Which statement correctly connects mission changes to planning?

• A. It is ignored until the next strategic review.
• B. Changes in the mission do not affect planning at all.
• C. It should be addressed through strategic planning.
• D. Only external stakeholders decide how to respond to a mission change.

Answer: (C)

When a mission changes, planning must adapt because planning translates purpose into action. Strategic planning is the process that links what the organization intends to achieve (the mission) with concrete goals, initiatives, and how resources are used to pursue them. If the mission shifts, the plan should be revisited and updated to realign priorities, capabilities, budgets, and programs so everything points in the new direction. This ensures that actions, metrics, and resource decisions support the updated mission and that progress can be measured effectively.

Delaying the response until a future strategic review creates a mismatch between direction and execution, leading to wasted effort and misaligned initiatives. Saying that changes in the mission don’t affect planning ignores the fundamental link between purpose and action. And leaving external stakeholders to decide how to respond places the organization’s leadership in a passive position and overlooks the need for internal governance to steer the response, even though stakeholder input may inform the plan.