A More Useable Strategic Plan

1. A More Useable Strategic Plan James McKee

2. Scenario Today, businesses are more complex and ever-changing, requiring more sophisticated management solutions Example: The Strategic Plan • Critical to the future of an organisation • Difficult to use • Lack of buy in by staff Objective: Develop a more useable Strategic Plan J McKee

3. Problem Investigation Dual approach for the problem investigation & the solution development be worked on concurrently using: • The Normative investigative model with • Information architecture for the solution J McKee

4. Normative Model* Four steps of this investigative methodology are: • Evaluative description of the initial state (defining the need for improvement) • Analysis of relationships and possibilities to change things • Synthesis: provide a proposal for improvement • Evaluation of the proposal J McKee - * see Routio 2005

5. Information Architecture The Open Group offer this definition of IS/IT architecture: • The structure of components, their interrelationships, and the principles and guidelines governing their design and evolution over time. J McKee

6. Information Architecture The architectural principles are: • A formal detailed plan to guide implementation • Should contain all components and their structure • Should define the interrelationships between components • Has guidelines covering evolution over time - the rationale why major components are present J McKee

7. Problem investigation • Investigation of plan difficulties: • Informal and unstructured, or too complex and detailed • Lack of involvement from stakeholders • Investigation of content of strategic plans & the architectural requirements & structure J McKee

8. Solution Requirements • Formal Plan • Clear and unambiguous • Brief and succinct • Involve all necessary stakeholders • Determine focus areas of organisation for attention • Determine useful key information elements • Determine useful interrelationships between components J McKee

9. Solution Components for Strategic Plan • Objectives • Critical success factors concerning objectives • Actions to achieve higher level component • Key Performance Indicators of actions or CSFs & Relations • Direct Linkage between related components • Rationale for major components • Degree of contribution to higher level component J McKee

10. Solution Structure • Level 1- For each focus area - determine objectives & rationale • Level 2 - For each objective - are there critical success factors • If more than one what is the degree of association • For objective or CSF - what actions are required • If more than one what is the degree of association • Level 3 - What are the key performance indicators for CSFs or actions J McKee

11. 2nd Level Of Information Architecture Reference Model Note: Level of Abstraction & Direct Relationship between Elements % Contribution % Contribution J McKee

12. Validating the model • Review a documented plan against model and determine differences & omissions. • No linkage between components • Different terminology at different levels • KPIs listed but not against specific actions or CSFs • Next develop example of a plan using model J McKee

13. Example Of A Planning Diagram Based on the information architecture reference model and using hypothetical data • Objective 1 - Apply a quality process (plan, act, review, improve) to all subjects • Target - Complete by 2015 • Rationale - Will improve Universities reputation for quality • Need to add critical success factors, actions and key performance indicators. J McKee

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16. Strategic Planning Remarks The concise format presents the key information: • Allows regular review and updating • The structure and levels of abstraction allows the plan to be developed iteratively in stages • The objectives can be creatively chosen by planners and passed to senior management to determine critical success factors and • Then line managers can determine required actions • Finally appropriate key performance indicators can be selected to manage progress on implementation J McKee

17. Identified Method • Normative investigative methodology - supported by literature review, surveys and documentation evaluation • Architectural model for documentation structure – allowing iterative development • Can work for any problem area J McKee

18. Identified Method • Normative investigative methodology - supported by literature review, surveys and documentation evaluation • Architectural model for documentation structure – allowing iterative development • General Planning Framework • Formal investigative process • Structured solution development process • Unambiguous implementation planning document J McKee

19. In Conclusion The Problem Investigation & Solution Development processes together provide a mechanism to investigate any complex problem area and allows the development of a solution in stages with a wide range of input. The result is a clear unambiguous planning document which allows regular review and updating to meet changing circumstances. Material derived from McKee, J. (2012). Applying Principles from IT Architecture to Strategic Business Planning, IGI Global, Hershey PA. J McKee