In today’s volatile environment, government strategy cannot rely on rigid plans rooted in prediction. Instead, public institutions must adopt strategy as a design challenge—a concept advanced by Roger Martin, one of the foremost thinkers on modern strategic practice.
Martin argues that effective strategy begins with choices—not plans. His “strategy choice cascade” reframes strategy as a series of integrated decisions: What is our winning aspiration? Where will we play? How will we win? What capabilities must be in place? What management systems are required? These questions aren’t answered once; they are revisited continually as conditions evolve.
For UAE government entities driving toward bold futures—like Vision 2031 or Centennial 2071—this approach enables adaptability, coherence, and impact. Rather than treating strategy as a fixed roadmap, design-led strategy views it as an evolving set of hypotheses tested in real-world conditions.
This mindset shift embeds execution into strategy from the start. It encourages leaders to prototype initiatives, learn from implementation, and adjust their strategic direction in real time. Strategy becomes a living system, not a static document.
At Impact Associates, we help government leaders apply this methodology to reimagine public value. By anchoring strategy in purposeful choices and agile execution, agencies gain the ability to shape—not just react to—the future.
In an era of uncertainty, strategy design offers the UAE government sector a powerful way to lead with clarity, resilience, and relevance.
