rategic planning process than was the case for agencies with relatively smaller budgets.
The literature relevant to the application of the strategic planning process in public safety agencies tends to mention the cost of the process only peripherally, while not directly addressing the role of agency budget size as an explanatory factor in the effective application of the strategic planning process in public safety agencies. Thus, the primary conclusion drawn from the findings of this study is that, if the strategic planning process is to be effectively implemented in public safety agencies, including fire safety agencies, it will be necessary to (a) encourage all such all such agencies to include funds for strategic planning in their budgets and (b) educate elected leaders at the local level of government as to the benefits of strategic planning.
List of Tables ..................................... vi
List of Figures .................................... vii
1. Introduction ................................. 1
Statement of the Problem ..................... 1
Purpose of the Project & Research Questions .. 2
Scope and Delimitations of the Project ....... 4
Definitions of Terms ......................... 5
Overview of the Master's Project ............. 6
2. Literature review ............................ 8
Theoretical and Conceptual Literature ........ 8
Related Studies .............................. 44
Summary ...................................... 50
3. Methodology .................................. 51
Research Approach ............................ 51
Research Questions: Primary and Subsidiary ... 52
Instrumentation .............................. 55
Data Collection Procedures & Research Sample . 58
Data Analysis ................................ 64
Methodology Summary .......................... 65
4. Results ...........