Critical Path for Alliances Strategic Planning
Critical Path for Alliances’ Strategic Planning
Roush-Chinn Consulting
March 2011
The table below outlines the path an alliance should take for successful strategic planning.
The path has two levels:Phases and Tasks. An alliance should complete each phase before startingthe next phase. Within each phase, the sequence of tasks isflexible. Taskscan be completed in any orderthat the planning team and its consultant agree works for them.
Note that although a planning team has completed a task, they still might return later and revise it. For example, insights gained while discussing strategies might change the team’s understanding of the mission. So when each phase is finished,stop and look back to see whether everything up to that point still hangs together.
Note also that alliances’ consultants might use terminology that differs from ours. For example, consultants might use outputsoroutcomes rather than our objectivesorgoals. Pay attention to whether the process and the plan address the intended content, not the specific words.
Phases / Tasks / NotesPre-Planning / CBC is completed,including the entire at-home course
A qualified Planning Team is assembled / “As a rough guide, a planning team will have about six to eight people, including you. To design and evaluate strategies, a well-balanced planning team would include people with competence in five areas:
- Trends and issues in geography and geography education
- Organizational and financial management
- The state’s educational policy environment
- Communications and marketing
- Fundraising”
It should go without saying that those competencies are additions to a planning team’s cores competencies in education and professional development.
A qualified consultant has beenvetted andthe consultant's LOI has been accepted by the alliance and by NGEF / See Roush-Chinn, “Contents of a Consultant’s LOI” (2010)
See also Roush-Chinn, “Finding, Hiring, and Managing a Consultant: Advice for Alliances’ Strategic Planners”(2010)
Strategic Planning 1 / The alliance has described its Vision adequately / The Vision will“describe geography education as it should and could be in your state. It will describe a situation in which ultimate educational goals have been realized, and it describes the institutional context that supports those goals.”
Roush-Chinn, “Strategic Planning Handbook for Geography Alliances” rev. ed. (2010) p. 7
The alliance has described its Mission adequately / The Mission “will describe the alliance’s unique and essential contribution to realizing the vision. It will succinctly state the reason the alliance exists.”
“Strategic Planning Handbook,” p. 8
The alliance has described its Core Values adequately / “Values are shared imperatives that provide momentum and boundaries for decision making. An organization’s values mark where it draws the line. They are precepts that the organization will follow even when doing so is inconvenient or costs money or support.”
“Strategic Planning Handbook,” p. 9
Values are not necessarily explicitly described in the Plan. But then they should be very clear in the Vision and Mission
Strategic Planning 2 / The alliance has analyzed its Current Situation / Analysis of the alliance’s mandates; its internal strengths and weaknesses; its external opportunities and threats; relevant political, economic, social and technological forces; major strategic decisions facing the alliance.
Although the planning process must include this analysis, its inclusion in the written plan is optional.If it is not included, there should be documentation of the alliance having done this.
This task can also be completed in the previous phase.
The alliance has described its Strategic Goals / These are the long-term goals the must achieve to fulfill its mission. They must be clearly described for the written plan.
The alliance has described its Strategies / These are goal oriented actions at least one strategy for every goal.They must be clearly described for the written plan.
The alliance has described Measurable Objectives / The “key milestones sequenced within a strategy. In fact, you can describe a strategy simply as string of objectives. Objectives differ from strategic goals in two ways. They have deadlines, and they are measurable. To be measurable, an objective should be quantified. In rare cases, it might not be literally quantified but still will have a definitive end point and deadline. (E.g., we plan to make it to Chicago by midnight.)”
“Strategic Planning Handbook,” p. 10
Strategic Planning 3 / The alliance has described its Organizational Design / “The structure, systems and culture needed to implement the strategies and achieve the objectives.”
“Strategic Planning Handbook,” p. 10
The alliance has described a feasible Financial Plan / “Sources and uses of funds to support the organization and implement the strategies. The Financial Plan will have two sections: long term and near term. Using general categories of sources and uses, the long-term section will extend over the life of the plan. It will outline the strategy for raising new funds. The near-term section will describe broad-brush budgets for the next two years and immediate steps for implementation. ”
“Strategic Planning Handbook,” pp. 10-11
The alliance has described an Evaluation Plan / Policies, systems and procedures for monitoring and reporting results, and adapting accordinglyare all described.
The alliance has described its Implementation Plan / These are the near-term (one-two years) specific tasks by which the alliance willengage key stakeholders, adapt the organization, and revise existing programs or launch new programs—with deadlines and clear assignments for each task.
Implementation / The Plan is launched / All systems are in place, the key actors are engaged, and the Implementation Plan is working.
Evaluation is in progress / Near-term objectives are clear to all, and procedures for monitoring and reporting results are at work.
Critical Path for Alliances’ Strategic Planning1
Prepared by Roush-Chinn Consulting for National Geographic
March 2011