Strategic Planning in Education

Péter Radó
PU training
Beograd, 05.2003.
 Defining Strategic Planning 1.

• Strategic planning is a disciplined effort to produce

fundemantal decisions shaping and guiding what an
organization is, what it does, and why it does it.
• The distinction among strategic planning (based on
a vision and long term goals and flexible enough),
project planning (tactical move within a long-term
strategy) and organizational development
(planning for ensuring that an organizational
reaches its goals).
 Defining Strategic Planning 2.

• The basic types of strategic planning

• Strategy making
• Strategic programming
• The logic of strategic planning
• „From outside inwards”
• „From inside out”
 The Function of Strategies

• Setting the direction of development and

change
• Focusing efforts by setting priorities
• Defining the organization
• Bringing consistency into the diverse
cource of action
 The Types of Strategies

• Strategy as plan
• Strategy as pattern
• Strategy as position
• Strategy as vision
 The Additional Advantage of SP in
Public Services
• Reduces conflicts amont the players (SP is a
participatory process!)
• Selection among goals
• Provides basis for control
• Strategy is a communication tool
 The Limits of SP in Public Services

• Too many actors, their authority is

ambiguous
• The processes are not transparent
• Too many compromises
• High probability of the emergence of
contradictory goals
• Not enough time to make the goals ripe
• Artificial timeframes
 The Content of a Strategy

• Intro: the the process and the purpose of the

strategy
• Situation/problem analysis
• Goals and objectives
• The implementation of the strategy
 Situation/Problem Analysis

• Always should be based on a conceptual framework

(fill in the matrix)
• Creates the internal structure for the entire strategy
• Should be balanced (quasi SWOT)
• Should clearly identify the problems that are calling
for intervention
• References to the sources of SP
• References to evidences and benchmarks
• Approx. one third of the paper
 Goals and Objectives

• Vision (short and clear)

• Long term goals (for 10-15 years)
• always elaborate!
• Should reflect the problems and the vision
• Concrete objectives under each of your goals
• Never mix up goals and tools!
• The timeframe is a project or a government term
• Success criteria
• Should be feasible
• The TOR for programmers
 Implementation 1.

• Purpose: the design of tools by which the

obejectives will be achieved
• There are no magic bullets
• Should make the design of concrete actions,
measures and projects easy
• It is worth to describe the tools in general and the
tools connected with each objective separately
• Sort out regulation and financial packages
• Determine the implementation agency (agencies)
 Implementation 2.

• Possible tools for strategy implementation

(incomplete list):
• Regulation and deregulation
• Financing
• Development projects
• Planning, co-ordination, management
• Development of knowledge basis
• Capacity building
• Measurement, research, analysis
• International co-operation
• Institution building, development of services
• Strategic communication, info dissemination
 Managing Strategic Planning 1.

• Always start with the table of content, incorporate it

to the TOR
• Never commission a bigger group than 7
• Always pay them, make them accountable by a
TOR and by sequential payment
• Strategy writing is a discussive compillation: the
role of „background papers”
• Never comission research for the sake of SP
 Managing Strategic Planning 2.

• Always make a distinction between the role of

experts and that of the MOES (MOES is a customer
of a service)
• Make clear that experts work according to your
agenda
• Let the WG to plan its activities on its own, be
concerned about the product, costs and deadlines
• Always validate the draft in professional circles
• Always consult stakeholders
• Do heavy info management for the WG