An Integrated Approach to Assessment and Planning

1. An Integrated Approach to Assessment and Planning Wanda Dole, John Barnett, Maureen James, Suzanne Martin, Donna Rose, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bergen, Norway, March 2008

2. Outline • Introduction • Strategic Planning • Assessment • Two case studies • K-State University • UALR • Conclusions

3. Introduction • “Are we any closer to knowing whether performance measures lead to library effectiveness than when the debate began 25 to 30 years ago?” Cullen (1998) • Our response: • Yes, in the area of library planning

4. Who we are • Dole, UALR. • Planning and assessment: interests since Library School (UIUC) • Strategic Planning (PSU, SUNY SB, WU, UALR) Assessment (SUNY SB, WU) • Barnett, James, Martin, Rose, UALR • no previous experience with strategic planning or assessment

5. Strategic Planning: History • Strategic Planning in Business • George Steiner (1979) et al. • Adapted for Academe • Robert Cope (1978) • Philip Kotler & Patrick Murphy (1981) • George Keller (1983) • Richard Jonsen (1986)

6. Strategic Planning in Libraries • Late 1970’s – early 1990’s • Charles McClure (1978) • James S. Healey (1981) • Donald Riggs (1987) • Brice Hobrock (1991) • Meredith Butler & Hiram Davis (1992) • Joseph Matthew (2005)

7. Characteristics of Strategic Planning • Definition: “A planning philosophy that links programs to the external environment..” Hobrock (1991) • Characteristics • Provides a roadmap to the future • Active, not passive • Looks outward and forward • Focuses on decisions

8. Characteristics Strategic Planning links library’s priorities to -Priorities of the parent institution -Needs of library users -Allocation of resources

9. Steps in Planning • Develop vision for “future state” of library • Develop set of core values as framework for staff in achieving the vision • Identify critical issues in the environment (SWOT) • Develop goals and strategies to allow the library to move toward the “future state” Matthews (2005), Jacobs (1990)

11. Strategic Planning: a Change Agent • Changing a culture requires the constant redesign of the infrastructure and frame of reference that that define appropriate and inappropriate values, expectations and activities. Covey (2002, 163) • Strategic planning can do this

13. History of Assessment • Overview Cullen (1998) Kyrillidou (2002) Blixrud & Dole (2005) Matthews (2006)

14. Assessment • “From the library at Alexandria up to the present day, libraries have judged themselves and each other in terms of collections” Cullen (1998, 4)

15. Assessment • Input/Output Measures • Operating budgets • Collections, staffing, facilities • Statistical analysis • Bibliometrics • Benchmarking

16. Assessment • Techniques from business • Systems analysis • Management by Objective • Total Quality Management • Re-engineering • Baldridge • Deming

17. Assessment • Outcomes measurement • Response to call for accountability in higher education • Difficult • Service Quality/User Satisfaction • ARL New Measures

18. Two Case Studies in Planning & Assessment: K-State and UALR • K-State • Carnegie Research Extensive University • Enrolls 23,000 students • Over 2,000 faculty • 57 librarians • 49 support staff

19. Strategic Planning at K-State • 1982, first 5-year plan • Mission • 7 goals • 1987, “strategic plan” with • Mission • Vision • Value • Goals & strategies

20. Strategic Planning at K-State • 1992-1997, true strategic plan • 1st Consultant • Broad participation of library faculty & staff

21. Strategic Planning at K-State • 1999-2004 • Integration of assessment • SERVQUAL (local version) • Focus groups • Performance measurement (Kantor studies) • LibQUAL+®, 2003 • Organizational change • Culture of Assessment

22. Planning at K-State: Current Status • 2005: new Dean, new Plan • Consultant • Library-wide planning retreat • Planned organizational change • LibQUAL+®, 2005

23. K-State’s plan is available at http://www.lib.k-state.edu/geninfo/plan/L

24. Two Case Studies in Planning & Assessment: K-State and UALR • UALR • Carnegie Doctoral/Research institution • Enrolls 12,000 students • Over 800 faculty • Overall operating budget of $4.8 million • 13 Librarians • 25 Support Staff

25. Strategic Planning at UALR • 1970s, 80s, 90s • Planning, mainly brainstorming • Top-down • Unstructured approach • No assessment

26. Strategic Planning at UALR • August 2006, strategic planning retreat • Outside consultant • Broad participation of library faculty & staff • Development of mission & vision statements • 2006 – present • Working groups revise mission & vision • New groups formed to develop goals & strategies

27. Strategic Planning at UALR • July 2007, 2nd retreat • Working groups ALL agree that planning must include assessment • Assessment plan formed • Focus groups, fall 2007 • LibQUAL+®, spring 2008

31. UALR Focus Group Reports • 35 participants, faculty and students • Concepts • Library as place • Library as services • Library as people • Questions • What is working • What needs improvement

32. Focus Group Responses • Culture of good will • Consumer mind sets • Integration of services • Interest in setting and facilities • Interest in collections

33. UALR Assessment Grids

34. Strategic Planning at UALR • We will evaluate and report back to you • What worked? • What didn’t work? • Effects of combining assessment & planning

35. UALR’s plan is available at • http://library.ualr.edu/whatsnew/strategicplan/

36. Conclusions • Combination/assessment and strategic planning • Not much in the literature • K-State • 1982-1999, planning alone • 1999-present, assessment and planning • UALR • 2006, combination/assessment and planning

37. Questions • Is the combination of strategic planning & assessment a new approach? • Is it an example of the Culture of Assessment? (Lakos & Phipps) • Have other libraries done the same things? • Had the same results?

38. Questions? Comments? • Thank you! • wvdole@ualr.edu