NEVADA | PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Program Professional Framework

SBS Endorsed – The Certified Strategist: Advanced Tools and Techniques

Program Overview

Aimed at practitioners who already know the basics of strategic planning, this program concentrates on the analytical and decision tools used by strategy offices to make sharper choices. It covers scenario planning and war gaming, competitive and capability analysis, portfolio tools such as Ansoff and the BCG matrix, the Three Horizons model for growth, strategy maps and the Balanced Scorecard, and options for prioritizing initiatives under resource constraints. Participants apply the tools to realistic cases from Gulf entities pursuing national visions such as Saudi Vision 2030, translating analysis into a coherent strategic choice cascade and execution plan.

Learning Outcomes

✓Construct three to four plausible scenarios using driving forces and critical uncertainties, and test a strategy against each.
✓Conduct a competitive and capability analysis using Porter's five forces, value chain and VRIO frameworks.
✓Evaluate a business portfolio with Ansoff, BCG and Three Horizons models and recommend growth priorities.
✓Translate strategic choices into a strategy map and Balanced Scorecard with objectives, measures and targets.
✓Prioritize a portfolio of strategic initiatives using weighted scoring against value, risk and capacity.
✓Facilitate a strategy war-gaming session that anticipates competitor or stakeholder responses.

Target Audience

Strategy and corporate planning managers
Analysts in strategy management and transformation offices
Business unit heads responsible for growth plans
Consultants supporting national vision and sector strategies

Detailed Program Modules

01Strategic Thinking and Choice

Strategy as integrated choices: where to play and how to win
Common failures in strategic plans
The strategy cascade from vision to initiatives

02Environmental and Competitive Analysis

PESTLE and driving-force analysis
Porter's five forces and industry attractiveness
Competitor profiling and benchmarking

03Internal Capability Analysis

Value chain and core competence analysis
VRIO and resource-based view
McKinsey 7S for organizational alignment

04Scenario Planning and War Gaming

Identifying critical uncertainties
Building and using scenario narratives
Running a war-gaming exercise

05Portfolio and Growth Tools

Ansoff matrix and growth vectors
BCG and GE-McKinsey portfolio matrices
Three Horizons model for innovation and growth

06From Strategy to Execution

Strategy maps and the Balanced Scorecard
Initiative prioritization and resource allocation
Strategy review cycles and adaptive adjustment

Training Methodology

Interactive expert-led sessions grounded in workplace examples

Case studies and practical exercises drawn from the region

Group workshops with peer review of decisions and deliverables

Formative feedback against clear performance criteria

Applied Project & Assessment

Applied Project

Participants develop a strategy pack for their organization or a provided case: scenario set, competitive and capability analysis, portfolio recommendation, strategy map with scorecard and a prioritized initiative list ready for executive discussion.

Assessment

Short diagnostic at the start, practical tasks linked to each learning outcome, and evaluation of the applied project against published criteria.

University Certificate & International Accreditation

Professional Certificate accredited by Alzette University in SBS Endorsed – The Certified Strategist: Advanced Tools and Techniques

International accreditation: Global Leadership Organization (GLO)