Strategic Planning Definitions

Tennessee Board of Regents

Strategic Planning Complex and ongoing process of organizational

change.

Oriented towards the future, and focuses on the anticipated future.

Looks at how the world could be different 5-10 years from now.

Aimed at creating the organization's future based on what this future is likely to look like.

Responsive to the emerging trends, events, challenges, and opportunities

Builds on anticipated future trends, data, and competitive assumptions.

Vision

Organization's vision sets out the reasons and purpose for organization's existence and the ideal state that the organization aims to achieve.

Example of Vision Statement

The University System of Georgia will create a more educated Georgia, well prepared for a global, technological society, by providing first-rate undergraduate and graduate education, leading-edge research, and committed public service."

Mission

The mission is a statement of general purpose: the reason the organization exists. Who are we? What do we do? For whom do we do it? Why do we do it?

Mission

Example of Mission Statement

The mission of the University System of Georgia is to contribute to the educational, cultural, economic, and social advancement of Georgia by providing excellent undergraduate general education and first-rate programs leading to associate, baccalaureate, masters, professional, and doctorate degrees; by pursuing leading-edge basic and applied research, scholarly inquiry, and creative endeavors; and by bringing these intellectual resources, and those of the public libraries, to bear on the economic development of the State and the continuing education of its citizens.

Strategic Priorities

Strategic priorities are the major four or five sets of emphasis for the organization that are derived from an integration of the mission and analysis of future trends, opportunities, challenges, perceived strengths, and weaknesses.

Examples of Strategic PrioritiesUM System

Access to Learning

Academic Achievement and Quality

Community-University Engagement

Valuing People and Creating a Supportive Work Environment

Improving Core Processes, and Developing and Managing Resources

Strategic Goals

Goals are the milestones the organization aims to achieve that evolve from the strategic priorities. Goals should be directed toward the strategic priorities and be consistent with the mission. They transform strategic priorities into specific performance targets that impact the entire organization. Goals are stated in terms of measurable and verifiable outcomes.

Example of Strategic Goal

Achieve a nationally competitive position in research, scholarship, and academic programs in selected areas consistent with each campus mission

Action Plans

Action plans are the steps required to reach strategic goals. They identify who will do what, when and how.

Example of Action Plan

Enlarge the system campuses’ market share of sponsored research funding by 55% by 2010 through establishment of 10 nationally-funded research centers or institutes.

Examples

Vision

Mission

Strategic Priority

Goal

Action Plan

Vision

The University of Missouri will be nationally recognized as an

eminent learner-centered research university.

Mission

The mission of the University of Missouri, as a land-grant university and Missouri’s only public research and doctoral-level institution, is to discover, disseminate, preserve, and apply knowledge. The university promotes learning by its students and lifelong learning by Missouri’s citizens, fosters innovation to support economic development, and advances the health, cultural, and social interests of the people of Missouri, the nation, and the world.”

Strategic Priority

Academic Achievement and Quality

Strategic Goal and Action Plans

Strategic Goal: Achieve a nationally competitive position in research, scholarship, and academic programs in selected areas consistent with each campus mission

Action Plan 1: Enlarge the system campuses’ market share of sponsored research funding by 55% by 2010 through establishment of 10 nationally-funded research centers or institutes.

Action Plan 2: Increase by 10% the number of faculty selected as Fellows in scholarly societies including National Academies (ex. National Academy of Science) and those winning state and national society teaching and research awards.

Benchmarking

Benchmarking is an ongoing systematic process of measuring and comparing organization's operations, practices, and performance against the others within and outside and guides the management of organization's human, social, and technical resources.

Gap analysis

Gap analysis evaluates the difference between the organization's current position, and its desired future. Gap analysis results in development of specific strategies and allocation of resources to close the gap.