Focus # 2 Social Media Workshop “If you don’t know where you’re going any road will take you there.” Lewis Carroll, Ali

1. Focus # 2 Social Media Workshop “If you don’t know where you’re going any road will take you there.” Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland EducationUSA.state.gov

2. Why Planning is Essential • A plan is like a map - essential for making good decisions on: • What you plan to achieve? • How you plan to achieve it? • Without a plan • Lack of direction • Lack of focus Think about your EducationUSA Center as a business and you are its highly capable and visionary CEO who knows the value of planning and leadership.. EducationUSA.state.gov

3. Behavioral planning problems • Resistance and lack of co-operation by others • Fear of uncertainty in planning • A lack of comfort in planning activities • Political interests in planning activities • Resource bargaining, padding of requirements, and avoidance of consensus • Planning avoidance • Compliance rather than commitment to planning EducationUSA.state.gov

4. Adviser Planning Process – Lay the Foundation of the Plan • Vision (Future) . . . Where do you want your Center to be • Mission(Today). . . Why do we exist? • Values What do you Believe as Advisers? • Analysis/Audit (SWOT)* . . . Where are you now? • Objectives . . . Where you want to be? • Strategies . . . Which way is best to achieve [action plan] your objectives? • Tactics . . . How do you get there? • Implementation . . . Getting there! • Evaluation . . . Ensuring arrival (Quarterly Reviews) *This is a tool for your planning purposes and does not have to be submitted with the plan. EducationUSA.state.gov 5

5. Pre-Planning • Achieve • What do you want that you don’t have? • Preserve • What do you want that you already have? • Avoid • What don’t you want that you don’t have? • Eliminate • What do you have that you don’t want? EducationUSA.state.gov

6. Where Are You Now? Analysis/Audit of Your Center Internal External EducationUSA.state.gov

7. SWOT Matrix Use each of the 4 quadrants to analyze where you are now, where you want to be and, then make an action plan to get there. Internal External EducationUSA.state.gov 10

8. SWOT Example EducationUSA.state.gov 11

9. SWOT Example EducationUSA.state.gov 12

10. Goal • Conduct Effective Outreach Across Multiple Platforms EducationUSA.state.gov

11. Where You Want To BeObjectives All objectives should be reflective of the mission, vision and SWOT analysis. • Focus on opportunities and shore up weaknesses • Short-term • Low hanging fruit • Time line • Resources • Long-term • May require more resources (people, finances and time) EducationUSA.state.gov 13

12. Where You Want To Be-Objectives All objectives should be SMART. • Specific - Be precise about what you are going to achieve. • Measurable- Quantify your objectives. • Achievable - Are you attempting too much? • Realistic - Do you have the resources to make the objective happen (people, money, equipment, materials)? • Do your objectives support the Post mission? • Do your objectives have the support of your Supervisor? • Timely - State when you will achieve the objective (within a month? By February 2018?) EducationUSA.state.gov 14

13. Example of a SMART Objective Objective • Increase the Center’s organization, and effectiveness to accommodate expanding the group advising program from 15 to 50 students for the Fall 2012 application cycle. Breakdown of Objective • Specific - Says what the Adviser will do (expand the group advising program). • Measurable - States the expansion of the advising program from 12 to 50 students. • Achievable – Adviser has the necessary resources to expand the number of students. • Relevant - Links with one of the major weaknesses identified in the SWOT. The Adviser is new, part-time and often feels overwhelmed (lack of organization and structure). Additionally, the PAO has asked the Adviser to increase the number of students the Center can impact. • Timely - indicates the new program must start in 2011. EducationUSA.state.gov 15

14. Which Way Is Best?-Strategies • Move you from where you are now to where you want to be. Where you want to be! STRATEGIES 7P’s Product (Study in the U.S.) Promotion and Communication Place Process Price Physical Evidence Personal Development and Training If you do nothing! TIME 0 EducationUSA.state.gov 16

15. Example of Strategies Objectives Increase the Center’s organization, and effectiveness to accommodate expanding the group advising program from 15 to 50 students for the Fall 2012 application cycle. Strategy Create and implement a 12 month structured group advising program that begins in January and guides qualified students (step-by-step) through the process of applying to U.S. universities and colleges. EducationUSA.state.gov

16. Tactical Gap Analysis • Tactics are the actual down and dirty execution steps you’ll need to take to support the strategy. • It’s the detail work. EducationUSA.state.gov

17. Example of Tactics Objectives Increase the Center’s organization, and effectiveness to accommodate expanding the group advising program from 15 to 50 students for the Fall 2012 application cycle. Strategies Create and implement a 12 month structured group advising program that begins in January and guides qualified students (step-by-step) through the process of applying to U.S. universities and colleges. Tactics • Create a flyer to communicate the subjects, session dates and times of group advising sessions. • Share advising schedule with PAS and Consular section and indicate where you would like their participation. • Post advising schedule on website, in the Center, American Corners, IRC and email to selected secondary schools and organizations. • Require students to attend the monthly “So, you want to study in the U.S. session before they can join the group advising program. • Create self-study materials for students to review and use to catch up if they miss sessions. • Ask students to evaluate each session; and modify sessions as needed to be most relevant to students needs. • Ensure the resources available are the most current and add new resources based on learning from other Advisers, ECA, IIE and REACs.(use ECA FY Funds) • Purchase 5 additional computers (Use ECA FY Funds) EducationUSA.state.gov 19

18. Getting There and Ensuring Arrival Review, Report, Refresh, Rewrite • Review accomplishments to date and submit 4 quarterly reports • Reassess your SWOT analysis • Reassess your Plan • Review the remaining objectives • Make any necessary adjustments EducationUSA.state.gov

19. Without a Plan . . . no direction EducationUSA.state.gov

20. With A Plan • You know where you’re going and you chose the road to take you there. EducationUSA.state.gov

21. Strategic Planning • Allows you to be proactive - not reactive • Is more than making “to do” lists • Plans act as guides for a whole group EducationUSA.state.gov

22. Strategic Planning for Social Media EducationUSA.state.gov

23. Goals • Objectives • Strategic Actions • Tactics EducationUSA.state.gov

24. Let`s start our plans…. EducationUSA.state.gov

25. Evaluation EducationUSA.state.gov

26. Questions EducationUSA.state.gov