How to Develop a Strategic Plan

The Office of Institutional ResearchSeptember 2011

What is Strategic Planning? The process of an organization/unit

understanding its purpose and environment, defining its direction, and describing those actions that it will take to achieve its goals. Where it stands, where it wants to go, and how

it will get there Answers questions:

"What do we do?" "For whom do we do it?" "How do we excel?"

What is Strategic Planning?

Helps organizations/ units allocate resources (time, money, people) in an effective/strategic way

Should build on and be guided by the university’s overall mission, vision, values, and institutional priorities, as well as the academic plan

Time frame typically 3-5 years

What is Strategic Planning?

Plan

Do

Check

Act

Effective Strategic Plans

Involve faculty, staff, and students at all levels

Use data as evidence on which to base decisions

Look beyond immediate concerns of the unit to keep the focus on future and goals

Include strategies to draw on strengths, maximize opportunities while addressing internal weaknesses and external threats

Effective Strategic Plans

Set priorities, so unit and university know where to focus efforts and resources

Collaborate and integrate efforts and resources of faculty within unit and across the university

Are updated and revised periodically to account for changes

Foster teamwork, team decision-making, trust, and a common understanding and shared commitment to the mission and direction of the unit.

Strategic Planning at AUC

Consistent guidelines ease the planning process and as well as the analysis and integration of plans

Rolling 3-year plan. This year, FY2013-2015. Annual updates Tied to budget, planning matrix Budget the plan, not plan the budget

Components of a Strategic PlanMission

1-3 sentences that outline the purpose of the unit and how the unit helps the university achieve its mission.

May also include vision and core values▪ Vision▪ How the organization will look in the future

▪ Core values▪ Shared beliefs that provide a framework for decision-making

AUC’s Mission

The American University in Cairo (AUC) is a premier English-language institution of higher learning. The university is committed to teaching and research of the highest caliber, and offers exceptional liberal arts and professional education in a cross-cultural environment. AUC builds a culture of leader-ship, lifelong learning, continuing education and service among its graduates, and is dedicated to making significant contributions to Egypt and the international community in diverse fields. Chartered and accredited in the United States and Egypt, it is an independent, not-for-profit, equal-opportunity institution. AUC upholds the principles of academic freedom and is dedicated to excellence.

AUC’s Vision

Our vision is to be a world-class university internationally recognized for its leadership and excellence in teaching, research, creative expression, and service.

AUC’s Core Values Excellence

We continually strive to be among the best in all we do: in teaching, research, creative expression, service to our communities, and service to each other in our daily interactions.

Diversity We seek to treat all individuals with dignity and fairness and to promote

understanding and respect for diversity of perspectives, traditions, and experiences.

Social Responsibility  We are committed to exploring the challenges that confront Egypt, the

region, and the world and to using our intellectual and creative capabilities to address these challenges, serve our communities, and have a positive and sustainable impact on development, business, the environment, and society.

Integrity We believe that individuals are accountable for their actions, and, as

members of a community, our individual actions have an impact on others. We are stronger as a community when we reflect on the consequences of our decisions and actions and we uphold the principles of academic integrity, including fairness, accountability, and honesty.

Lifelong Learning We believe that the pursuit of knowledge, understanding, and personal and

professional development should continue throughout one’s lifetime.

OIR’s Mission and Vision

Mission The Office of Institutional Research (OIR) partners

with university officials to support effective decision-making that advances AUC’s mission. IR provides timely, accurate, and relevant information and analysis to external and internal constituencies.

Vision The Office of Institutional Research will be

recognized throughout the university community as well as in Egypt, the region, and internationally for its leadership and innovation in planning, assessment, research, and testing and for the quality of its work.

OIR’s Core Values

Collaborating effectively with stakeholders both inside and outside the university to increase the quality and efficiency of our services

Creating an environment that nurtures professional growth and development

Fostering a culture of transparency, open communication, and evidence-based decision-making

Producing high quality research and services responsive to the needs of the AUC community and external stakeholders

Providing services characterized by personal and professional integrity in adherence to the highest ethical standards in the field

Sharing best practices both within the university community and internationally to contribute to the development of the field

Promoting the integration of planning, research, assessment and testing as a core definition of institutional research

Exercise:

Use the handout to write a possible vision statement for your unit AND one possible core value.

Discuss with your group.

Components of a Strategic Plan Environmental Scan

Internal Analysis▪ Strengths▪ Characteristics which contribute to your unit’s ability to

achieve its mission What advantages does your unit have? What do you do better

than anyone else? What unique aspects can you draw upon that others can't? What do people in your field/location see as your strengths?

▪ Weaknesses▪ Characteristics which limit your unit’s ability to achieve

its mission What could you improve? What should you avoid? What are

people in your field/location likely to see as weaknesses? What factors lose you students/faculty?

Exercise:

Use the handout to describe several of your unit’s strengths and weaknesses.

Share with your group.

Components of a Strategic PlanEnvironmental Scan

External Analysis– political, technological, socioeconomic, educational changes; examine likelihood and impact▪ Opportunities▪ What opportunities might your strengths create? If you

overcame a weakness, would that create an opportunity? What interesting trends are occurring? Changes in market/field? Local changes?

▪ Threats▪ What obstacles does your unit face? What are competitors

doing? Is the technology changing? Changes in market/field? Local changes?

Exercise:

Use the handout to describe several possible opportunities or threats.

Share with your group.

Components of a Strategic PlanGoals

Where do you want to be at the end of the plan?

Goals should be “big picture items”, high-level

Not more than three to five Relate to university priorities For administrative and academic support

units, unit outcomes can be substituted for goals.

AUC’s Institutional Priorities

Education for Citizenship and Service We believe that a sound education not only prepares students for professional success

but also for responsible citizenship and community engagement. The liberal arts tradition, with its emphasis on the broad education of a common core curriculum and the experiential learning of rich extracurricular programs, strengthens the curiosity and courage of AUC graduates, and promotes civic participation. 

Research Reflecting Innovation and Impact AUC is a source of insight and inspiration in many fields, and we expect our faculty and

students to participate in scientific, scholarly or artistic production. We particularly emphasize those domains in which there is the prospect of a tangible effect on the development of disciplinary knowledge or the enhancement of societal welfare.

 Outreach Enhancing Engagement and Access We are dedicated to serving communities in Egypt and around the world through

extension and outreach programs that bring University expertise and insight to a wider public, that profit from our convening power, and that serve to inform and enlighten public discourse, enhance access to information and knowledge, and enrich artistic and intellectual life.

 Management with Sustainability and Integrity We are committed to managing the operations of the University so as to reflect and

foster the values we teach our students and expect in our faculty and wish to exemplify in Egypt. Our institutional practices should exhibit a commitment to environmental, social and fiscal responsibility, and we should observe the highest standards of integrity in the workplace and in our dealings with vendors, clients, and other constituents.

Components of a Strategic Plan Goal

Example (OIR): The university community is provided with cutting edge research related to higher education effectiveness and impact and best practices in the region, especially in the area of accreditation and research.

Example (JRMC): The JRMC department will build strong and ongoing linkages with JRMC alumni and the media industry.

Components of a Strategic PlanObjectives

 Specific outcomes that are to be achieved. More concrete and specific than goals

Specific, measureable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound (SMART)▪ Time, money, quality, quantity

Each goal may have several objectives. Example (JRMC): By 2012, establish an

advisory board of distinguished alumni and media industry professionals.

Components of a Strategic Plan

Strategies The specific actions your unit will take to

achieve your objective Example (JRMC): ▪ Faculty will nominate and select members.▪ Faculty will hold annual meetings with the

board

Components of a Strategic Plan

Required resources Budget, faculty, staff, space

Assessment How will you measure success? Key performance indicators/benchmarks

for each objective

Exercise:

Use the handout to write down one possible goal for your unit, one objective, and one or more strategies for achieving objective.

Note the resources required, space implications, and key performance indicators.

Share with your group.

Getting Started

Involve all faculty/staff Small units:

Series of collegial, face to face meetings Review past plans, discuss accomplishments, SWOT

Large units: Set up a planning team representing various majors,

activities, and staffing levels. Town-hall meetings or community forums can be helpful

as well as multiple small-group gatherings. A SWOT analysis can be sent out in an email, Google

doc, surveys to the group. Each colleague should have opportunity to comment on

the plan draft

Writing Your Plan

May use templates (soft copies available) Word or Excel Compliance Assist integrated planning software

This Fall , OIR will enter soft copies on S/W if assistance needed.

aucegypt.compliance-assist.com Finalize plan, send copy to the Dean/division or

unit head, OIR Complete your budget, enter relevant

information in planning matrix, if selected for investment

http://aucegypt.compliance-assist.com/

Annual Updates

Most important part of the planning process Shows commitment to planning Re-validates priorities and direction

Similar to initial session: Internal analysis, external analysis – focus

on changes Review mission, vision, values Review goals, objectives, strategies, results

of KPIs, review KPIs, resources required

Technical Support

OIR can provide: Consultation Training Meeting facilitation – SWOT, goal-setting Review of draft plans Other support including statistics and

data as needed.

Thank you!

For more information or for assistance or facilitation as you develop your strategic plans, contact: Ann Boudinot-Amin at

annbamin@aucegypt.edu, ext. 2232 Alia Mitkees at amitkees@aucegypt.edu,

ext. 2215