The process of making decisions in the present toward determining what will happen in the future, usually focussed towards achieving an established goal or objective.
Three levels of planning are identified:
1. Administrative planning is related to an organisation's own development and delivery of services.
2. Operations planning is related to an organisation's interaction with other organisations and the community.
3. Community planning is related to the broader community with possible little direct relationship to an organisation's internal or external operations by which is carried as an agent for change.