Establishing
a
Strategic Planning Process
A
Summary of the Process
developed by the
SPIEC
Spring 2009
Establishing
a
Strategic Planning Process
Overview
FACILITIES PLAN
INFORMATION
RESOURCES
PLAN
VISION
STATEMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN
STRATEGIC DIRECTIVES
ASSESSMENT
AND IE PLAN
ENROLLMENT
PLAN
BUDGET
SCHEDULE
MISSION
University Leadership
ACTION PLANS
GAP ANALYSIS / FEASIBILITY STUDY
STRATEGIC
PLAN
PERFORMANCE
AUDIT
Establishing
a
Strategic Planning Process
Question to consider
Where should strategic planning start, and
who should lead the process?
Establishing
a
Strategic Planning Process
Summary of SPIEC Decisions
•There will need to be a review of both the Mission and the Vision
statements before proceeding with the other components of the
strategic plan.
• This phase should conclude with a statement from the BOT confirming
that they have reviewed and approved these statements.
•Review of the statements does not necessarily imply revision. The
mission statement is more in need of reaffirmation - a confirmation
that it is still relevant, while the vision statement could need updating
to reflect present realities.
Continued…
Establishing
a
Strategic Planning Process
Summary of SPIEC Decisions #1
contd.
•The PBC should lead the process of review.
•They may carry out the review themselves, as a committee constituted
with representation from various sectors of the University.
•The PBC could also receive input from FGCU’s internal and external
stakeholders - through the ‘Web’, or in Forums specially held for this
purpose.
Stakeholders…
Establishing
a
Strategic Planning Process
Question to consider
There are groups, such as Alumni and Board
Members, from inside and outside the University
who can be considered stakeholders and
included in the strategic planning process.
Who else should be considered stakeholders?
Establishing
a
Strategic Planning Process
Summary of SPIEC Decisions
Three groups:
•Participants from an ‘open forum’
•Academic Council
and… Faculty Senate Leadership
were added to the original list of Internal Stakeholders :
Deans
Faculty Senate
Student Government
President’s Cabinet
SAC
Administrative Services Directors
Student Affairs
Advancement
Athletics
and...
…those involved in development of strategic directives in the past.
Establishing
a
Strategic Planning Process
Summary of SPIEC Decisions
contd.
Similarly, to the list of External Stakeholders …
The Economic Development Council – for each of the five counties
(Lee, Charlotte, Hendry, Glades and Collier)
The Foundation Board
Town and Gown
The Alliance for Education Leaders
College Advisory Boards
Alumni
…and other Community Partners
…the following were added:
•The Charlotte Advisory Council, and
•Participants in public forums in each of the five counties
Establishing
a
Strategic Planning Process
Question to consider
An Environmental Scan is used to establish
a framework for planning’. What form
should it take, and who should conduct it?
Establishing
a
Strategic Planning Process
Summary of SPIEC Decisions
contd.
The Environmental Scan should focus on the future as well as the
present. Its scope needs to be regional, national and international.
It needs to be concerned with the factors that affect the ‘mission’
and ‘vision’ of the University.
It should particularly illuminate areas where internal organizational
features, (e.g. its structure) intersect with factors in the external
environment (such as future economic diversification).
Establishing
a
Strategic Planning Process
Summary of SPIEC Decisions
contd.
The Environmental Scan should comprise both an Internal and an
External Scan. The Internal Scan should be conducted by a team
within the organization, with the collaboration of external
consultants. The Internal Scan should examine:
Institutional climate
Infrastructure – information resources, physical plant, human capital,
support services.
Program mix, as well as the impacts of accreditation on programs
Athletics
Advancement
the Arts
Student Life
Aspects of ‘growth’ – human resources, enrolment management,
student intake and levels of preparedness
Establishing
a
Strategic Planning Process
Summary of SPIEC Decisions
contd.
The External Scan should be conducted by external consultants
with internal collaboration. The External Scan should look at:
Social issues
Demographics
Governance of Higher Education
Funding
Federal Policies
Economic Diversification
Competition in the Education Environment
Establishing
a
Strategic Planning Process
Question to consider
How do we establish goals for our planning process?
Establishing
a
Strategic Planning Process
Summary of SPIEC Decisions
contd.
Strategic Directives should serve as overall goals for the
strategic planning process. The PBC should establish these goals
and, using comparison data gathered in the environmental scan,
set benchmarks for the desired level of achievement of the goals
FGCU’s five directives, were developed in 2003 and form part of the current
2005 – 2010 strategic plan.
Those directives were developed by the university leadership and then
presented to the wider community for discussion.
Florida Gulf Coast University Strategic Directives
2003-2008
Strategic Directive 1: Student Recruitment
Recruit and attract a diverse and academically-talented student body relative to the resources provided by the
State of Florida.
Strategic Directive 2: Student Success
Retain and graduate the best undergraduate students from Florida and the nation by providing challenging and
innovative approaches to learning and civic engagement. Foster the academic growth and professional
development of the best graduate students in the region through applied master’s degrees, and recruit the
best candidates from Florida and the nation for graduate work in selected programs.
Strategic Directive 3: Academic Programs
Promote nationally recognized undergraduate programs distinguished by student research and scholarship
opportunities. Continue to develop applied master’s degrees appropriate for the region, and begin exploration
for doctoral programs aligned with state needs.
Strategic Directive 4: Student Life
Promote the intellectual, social, and character development of all students through quality teaching and
advising, dedicated career preparation and placement, and active student life programs. FGCU will encourage
community responsibility, foster and understanding of diversity, and advance ethical values in theory and
practice.
Strategic Directive 5: Research and Service
Serve as an intellectual center for southwest Florida through research and service while contributing to the
economic growth, environmental sustainability, and cultural richness of the region.
Establishing
a
Strategic Planning Process
Summary of SPIEC Decisions
contd.
Strategic Directives should be developed through a
broad and inclusive process that gets ‘buy in’ from
all FGCU constituencies and the Trustees.
A draft set of the Directives – each with a short (one
paragraph) rationale - should originate with the PBC
and then go on to be reviewed by Internal
Stakeholders.
This should be followed by review and approval by
the President’s Cabinet and ultimately by the BOT.
Establishing
a
Strategic Planning Process
Summary of SPIEC Decisions
contd.
The Strategic Directives should be the basis for
the creation of the objectives, actions and tactics
that go to make up the Action Plans.
Templates used in the production of Action
Plans, help to ensure consistency in this process.
Establishing
a
Strategic Planning Process
Summary of SPIEC Decisions
contd.
The process should employ a template showing
components and steps and guiding development of the
Action Plan from the Strategic Directives.
Action Plan templates should also ensure that they include
criteria for assessing the extent to which proposed actions
attain the goals they were designed to meet.
Establishing
a
Strategic Planning Process
Summary of SPIEC Decisions
contd.
Action Plans or Strategies should determine appropriate
objectives for each strategic directive, and specify the actions
planned to accomplish each of the objectives. These action
plans should also detail resources and estimated costs for each
action, and a completion date. They would form the core of the
Strategic Plan.
If all these actions specified are funded and completed as scheduled,
then on the date set, the university will achieve its envisaged status.
Establishing
a
Strategic Planning Process
Summary of SPIEC Decisions
contd.
Level of goal achievement should be tested using a gap analysis.
A Gap Analysis evaluates the difference between ‘the
university’s current position and the envisioned state’.
These analyses can be done at the beginning of a cycle to
establish a starting point, or at any time during the cycle to
judge success, progress and the need for adjustment.
Establishing
a
Strategic Planning Process
Summary of SPIEC Decisions
contd.
Circumstances will change in the future in ways we cannot
anticipate. Because this may affect the ability to realize
established goals, attainment should be judged on a graduated
scale of high, medium and low attainment.
Those responsible for overseeing Strategic Planning should also
continue to be flexible, always looking at “Emergent Strategies”
[and other additional analyses].
Establishing
a
Strategic Planning Process
Summary of SPIEC Decisions Conclusion.
Strategic Planning begins by posing a series of questions. ‘What is
the condition of the university at the present time? What would
we like it to be? What needs to be done to get to that state? How
could that be done most effectively? How long would it take? How
much would it cost? What is realistic?’
--- Hayward, 2008.
The process outlined would produce a plan with answers
to all of those questions.
Hayward, F. M. 2008. Strategic Planning for Higher Education in Developing
Countries: Challenges and Lessons. Planning for Higher Education, 36 (3): 5-21
AGENT
EVENT
Statement Review
Overseen by PBC,
(Planning & Budgeting
Council)
Mission & Vision
Statements
• External Scan – conducted by
Consultant
• Internal Scan – conducted by
FGCU
Goals Developed by PBC
Plans developed by
FGCU Units and Colleges
Coordination and Synthesis of
output by PBC
Analysis directed by PBC
Environmental Scan
Strategic Directives
Action Plans
Gap Analysis
Includes:
Objectives,
Actions Needed,
Resources,
Cost,
Completion Date,
and Assessment
Criteria
July-Sept
Oct.- Nov.
Dec. - Jan.
Jan.- Feb.
Feb. -March
Mission-Vision
Review
Environmental
Scan
Strategic
Directives
Action Plans
Gap Analysis