Strategic Planning from Vision to Action Ann Marie Vaughan Director, Distance Education and Learning Technologies CAUC

1. Strategic Planning from Vision to Action Ann Marie VaughanDirector, Distance Education and Learning TechnologiesCAUCE Dial and DiscussOctober 29, 2009

2. If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there? Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)

3. Session Objective • This session will focus on the elements and language of strategic planning -- from developing plans to creating vision, mission statements and goals.  • The session will also focus on how the elements of strategic planning and strategic thinking can be applied to any change management exercise in continuing education units.  • We will focus on elements of planning appropriate to continuing education and the realities of planning in a university environment.  The session will be ideally suited to beginners in the field or those who are about to embark on a strategic planning or change exercise.

4. Presenters Background • Nineteen years in strategic planning • Beginning with a direct responsibility for planning • Following all aspects and roles of the last 19 years • Change management • Strategic planning • Quality management • International presenter on planning in higher education • International reviewer and member of the Resource and Budget Planning Academy - SCUP

5. What is Planning? Simply put it is direction and goal setting within a process that allows you to analyze your environment and current and future possibilities Focuses on what the organization should do Strategic planning looks outward and is focused on keeping the institution at pace with the changing environment. Strategic planning must be – based on goals that are achievable and realistic, and must be created through organizational buy-in.

6. Charting your course Charting your course video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA6xWmu3150&feature=player_embedded

7. Know your continuing education unit • Before you start it is a must to • Know your organizational context • Know your institutions plan and where you fit • Do you have an existing plan? • How are you financed? • Do you have an existing organizational chart • Understand that planning is a daily activity in our field, strategy setting is a daily activity • Knowing and responding to our environment is essential • Make sure you are not affected by institutional blindness see patrickdixon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQWMnObjunU

8. Types of Planning Operational 1 year horizon Tactical 1-3 year horizon Long Term 5+ year horizon Strategic Continuous

9. Differentiating between Operational and Strategic planning Norris, D & Poulton, N. (1991). A guide for new planners. Society for College and University Planning. Michigan. • Strategic • External focus • What to do • Macro issues • Boundary spanning • Continuous scanning • Expert participation • Operational • Internal focused • How to do it • Impact of macro on micro • Tied to organizational units • Regular processes linked to organizational cycles • Linked to budget/resource allocation • Constituent participation

10. Conceptual Framework for Planning “Plan for Planning” Strategic Planning/Strategic Thinking • Mission of Institution /Academic Unit • Assessment of Stakeholder Values • Key Performance Indicators (KPI) Opportunities Threats Strengths Weaknesses Internal Assessment External Assessment Develop and Assess Strategic Issues and Actions Develop Strategies Generate Vision of the Organization of the Future Tactical Planning and Implementation Feedback Feedback Tactical Planning Implementation RESULTS Norris, D & Poulton, N. (1991). A guide for new planners. Society for College and University Planning. Michigan.

11. The gap Current State DesiredState

12. Mission More than justifying its existence, an institution’s mission is its raison d’etre. The mission is that which drives: • its activities • the organization • program focus • research • student composition • relationships

13. What are the Elements of an Effective Mission Statement? • Function of Purpose • “Why does our organization exist and what does it seek to accomplish?” • Client/Beneficiary/Stakeholder • “For whom does the organization perform this function?” • Delivery Approach • “How does the organization go about performing this function?”

14. Goals/Values Are more specific than the institution’s mission and are those things which the organization sees as facilitating the implementation of the mission. These are identified as values or goals of the institution through which the mission can be achieved

15. Environmental Scanning Internal In decision making, knowledge of the environment in which you operate is important. To make strategic decisions certain information is required about the internal environment. In higher education this would include: a profile of faculty, staff, and students, enrolment, finances, etc. External Similar to scanning the internal environment, knowledge about the external environment in which the institution operates in also important. This includes: economic, historical, political, social, technology etc

16. SWOT analysis Internal Environment Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats External Environment

17. Strategic Issues These are issues that an institution knows it must deal with, usually determined as outcomes of environmental scanning. Single loop and double loop learning Reference: Tagg, J. (2007). Double-loop learning in higher education. Change Magazine (39)4, 36-41.

18. Vision Your desired future state Should present a clear and succinct description of what the organization should look if it achieves its plan

19. The Process • Important indicator of success • Factors to consider: • Process used in the past (history) • Culture of the organization • Stakeholder involvement/consultation • Timeline organization and external Deliverables • Link to budget/resource allocations

20. Budgeting Planning is only effective if linked to the budget process where resource allocation can be made to achieve the objectives of the plan. Without this step the plan is left unrealized. Aligning plans to resources is constant and a critical aspect of leadership

21. Using the language and process Use the process and language in every day work Way of thinking – seeing the internal and external environment and addressing the gap Each step is a transition towards the desired state or vision

22. Implementing Don’t spend all your time planning People want to see results action Organization will become discouraged about the role of planning Change management Shared meaning Capacity building Restructuring vs reculturing

23. Recent Planning in DELT 40th anniversary of distance education at Memorial University DE was the number one requested activity by the external community in Memorial’s strategic planning process 2 pillars in university plan refer to our activities – Students and Needs of the Province 18 months of consultations on DELT plan with over 1700 people consulted – 1478 students, 225 internal and external stakeholders

24. Recent planning University framework was used to guide process Presentation on current and future trends as well as statistics on our community were presented in each of the sessions External agency (Academica Group) was contracted to survey/focus group our students

25. Lessons Learned • Institutional readiness for planning • Organizational support for the plan • Stakeholder involvement – buy-in and consultation • Bottom up versus Top Down • engagement

26. Resources • Society for College and University Planning • www.scup.org • Educause www.educause.edu • Horizon Report http://www.nmc.org/horizon/ • Commonwealth of Learning • http://www.col.org/colweb/site

27. Resources • Bryson, J. M. (1988). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Cawsey, T.F. & Descza, G. (2007). Toolkit for organizational change. Thousand Oaks: CA: Sage. • Fullan, M. (2007). The new meaning of educational change (4th Ed.). New York: Teacher’s College Press. • Keller, G. (1983). Academic strategy: The management revolution in American higher education. Maryland: John Hopkins Press. • Norris, D. M., & Poulton, N.L. (1991). A guide for new planners • (2nd ed.). Michigan: Society for College and University • Planning. • Norris, D. M., & Poulton, N.L. (2008). A guide to planning for change. Michigan: Society for College and University Planning.