strategic planning webinar -- october 29, 2015
TRANSCRIPT
OCTOBER 29TH, 2015 WEBINAR
STRATEGIC PLANNING
FOR
INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
Today’s Webinar
Is being recorded for Simon Phoenix Group marketing purposes.
Provides an overview of conducting a strategic planning process
within the independent school environment.
Will be composed of a 45 minute presentation (approximately)
followed by a Q&A opportunity.
Will have attendee microphones turned off.
Questions can be typed into the attendee question pane at
anytime during the presentation.
A pdf version of the presentation slides will be made available to
attendees electronically.
Franklin Smith Bio
Franklin is a partner at the Simon Phoenix Group, a GTA-area
software development and consulting firm.
As a Certified Management Consultant, Franklin has been privileged
to work with many different organizations in the private, public, and
not-for-profit sectors. Specific to education, Franklin was heavily
involved in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) amalgamation.
Franklin also consulted to the City of Mississauga, providing them
with significant change management and strategic planning
expertise. Within the not-for-profit sector, Franklin worked on behalf
of two GTA-area independent schools, at the Executive Director
level.
Within the private sector, Franklin has worked with Xerox Canada, Air Canada, and Bell
Canada.
Currently, the Simon Phoenix Group provides management consulting expertise to an
international membership organization based out of Toronto, that holds NGO status with
the United Nations.
Five Steps to a Strategic Plan*
1. Determine where you are
2. Identify what’s important
3. Define what you must achieve
4. Determine who is accountable
5. Review, Review, Review
* http://www.forbes.com/sites/aileron/2011/10/25/five-steps-to-a-strategic-plan/
Methodology
Any strategic planning exercise should incorporate the following:
1. Understanding of organizational “mission, vision, and values”
2. Identification of strategic planning objectives
3. Identification and involvement of stakeholder groups
4. Stakeholder consultations
5. Involvement by staff team(s)
6. Use of outside management consultants, as appropriate
Tools
Strategic planning exercises should include use of the following tools:
1. Strategic Visioning Analysis / SOAR Analysis (Strengths,
Opportunities, Aspirations, Results)
2. SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) /
Environmental Scanning
3. Current State and Future State Identification (Program, Service
Delivery, Administration, etc)
4. GAP Analysis
5. Development of Program Evaluation and Performance Indicator
metrics
STRATEGIC PLANNING METHODOLOGY
Understanding of organizational
“mission, vision, and values”
Organizational “Mission, Vision, and Values”
What is the organization’s purpose –
“Mission”
What is the long term change that the
organization is trying to achieve – “Vision”
What guides the organization as to how to
conduct its business – “Values”
Mission Statement Example
"To provide education that
focuses on increased
commitment to community
through volunteerism, community
engagement, and civic
involvement.”
Vision Statement Example
"To lead in the development of a
more civil and caring society in
the GTA.”
Value Statement Example
Our organization is guided by the following:
Inclusiveness
Efficiency
Effectiveness
Quality
Participation
Identification of Strategic Planning Objectives
Identification of Strategic Planning Objectives
Input from all stakeholders including: senior management,
staff, customers, donors, supporters, students, etc.
Ensure linkage with organizational “mission, vision, and
values”
Focus on a multi-disciplinary approach
Ensure that objectives are complementary and not
contradictory
Define a number of key strategic goals for each objective
Example
Strategic Objective: Strengthening the Organizational Capacity Strategic Goals:
1. Increase student enrolment by 15%
within 3 years
2. Seek strategic partnerships for
curriculum development
3. Increase administrative efficiency
and effectiveness
Identification and Involvement of Stakeholder Groups
Identification and Involvement of Stakeholder Groups
Typically would include: Board members, parents, staff, students, donors, etc.
Part of an inclusive approach to strategic planning, one that focuses on the
holistic, rather than one focusing on ‘management knows best’ or ‘top-down’.
Allows for free exchange of ideas, “brainstorming”, etc.
Ensures that differing perspectives are considered
Sends a clear message about how management intends to manage
Important to ensure that:
Key objectives / perspectives of individual stakeholder groups are distinctly
managed
Commonalities between different stakeholder groups are identified and
rationalized
Stakeholder Consultations
Stakeholder Consultations
Conducted over a number of different sessions; sometimes multiple sessions
per stakeholder group.
Includes key areas for further review and analysis as identified by the Board /
senior management.
Sessions are typically facilitated; preferably by an outside consultant.
Sessions are fully documented.
Staff team can, as appropriate, be involved in all stakeholder sessions.
Important to ensure that:
Documentation on facilitated sessions is summarized and provided back to
each stakeholder group for comment and feedback; and,
Facilitator is capable of challenging stakeholder groups.
Involvement by Staff Teams
Involvement by Staff Teams
Provides direct experience and training for staff who may
have never been exposed to a formal strategic planning
exercise.
If conducted properly, encourages staff collaboration and
greater levels of “buy-in” to organizational strategic goals.
Provides opportunities for staff to become organizational
“change agents.”
Allows staff to have a direct role in, and responsibility for,
strategic plan implementation.
STRATEGIC PLANNING TOOLS
STRATEGIC VISIONING ANALYSIS
Strategic Visioning / SOAR Analysis
Provides a framework to engage all stakeholders in a
shared conversation to bring forth views related to:
What the organization already does well
What possibilities exist that have not yet been addressed (ie
improvements in work flows, business practices, student life,
etc.);
What the organization can be known for in the future;
and,
How will the organization know when its goals and
aspirations have been achieved.
SWOT ANALYSIS / ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING
SWOT Analysis / Environmental Scanning
A structured planning tool first introduced during the
1960’s.
It is meant to define the degree to which the internal
organizational environment “fits” or matches with the
external environment that the organization operates
within, and is characterized by focusing on:
SWOT Analysis / Environmental Scanning
Strengths: characteristics of the organization that give it an
advantage over others;
Weaknesses: characteristics that place the organization at a
disadvantage relative to others;
Opportunities: elements that the organization could exploit to its
advantage; and,
Threats: elements in the environment that could cause trouble for
the organization.
CURRENT STATE / FUTURE STATE IDENTIFICATION
Current State / Future State
Another strategic planning tool that identifies:
Current State: where the organization is today, in terms of programs,
service delivery, financial resources, human resources, skills
development, market, business processes, administration, use of
information technology, etc.;
Future State: where the organization sees itself developing within an
identified future time period, in terms of programs, service delivery,
financial resources, human resources, skills development, market,
business processes, administration, use of information technology,
etc.;
The difference between where the organization is today, and where it wants to be in the future (Current State – Future State Δ) is the “GAP”
GAP ANALYSIS
GAP Analysis
Compares “actual” with “desired”, or “current state” with
“future state”.
Comparison can be in terms of business processes, human
resources, information technology, marketing, etc.
Provides a foundation for determining resource allocations
(financial, human, technology, time, etc.) needed to ‘bridge
the gap”.
Provides a foundation for determining implementation
responsibilities and timeframes.
PROGRAM EVALUATION AND
PERFORMANCE INDICATOR METRICS
Metrics (Program Evaluation, Performance)
Metrics can be used throughout the strategic planning
process, as they provide quantitative measures for
decision-making.
Typical independent school metrics could include:
educational cost per student, number of students, average
student registration steps/time, student achievement
correlations, etc.
Particularly useful for justifying strategic planning
decision-making and implementation.
Metrics need to be defined, measured, and monitored.
SUMMARY
Summary
Strategic Planning is not “rocket science”.
Success of your own strategic planning exercise is
dependent, in large part, on the approach that is taken.
An inclusive, multi-disciplinary, and logical approach is
preferable.
“Management still needs to manage”.
Under certain circumstances, use of external consultants
can achieve greater results than a purely internally
conducted process.
QUESTIONS?
For more information, contact the Simon Phoenix
Group at: