The manager is planning-short, intermediate and long term and has to try to make the best possible predictions about the service, the funding and the demand and need for service.

There are well known dangers to be avoided e.g waiting list problems, overspend.

Finance will always be a major consideration but plans are essential using different financial predictions and scaling the planning activity over time accordingly.It may be helpful to consider the service implications of financial growth, financial standstill and financial cuts.

The good manager will always have a few schemes “up his sleeve” so that if money suddenly becomes available then a ready made project can be immediately put into practice to use this funding stream.