Planning Strategies and Strategic Plans in Higher Education: Analytical Essay

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Role of Planning Strategies

Complacency and low aspirations among members of the organization
Inconsistency between the way organizational insiders and outsiders view the organization
A lack of shared perception of organizational priorities or goals
Individuals and groups focused on priorities that detract from the mission of the organization as a whole
An evolving political or economic landscape from which the organization has become disconnected
An absence of a clear or shared set of criteria or measures of progress or success for the organization
A need to redirect the organization toward new opportunities_ new programs, initiatives, or areas of focus
Insufficient attention being devoted to innovation, change, and out-of-the-box thinking

The Components of Strategic Plans in Higher Education

Various strategic planning approaches used in higher education may differ in some respects and a common characteristic is that they encourage an institution, department, or program to consider. It also clarify issues related to the mission, vision, and values and then to develop and implement plans and strategies that translate these organizational attributes into a well-defined blueprint for collective action.

The following components are to be planned to change in higher education may be implemented through a variety of different strategies.

Mission, vision, and values
Stakeholders’ perspectives
Environmental scan and benchmarking
Goals
Strategies, priorities, and action plans
Plan creation/ implementation
Outcomes and achievements

For all these reasons, strategic planning typically begins by drafting, refining, or reviewing existing documents that address the issues of mission, vision, and values.

1. Mission, Vision, and Values Statements:

Thoughtful mission, vision, and value statements remind members of the organization and other stakeholders of the core purpose of the organization, identify aspirations, and specify key principles and priorities. They provide an important communicative function for internal and external audiences and can offer a useful guide for day-to-day behaviours and decision-making within the organization. Of particular importance to leaders in higher education is the role these statements play in anchoring, linking, and guiding programs and services. Mission, vision, and value statements also facilitate communication with various stakeholder groups [3].

A mission statement provides a description of an organization’s primary purpose and reason for its existence. It focuses on the current state and articulates what others can expect from the organization such as the services and programs provided by the institution, department, or program.

A vision statements describe the aspirations of the institution, department, or program, and are generally considered to be drafted, refined, or reviewed after the mission statement.

While value are not always included as a part of planning framework, a statement that includes such principles can be an important element not only as a foundation for planning but also a guide for the day-to-day activities of the program, department, or institution. Some organization may also have statements of values or principles. If so, they should be considered this stage in the planning process.

2. Stakeholders’ Perspectives:

Achieving clarity on the list of those who benefit from and collaborate with any program, department, or institution is important for organizational practice in general, and also another valuable foundational step in the planning process. This deliberate and explicit prioritization of key stakeholders can be very helpful for defining aspirations, developing plans, and establishing specific goals and strategies. Leaders and colleagues within colleges and universities can similarly benefit from clarifying who their key stakeholder groups are and what needs and expectations exist for these groups as they relate to potential departmental, program, or institutional priorities [3].

3. Environmental Scanning and Benchmarking:

Environmental Scanning is another critical step in strategic planning. Also known as a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis, this stage in planning calls for a careful consideration of the social, economic, political, regulatory, technological, and cultural environment in which an organization functions, focusing particularly on those factors that could influence on potential plans or the planning process. Depending on the planning context, and the time and financial resources available, the extent and sophistication of data collection and analysis can vary considerably [3].

In combination, environmental scanning and benchmarking are key elements in strategic planning. Each contributes to a leader’s knowledge of the potential challenges and opportunities facing the unit, department, or academic institution, and can also encourage the adoption of innovative ideas from other organizations and sectors.

4. Goals:

Goal setting is a core activity in strategic planning, and it is often the point at which people are tempted to begin the process. However, without a clear sense of purpose, aspirations, stakeholders, and comparative perspectives, goal setting could easily proceed in less-than-useful directions.

Goal should be broad and far-reaching in scope and should describe what the organization needs to do to achieve its high-level aspirations. In establishing goals, it is important to resist pressures to create a catalogue of projects that might be undertaken. While creating an expansive list of suggested projects may seem like a good place to start, it is important to first clearly formulate and articulate goals that represent the critical needs of the organization [1].

5. Strategies, Priorities, and Action Plans:

Strategies or statements describe how the goal(s) will be realized. Action plans specify what will be done, by whom, and when. Strategies and action plans together provide the details as to how the goals will be addressed. This is the stage where the many project ideas that often surface in earlier discussions can be considered. The challenge of planning is determining which of the many possible ways to achieve the organization’s goals are likely to have the greatest significant impact. The action plan should be manageable to implement and are likely to provide the greatest potential return on time and resources.

6. Plan Creation:

The aim is to design a document that clearly articulates the organization’s plan, and thereby serves to inform, influence, anchor, and guide the organization’s future. The plan should be a visible and public document, a communication device, and the most tangible record of the effort. Because of its physical and public nature, it is likely to be the focus for judgments of the success of the planning effort. In selecting content and format for the planning documents, people involved in the planning efforts must consider the plan’s primary users, expectations for how the plan will be used, and the role the document is expected to play in facilitating the sharing of information with multiple users. Once the planning document is completed, it is a leadership responsibility to disseminate plan progress reports and promote the value and importance of its content within and beyond the program, department, or institution.

7. Outcomes and Achievements:

Achieving and sustaining the desired outcomes is the overriding purpose of strategic planning and the fundamental goal for organizations and leaders alike. Higher education organizations’ plan, it is in measuring and documenting the achievement of stated goals, tracking progress over time, and making the necessary adjustments to ensure the intended outcomes during the implementation of the plans.

Although listed as the final step in the planning process, considerations relative to this stage should begin early and continue throughout the implementation and follow-through stages. The critical activities include maintaining focus on the institution’s aspirations and plans and tracking progress relative to each goal, strategy, and action plan. This approach requires leaders to identify the critical indicators of success for the plan as well as the planning process, to determine the appropriate methods for monitoring progress at each stage, to decide how information regarding progress outcomes will be organized and shared, and to develop and approach to using that information that will assure follow-through for the plan.

Strategic Planning in Higher Education

In recent years, strategic planning has become an increasingly popular tool for college and university leaders who are confronted with the types of situations described previously.

In many higher education settings, two of the most common obstacles leaders face are the lack of a clear and shared sense of where the project, program, centre, department or institution should be headed and a genuine commitment to the collaboration and coordination necessary to achieve the desired outcomes. One of the attractions of strategic planning is that it may be implemented as a standalone activity or in conjunction with other institutional opportunities or requirements, such as preparation for accreditation [4].

Developing a strategic institutional plan

A strategic institutional plan is designated as core because they are fundamental for professional operations and embody core values and practices. The primary goals of this guide are to explain the importance of institutional planning and plans, outline the contents as strong plan, and provide resources to assist in the creation of the plan.

Figure 1. shows the proposed designing a strategic plan in an institution. A strategic institutional plan is a procedure that is multi-year, aligned with the mission, and contains measurable goals and methods which can be evaluate. A plan should be current and aligned with the mission. A strong plan includes prioritized action steps, establishes timelines, and assigns responsibilities for implementing the plan. It also assesses and addresses resources needed to see the plan to fruition. It is often supplemented by an implementation or an operating plan that puts the decisions made in the institutional plan into practice.

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