Examples of Strategic Planning Guides: #2

Here is another example.

Strategic Planning Initiative Guide

Step One: Selecting the Strategic Planning Team

First I will clarify the purpose of the strategic planning initiative with the superintendent. If I find the study is simply to check that we are progressing correctly and to prepare ourselves for future changes, then I will construct the planning team from internal members; if I find there is a discrepancy or concern with operations, then I will include outside members as appropriate by specialty. I will recruit the following people for the planning team:

·   Head Planner

·   Forecasting Specialist

·   Demographics Specialist

·   Financial Specialist

·   Personnel Specialist

·   Pupil Outcome Measurement Specialist

·   Public Opinion/Survey Specialist

·   Data Management Specialist

·   Research Design Specialist

·   Statistical Methods Specialist

·   Curriculum and Instruction Specialist

·   Graphic Design Specialist, and

·   Report Writing Specialist

Some team members will be part-time, or work only as a consulter. For example, the forecasting specialist will not be needed to plan future budgeting or personnel decisions after he/she has provided data and suggestions. In some cases one person can serve as more than one expert. As Head Planner, I will select team members based on their experience and knowledge.

Step Two: First Meeting

Estimated time length: two hours                                                                              Meeting objectives: Explain strategic planning process and individual roles                                                            Determine factors to be evaluated for planning                                                                              Delegate data collection for second meeting

I will open the meeting by briefly explaining the purposes of strategic planning and distributing a packet covering possible factors to be considered, team member roles to be included, and general desired outcomes of a strategic planning initiative. I will explain why the initiative was chosen at this time, and why each member was selected to participate. Team members will introduce themselves and state what area(s) they specialize in. I will then clarify the roles and expectations for each member, including who will be responsible for planning, data gathering, reviewing and authorizing the plan document, and evaluation for success. I will state the specific agenda for this team is to evaluate the current and future situations of our school, gather data on factors that could influence or change the school situation, develop specific school goals and a vision statement of where we want to be, record a detailed action plan of how we will reach those goals, and plan an evaluation of success. Our objectives for the meeting are to agree upon internal and external factors that should be evaluated, and delegate members to collect data on those factors. Members can make suggestions to build upon factors I have already suggested, and I will appoint members to gather information based on their team role and expertise. I will remind members that confidentiality is required; decisions and plans will be announced appropriately by administrators to the public.

At the end of this meeting participants should understand what we are doing, why we are doing it, the overall direction of the initiative, and his or her individual role. Data collection for the next meeting should be delegated.

Step Three: Data Collection

Data collection on internal and external factors will be done individually by team member specialists in between the first and second meeting. Information will be gathered on areas such as:

·   School strengths and weaknesses

·   School services

·   School programs/activities

·   Staffing

·   School/district finances

·   State/national economy

·   Funding trends

·   Demographics

·   Social factors

·   Changing legislation/politics

·   Changing technology

·   Competition, and

·   Public opinion

Step Four: Second Meeting (Scheduled two to three weeks after first meeting)

Estimated time length: two hours                                                                              Meeting objectives: Present data on external and internal factors                                                                                       Review current school goals and mission statement                                                                              Record suggestions about how goals might be adjusted

This meeting will begin with participants and consultants presenting the data they collected. Information about current finances and staffing, future enrollment projections, public perception of the school, and other internal and external factors should be reviewed. Data will be recorded by the Data Management Specialist and organized by category and pertinence. After team members have explained their information, I will present pages with the current school mission statement and school goals.  On large presentation paper a member will write original goals on one side of the sheet and areas of concern based on the needs assessment on the other side of the sheet. Members will make suggestions on how goals needs to be readjusted, added to, or deleted in consideration of weaknesses, available resources, changing forces, and new governmental mandates. Team members also need to input beliefs about school purposes and priorities for change. All suggestions will be recorded and considered, but I will explain that final goal authorization is the responsibility of school administrators. The reason for not accepting every goal desired by the committee is that members will potentially want conflicting things, and approving too many goals will spread resources so thinly nothing will be accomplished well. The mission statement should be the broad idea that goals complement.

Step Five: Finalize Mission Statement/School Goals

Individuals responsible for final goal authorization will meet together to discuss all relevant data and the vision of what the school should ideally look like. The recorded suggestions of the strategic planning team will be considered and needs prioritized. Goals should also be limited such that the scope is reasonable in terms of implementation time and resources needed to complete. Once the mission statement and supporting goals are finalized and approved they need to be articulated carefully and specifically. Administrators need to decide an order to record and implement goals based on importance, impact, and ability to implement. When the mission statement and goals are recorded they will be publicly announced at staff meetings and through school emails. The strategic team will meet again to develop a specific action plan to meet the stated goals.

Step Six: Third Meeting (Scheduled one to two weeks after second meeting)

Estimated time length: two hours                                                                              Meeting objectives: Distribute recorded specific mission statement and goals for                                                                   strategic planning initiative                                                                                                           Discuss strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities presented in data                                                  collection in relation to new goals                                                                                                        Develop detailed action plan to accomplish goals                                                                        Designate review committee to monitor progress and evaluate                                                            success of initiative

I will hand out the mission statement and goals authorized by the administrative team. The strategic planning team should discuss the data presented in the last meeting in relation to the new goals. Members need to speak according to their specialty to recommend strategies and needed changes to reach goals. The strategic planning team will be responsible for developing and recording detailed steps and strategies for the strategic action plan, including resources needed to complete each step. After this meeting members should understand what we are literally going to do to reach the school goals and how (resources) we are going to make that happen. Resource allocation will be subject to administrative approval. With tentative plans in place, members will need to agree upon evaluation criteria and designate a review committee. This committee will monitor the school’s progress throughout the implementation and reevaluate needs and changing circumstances. This committee will have the authority to reconvene the full strategic planning team if they determine new factors warrant reconsideration of goals, or that the action plan is not working successfully. The full strategic planning team will meet again in one year to evaluate progress if no special session is called.

Step Seven: Public Announcement

Administrators will announce to the community and school that the school is reviewing current practices, staffing, and resource allocation at the beginning of the initiative, although no details will be ready. The new mission statement and goals will be distributed to staff through school communication avenues, and posted for the public on the school’s website. After the action plan is in place and resources are approved, administrators should be very open and clear about the new plan and strategies. The action plan steps, and why they are important, should be presented at school board meetings and parent teacher association meetings, as well as to the staff members. The school should be translucent about planned actions, and motives behind them, so strategies are met with support instead of suspicions.