 6, 2026. Posted in Strategy

How are strategic objectives defined in the government today? In this interview, Dana Alsaaid unveils the meticulous approach and initiatives that her organization employs to align strategic planning with a nation’s overarching goals and how she navigates the complexities of strategy execution in the public sector.

In your position as Director of Corporate Performance Management, how do you approach the strategic planning process to align with the goals of the Ministry of Economy and Planning? Can you discuss any initiatives or methodologies you’ve implemented to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of strategy planning within the organization?

The journey of strategic planning in the ministry mainly involves identifying strengths and potential risks—as a base for planning—along with the vision of leaders, which sets the general direction of the strategy. To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of this planning process, we believe in the importance of top management’s engagement and continuous feedback through collaborative workshops as well as leveraging available data analytics tools. We use the famous Balanced Scorecard (BSC) in preparation for proper and efficient execution. 

What common issues have you noticed in strategy execution, and how should they be addressed?

Issues in strategy execution start at the beginning, which is in strategy formulation. A lack of clarity makes it difficult to implement a vision. A lack of alignment and buy-in would negatively impact any rollout of strategies. Along with those factors, limited resources in the budget or people affect how execution takes place.

Trends

In light of global economic shifts and geopolitical uncertainties, how can organizations create resilient strategies that can withstand external disruptions?

Since the world is becoming extremely dynamic, organizations should regularly conduct scenario planning exercises to identify potential disruptions and develop contingency plans. Diversified supply chains can play a pivotal role in handling those disruptions. Meanwhile, fostering a culture of agility that embraces change would lead to better adaptation.

What do you see as the most promising ways artificial intelligence (AI) can further impact corporate strategy, and what steps should companies take to remain at the forefront of AI-driven strategic advancements?

AI is revolutionizing corporate strategy by offering a powerful tool to enhance decision-making, optimize operations, and gain a competitive edge. It can assist in ideation during the strategy planning phase and lead to significant gains in efficiency through sufficient resource allocation to meet strategic goals. Organizations would do well to establish AI strategies and invest in AI infrastructure to enable the intended strategic advancements.

Does your organization use strategic foresight to enhance future readiness? If not, please detail the organization’s approach to planning in the short, medium, and long term.

For future readiness, our organization is conducting horizon scanning to identify opportunities and risks, whether globally or locally, to share key insights as inputs when planning for possible scenarios. In Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Economy and Planning is leading the Sustainability and UN SDGs file, a main pillar for long-term planning that benefits future generations.

Strategy and Performance Management Practices

Do you see any application of AI to facilitate strategic planning or performance measurement? Is your organization using any such tool, possibly in certain areas of the organization?

Studies have been launched in the ministry to incorporate AI in modules and monitoring systems that facilitate decision-making by providing data-driven insights that can identify hidden patterns and trends for a more comprehensive understanding of the global economic setting. Moreover, AI would be hugely utilized in predictive analytics modules to forecast required economic targets.

How are strategic objectives defined in your organization, including the research process, involved stakeholders, and other pertinent details?

The process of defining strategic objectives is crucial in strategy planning since it translates the vision and mission of the organization into its goals. It should consider both the external scanning of opportunities and threats and the internal assessment of capabilities and resources. To ensure proper definition, both senior leaders and functional managers should be involved in incorporating the strategic direction and operational understanding in the process. 

How do you balance long-term planning and short-term priorities?

This is a common challenge that organizations face, and it requires balancing between setting future direction and ensuring immediate success. The key element to this relationship is prioritization based on the impact and value of the initiatives, which helps to ensure that resources are allocated to the most impactful initiatives with the most suitable value.

In your experience, what is the most important tool for managing strategy, and why? How do you communicate strategy to different stakeholders within the organization to ensure a high level of awareness of priorities for both frontline employees and management positions?

First of all, I believe that the main principle in effective strategy management is engaging stakeholders in the planning phase. This ensures that objectives are achievable and the stakeholders are engaged in the execution.  BSCs have proven to be effective in managing strategies for their cohesiveness. 

It is also critical to properly communicate the right message to all levels of employees. Therefore, the messages should be tailored to all the different levels of expertise and communicated through multiple channels. A main component of such communication is the ability to incorporate it into everyday work and show every employee’s contribution to the implementation of the strategy.

What approaches or methodologies have you found effective in fostering cross-functional collaboration and ensuring that all departments work cohesively towards strategic goals?

In my experience, fostering a culture of teamwork, open communication, and shared accountability with a clear definition of common goals is the key to effectively ensuring cross-functional collaboration. Once this culture is established, a regular evaluation of the effectiveness of cross-functional collaboration will guide the efforts toward the organization’s strategic goals.

What critical skills and competencies should professionals develop to excel in strategic management?

For professionals to navigate the complexities of strategy, they should fully understand their respective industry and its operations. Additionally, analytical thinking and foresight competencies are critical to driving the competitive advantage. More importantly, strategy professionals should be able to manage change and communicate effectively with stakeholders.

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Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Performance Magazine Issue No. 29, 2024 – Strategy Edition.

About the Practitioner: Dana Alsaaid is a strategy professional with expertise in strategy execution and key performance indicators (KPIs). She holds a Master’s Degree in Health Administration from George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia. Currently, she serves as the Director of Corporate Performance Management in the Ministry of Economy and Planning of Saudi Arabia.

Tags: Government, Public sector, public servant, Strategy, Strategy Execution