Pass the IASP Strategy Planning Professional (SPP) Certification Level I SPP Questions and answers with CertsForce

Divestiture of noncore businesses or programs is generally a strategy for portfolio optimization or refocusing rather than direct growth. It involves shedding assets to concentrate on core competencies, which may improve efficiency but does not itself drive growth. In contrast, international expansion, vertical integration, and acquisition are classic growth strategies designed to increase market share, capabilities, or geographic reach. The IASP SPP curriculum distinguishes between growth-oriented and restructuring strategies to clarify strategic intent and resource allocation.【IASP SPP Study Guide - Growth Strategies】【Ansoff, Corporate Strategy】

Key performance measures should bevalid, verifiable, and balanced between leading (predictive) and lagging (outcome) indicators. Validity ensures measures accurately represent performance, while verification ensures reliable data. Balancing indicator types allows organizations to anticipate issues early and assess results after the fact. The IASP SPP curriculum stresses this balance as critical for effective performance management and strategic responsiveness. While ease of tracking and stakeholder acceptance are important, validity and balance are fundamental.【IASP SPP Study Guide - Performance Metrics】【Kaplan & Norton, Balanced Scorecard】

Scenario planningis widely regarded as a critical tool to address uncertainty in external environments. It involves developing and analyzing multiple plausible future scenarios to help organizations prepare flexible strategies. This tool enhances awareness of risks and opportunities beyond linear forecasts. Consensus building and decision tree analysis have roles in strategy but do not directly address the complexity of uncertain futures. The IASP SPP curriculum identifies scenario planning as key for robust environmental scanning and strategic adaptability.【IASP SPP Study Guide - Environmental Analysis】【Schoemaker, P.,“Scenario Planning”】

Positioning refers to thestrategic process of differentiating an organization in the minds of its customersby clearly defining unique value propositions and identity. It shapes customer perceptions and influences buying decisions. The IASP SPP framework emphasizes positioning as key to competitive advantage and strategy formulation, guiding marketing, product development, and communications. Positioning is distinct from marketing media choices, stock valuation, or physical location, focusing instead on perception and value differentiation.【IASP SPP Study Guide - Positioning and Differentiation】【Kotler, Marketing Management】

People are primarily influenced by a leader’sactions and behaviors, which demonstrate values and build trust. The IASP SPP curriculum emphasizes that authentic leadership is shown through consistent behavior, which inspires and motivates more than words or charisma alone. Actions align vision with reality and drive organizational culture.【IASP SPP Study Guide - Leadership】【Goleman, Emotional Intelligence】

Porter’s Five Forces Model analyzescompetitive forces—bargaining power of customers and suppliers, threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes, and rivalry among existing competitors—that influence industry profitability. Thepace of technological advance, while influential, is considered part of the broader macro-environment and is not one of the five forces. The IASP SPP curriculum distinguishes between competitive forces and external environmental factors, emphasizing Porter’s model as a tool for competitive analysis.【IASP SPP Study Guide - Competitive Forces】【Porter, Competitive Strategy】

Effective pre-meetings aim toidentify issues, resolve political conflicts, and gather inputto prepare for formal meetings. However,making formal policy decisions is not appropriate at pre-meetings; these require full group deliberation and proper governance. The IASP SPP curriculum underlines that pre-meetings facilitate efficient decision-making by addressing preparatory tasks and smoothing potential conflicts.【IASP SPP Study Guide - Meeting Facilitation】【Schwartz, The Art of Strategic Facilitation】

The question"Why?"drives critical reflection on purpose and rationale, enabling deeper understanding and more effective strategic thinking. The IASP SPP curriculum stresses that questioning why promotes clarity of intent, challenges assumptions, and aligns actions with fundamental goals. This foundational inquiry supports robust planning and adaptive strategy development.【IASP SPP Study Guide - Strategic Thinking】【Senge, The Fifth Discipline】

Buildingdepartmental plans around organizational strategic objectives and initiativesensures alignment and coherence. The IASP SPP curriculum highlights that departmental plans must directly support corporate strategy for optimized resource allocation and goal achievement. Creating plans in isolation or deferring integration can cause misalignment and inefficiency.【IASP SPP Study Guide - Strategy Alignment】【Kaplan & Norton, Balanced Scorecard】

TheBalanced Scorecardis widely used to integrate strategic objectives with operational activities across an organization, linking performance measures to strategic goals. The IASP SPP curriculum recognizes the Balanced Scorecard as a holistic framework for aligning vision, mission, strategy, and daily operations through measurable metrics. While quality management, lean, and reengineering focus on specific process improvements, the Balanced Scorecard provides comprehensive strategic-operational integration.【IASP SPP Study Guide - Balanced Scorecard】【Kaplan & Norton, Balanced Scorecard】