Mission Statement

Purpose

At the project or organizational level, a mission statement provides a single-sentence (or single-paragraph) encapsulation of the objective. The mission statement serves as a guidepost for action, establishing where the organization (or project) is supposed to be going.

Application

The mission statement is normally used as a public pronouncement, posted prominently to declare organizational intent. It is not used for detailed planning, but instead as a validation of any approaches, processes, or deliverables in terms of strategic direction. The forms for such statements are relatively consistent.

[Organization][provides, conducts, constructs, develops, creates, enhances] [services, products, deliverables] for [purpose or recipient] to [rationale]. [Benefits]

Content

The content for an organizational mission statement is normally developed at the senior levels of the organization, expressing their intent for the long-term goals. The content for a project mission statement is normally developed by the project manager and his team, expressing their desired project goal and how its deliverables will serve the intended body of stakeholders.

The mission statement for the United States National Weather Service states:

The National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy. NWS data and products form a national information database and infrastructure which can be used by other governmental agencies, the private sector, the public, and the global community.

This example provides a sense of the mission statement’s ability to capture the deliverables and processes to be followed, as well as the potential boundaries of what is (and what is not) within the organization’s scope.

Approaches

The mission statement can be developed either from a strategic perspective or by examining current organizational practice. From a strategic perspective, the responsible parties (senior management at the organizational level; project management at the project level) identify what they hope to accomplish or achieve. Rather than focusing on detailed deliverables, they look at the general outcomes and the practices required to get there.

From a practical perspective, if there is no guiding strategy, the mission statement can be developed by looking at what the organization produces and identifying the commonalities therein. Ideally, those commonalities should reflect the organization’s intent, as well as acceptable and/or desirable practice to achieve that intent.

Considerations

In some organizations, the mission statement is touted by management as a guiding force and is used in virtually all aspects of decision making. Staff members of the U.S. Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), for example, actually carry around their organization’s mission statement on small blue cards at virtually all times. In organizations where that level of zeal in using the mission statement is apparent, consistency will be crucial. By contrast, in organizations where the mission statement is largely a management exercise with little organizational impact, a higher level of flexibility may be deemed acceptable. The longer a mission statement is in place, communicated, and promoted, the greater its potential impact.