TMS Consulting has recently conducted a number of business planning workshops for its government and NGO (non government organisation) sector clients.  These have ranged from one day workshops to a series of half-day workshops.  As one client remarked "taking time out to collectively 'look over the horizon' is really important to get us all focussed on the important issues". Facilitated workshops enable full client participation in the business planning process, and enables the facilitator (as an 'interested observer') to challenge and test assumptions and prompt discussion on the important issues.  One client included a large cross-section of its stakeholders in the business planning workshop, and this provided for creative discussion and significant collective learning - an outcome that could not have been achieved through surveys or even focus groups.  The 'meeting of the minds' through such a process was powerful, where a truly holistic view of the organisation's environment was realised, and healthy relationships with key stakeholders were strengthened.

TMS prides itself in working in  partnership with its clients, and Business Planning is a great example of this.  No-one knows their business like the client, but this familiarity can sometimes be an impediment to innovation and creativity.  There is synergy in combining subject knowledge with business planning experience.  Some clients
engage TMS to design and facilitate a business planning workshop, whilst others engage TMS to deliver a full business planning process including designing and facilitating the business planning workshops, writing up
workshop reports recording the findings, and delivering a draft business plan.