Strategic Planning & Alignment

ELI is no longer actively pursuing this topic. This page is provided as an historical resource; it is not being updated or actively managed.

Definition and Importance

While almost every campus has a strategic plan, and possibly even an information technology strategic plan that theoretically describes the mission and goals of the institution in relation to teaching and learning, it is not clear that these documents have been helpful as roadmaps to desired institutional transformation. The NLII is exploring how to align action, including policy, budget, project selection and assessment, with strategic plans. To achieve institutional goals, the phrase "transform teaching and learning" must be specifically defined for that institution, beyond the general meaning of creating an educational environment that is active, learner-centered, dynamic and lifelong, collaborative, cost-effective and accessible. We are working on developing a methodology for assessing institutional readiness to transform an integrated tactical plan and attempting to identify its elements, including (but not limited to): communication and, technology planning, resource allocation, project selection, policy, assessment and evaluation.

NLII Research and Analysis Questions

Some of the issues we have been exploring include stakeholder engagement and continued involvement during implementation; institutional transformation based on local culture; processes that can be used to map strategic initiatives, policy development, resource allocation (e.g.for example, budget), and institutional assessment to a strategic plan; scalability and sustainability; and setting priorities for large-scale investment to advance transformation of teaching and learning.

NLII Projects and Activities

The theme for the NLII 2001 Spring Focus Session, March 15, 2001, was "Planning for Transformation." Attendees were asked to collect the following documents from their institutions, and to evaluate how accessible and "alive" the documents were, whether their contents was widely known by faculty and staff, and whether there was a clear relationship and good alignment between the documents. Institutional strategic plan (documents used to communicate)Academic plan (master academic framework)Information technology strategic planBudget documents (including capital investment and new discretionary plans)Guidelines for funding projectsInstitutional assessment and program review?

A branch of the READY system, "Alignment in Planning," incorporating what was learned at the Spring 2001 focus session, has been developed for this topic.

The work for this key theme has formed the basis for continuing work on three closely related themes:

Resources and Readings

"Alignment in Planning" branch of the READY system.

Online Articles and Papers

"When Shared Vision Meets Business Planning," 2003 NLII Annual Review. /ir/library/pdf/NLI0355.pdf andHTML format

"The Technology Challenge on Campus from the Perspective of Chief Academic Officers," A brief published in January 2000 by the New England Resource Center for Higher Education, put together by a group of chief academic officers that met to discuss the challenges of technology on their campuses. They identified three categories that have implications for organization and planning: 1) finances and economic capacity, 2) priority setting and assessment of value, and 3) the role of the faculty. (Suggested by Donna Randall, provost, University of Hartford, and member of Provosts' Panel.).

"Negotiating Change on Campus," A discussion from the February 2001 AAHE Bulletin of "the methods two veteran [AAHE Summer Academy] team leaders use to overcome impediments to their change initiatives in four general areas: communication; leadership; policies, procedures, and processes; and resource strategies." Team leader Bob Hampton, associate provost for academic affairs and dean for undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland, is on the morning panel.

"Institutional Readiness Criteria," /ir/library/pdf/erm0024.pdf an article by Carol Twigg in the March/April 2000 issue of EDUCAUSE Review (suggested by Jon C. Cavanaugh, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, University of North Carolina at Wilmington)

Some interesting sample sites for the alignment of strategic plans and operational plans: "The Context for Planning: Preserving the Past, Providing for the Present, Preparing for the Future," A document created in June 1999 by the Colorado State University to guide planning and budgeting activities associated with plan updates for fiscal years 2000 through 2004. See especially the table on p. 4–5, which gives an overview of the overall institutional context for planning for alignment, including each aspect of planning, the name of the document where information can be found, the timeframe for each item, and the purpose of each item; Section 4, "Criteria for Decision Making and Prioritizing," and a planning/budgeting model on page 17.

If you need a refresher on strategic planning in general (this reading will provide a context for, but will not be the basis of, our discussions), check out the following Web sites: "A Strategic Planning Primer for Higher Education," by Alexandra L. Lerner, research associate, College of Business Administration and Economics, California State University, Northridge, July 1999.

"Information Technology Development," Summarizes (and provides bibliographic information for) many references on strategic planning as it focuses on information technology particularly.

Strategic Development Initiatives and Building A Learning Organization. Notes and materials from a presentation at Boston College by Dr James Forest, senior partner, University Strategies, October 11, 2000 http://www.ustrategies.com/BC_presentation.htmForest outlines the characteristics and competencies of the learning organization in the context of strategic planning.

Other Online Resources:

Key Books:

The Art of the Long View: Planning for the Future in an Uncertain World, Peter Schwartz, Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1991
Managing Technological Change: Strategies for College and University Leaders, A.W. (Tony) Bates, Jossey-Bass, 2000

Presentations at NLII 2002 Annual Meeting:

Alignment in Planning

ELI Archives Archived ELI Topics Archived NLII Topics		Strategic Planning & Alignment ELI is no longer actively pursuing this topic. This page is provided as an historical resource; it is not being updated or actively managed. Definition and Importance While almost every campus has a strategic plan, and possibly even an information technology strategic plan that theoretically describes the mission and goals of the institution in relation to teaching and learning, it is not clear that these documents have been helpful as roadmaps to desired institutional transformation. The NLII is exploring how to align action, including policy, budget, project selection and assessment, with strategic plans. To achieve institutional goals, the phrase "transform teaching and learning" must be specifically defined for that institution, beyond the general meaning of creating an educational environment that is active, learner-centered, dynamic and lifelong, collaborative, cost-effective and accessible. We are working on developing a methodology for assessing institutional readiness to transform an integrated tactical plan and attempting to identify its elements, including (but not limited to): communication and, technology planning, resource allocation, project selection, policy, assessment and evaluation. NLII Research and Analysis Questions Some of the issues we have been exploring include stakeholder engagement and continued involvement during implementation; institutional transformation based on local culture; processes that can be used to map strategic initiatives, policy development, resource allocation (e.g.for example, budget), and institutional assessment to a strategic plan; scalability and sustainability; and setting priorities for large-scale investment to advance transformation of teaching and learning. NLII Projects and Activities The theme for the NLII 2001 Spring Focus Session, March 15, 2001, was "Planning for Transformation." Attendees were asked to collect the following documents from their institutions, and to evaluate how accessible and "alive" the documents were, whether their contents was widely known by faculty and staff, and whether there was a clear relationship and good alignment between the documents. Institutional strategic plan (documents used to communicate)Academic plan (master academic framework)Information technology strategic planBudget documents (including capital investment and new discretionary plans)Guidelines for funding projectsInstitutional assessment and program review? A branch of the READY system, "Alignment in Planning," incorporating what was learned at the Spring 2001 focus session, has been developed for this topic. The work for this key theme has formed the basis for continuing work on three closely related themes: Readiness to Transform and Preform Transformative Assessment Systemic Progress in Teaching and Learning Resources and Readings "Alignment in Planning" branch of the READY system. Online Articles and Papers "When Shared Vision Meets Business Planning," 2003 NLII Annual Review. /ir/library/pdf/NLI0355.pdf andHTML format "The Technology Challenge on Campus from the Perspective of Chief Academic Officers," A brief published in January 2000 by the New England Resource Center for Higher Education, put together by a group of chief academic officers that met to discuss the challenges of technology on their campuses. They identified three categories that have implications for organization and planning: 1) finances and economic capacity, 2) priority setting and assessment of value, and 3) the role of the faculty. (Suggested by Donna Randall, provost, University of Hartford, and member of Provosts' Panel.). "Negotiating Change on Campus," A discussion from the February 2001 AAHE Bulletin of "the methods two veteran [AAHE Summer Academy] team leaders use to overcome impediments to their change initiatives in four general areas: communication; leadership; policies, procedures, and processes; and resource strategies." Team leader Bob Hampton, associate provost for academic affairs and dean for undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland, is on the morning panel. "Institutional Readiness Criteria," /ir/library/pdf/erm0024.pdf an article by Carol Twigg in the March/April 2000 issue of EDUCAUSE Review (suggested by Jon C. Cavanaugh, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, University of North Carolina at Wilmington) Some interesting sample sites for the alignment of strategic plans and operational plans: "The Context for Planning: Preserving the Past, Providing for the Present, Preparing for the Future," A document created in June 1999 by the Colorado State University to guide planning and budgeting activities associated with plan updates for fiscal years 2000 through 2004. See especially the table on p. 4–5, which gives an overview of the overall institutional context for planning for alignment, including each aspect of planning, the name of the document where information can be found, the timeframe for each item, and the purpose of each item; Section 4, "Criteria for Decision Making and Prioritizing," and a planning/budgeting model on page 17. If you need a refresher on strategic planning in general (this reading will provide a context for, but will not be the basis of, our discussions), check out the following Web sites: "A Strategic Planning Primer for Higher Education," by Alexandra L. Lerner, research associate, College of Business Administration and Economics, California State University, Northridge, July 1999. "Information Technology Development," Summarizes (and provides bibliographic information for) many references on strategic planning as it focuses on information technology particularly. Strategic Development Initiatives and Building A Learning Organization. Notes and materials from a presentation at Boston College by Dr James Forest, senior partner, University Strategies, October 11, 2000 http://www.ustrategies.com/BC_presentation.htmForest outlines the characteristics and competencies of the learning organization in the context of strategic planning. Other Online Resources: Strategic Plan 2008 for UW-System Division of Information Technology (DoIT) IT Strategic Plan Key Books: The Art of the Long View: Planning for the Future in an Uncertain World, Peter Schwartz, Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1991 Managing Technological Change: Strategies for College and University Leaders, A.W. (Tony) Bates, Jossey-Bass, 2000 Presentations at NLII 2002 Annual Meeting: Alignment in Planning Presentations at NLII 2003 Annual Meeting: A Doable Vision Making It Rain: Organizing Ourselves to Enable the Transformation of Learning Using Technology Transformation Through Collaboration
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