Strategic Planning Webinar -- October 29, 2015

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:

[email protected]