There is a really lame article at practicalanalyst.com about reading the company strategy as part of the analyst activities.
It’s lame because this is mind-boggingly obvious, and it should be done as part of the sales process too – it’s much easier to build a business case when you can tie into the company strategy.
Government agencies usually have a statement of intent. I highly recommend reading it to find indications of the direction they want to head. How does this project fit into the 5 year plan?
Although I think this is stupidly obvious thing to do, I’ve found that very few people actually do it. Clients are often stunned that I’ve taken the time to read it, and can reference specific sections and how they apply.