Strategic Planning with Appreciative Inquiry NACAS West, June 4, 2013 by Sunny Gittens Director for Campus Life Assessment, UNLV

AGENDA Why strategic planning Appreciative inquiry Iterative assessment model Defining terms Strategic plan format SMART strategies Closing the loop

Why Strategic Plan? Formalized road map indicating the direction an organization is going over the next year and how to get there Sets direction and priorities Points to specific results to be achieved and establishes a course of action for achieving Gets everyone on the same page

Why Assessment? How will you know the desired outcomes are achieved? Documents or explains performance Identifies areas for improvement Allows for evidence based decision making

Continuous Quality Improvement To some degree we do it everyday Formalizing the process Where is your department / organization? Informal strategic planning Have a strategic plan but still in development Have an effective strategic planning process Grocery shopping

Formalizing Strategic Planning Fiscal year planning August – strategic and assessment plans due June – strategic reports due July – planning Schedule periodic reviews (check-ins) Long term planning (3 to 10 years) Plan for everyday task - PM

Key to success – a clear mission, vision, and goals – that everyone knows

Appreciative Inquiry Appreciative Inquiry is the exploration of what gives life to human systems when they function best. From the Power of Appreciative Inquiry by Diana Whitney and Amanda Trosten-Bloom Southwest airlines

Appreciative Inquiry Ap-pre’ci-ate, v., 1. valuing; the act of recognizing the best in people or the world around us; affirming past and present strengths, successes, and potentials; In-quire’ (kwir), v., 1. the act of exploration and discovery. 2. To ask questions; to be open to seeing new potentials and possibilities.

Problem Solving Appreciative Inquiry vs. Identify Problem Conduct Root Cause Analysis Brainstorm Solutions & Analyze Develop Action Plans Metaphor: Organizations are problems to be solved. Appreciate “What is” (What gives life?) Imagine “What Might Be” Determine “What Should Be” Create “What Will Be” Metaphor: Organizations are a solution/mystery to be embraced. Family Weekend vs SWOT

Appreciative Inquiry Four D’s DISCOVERY “What gives life?” Storytelling – the best of what is. DREAM “What could be?” Imagining the future. DESIGN “What should be?” Provocative propositions. DESTINY “What will we do?” Delivering performance. SouthWest airlines

Strategic Plan Definitions PROVOCATIVE PROPOSITIONS: are powerful, visionary statements derived from the Appreciative Inquiry process written in the present tense describing what things will be like once attained. GOALS: broad general statement of the long range aim, related to the department mission. STRATEGIES: plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. Should be “SMART” Specific Measureable Achievable Relevant Time Frames

Strategic Plan Definitions OUTCOMES: specify the intended end result Metrics (Attendance, Use, Contracts, Revenue) Satisfaction Outcomes Learning Outcomes – what the student will know or do differently (not what you are going to provide)

Strategic Plan Format Pillar IV: Powerful, visionary statements derived from the Appreciative Inquiry process written in the present tense describing what things will be like once attained. Goal IV A: A broad general statement of the long range aim, related to the department mission. Strategy IV A 1: A strategy is a specific plan of action designed to achieve the goal. SMART Leadership: Timeline: Budget: Assessment: Metrics Attendance / Use / Revenue Satisfaction or Learning Outcomes List assessment tool and question Analysis and Recommendations:

SMART Strategies

Multi-year Strategic Plan Format

Assessment Tips Data management – centralize department tracking methods Survey data – match the questions to your stated outcomes What information will help improve your practice? National benchmark data Institutional data Industry standards

Analysis It is easy to collect data . . . it is not always easy to make meaning of it and articulate how it is used to shape practice Analyze metric data in terms of the 3 year trends – what does the data tell you? Are there ways to explain the trends? Analyze satisfaction and learning outcome data in terms of degree met your intended outcome. Compare to previous years if applicable. What intentional practice may have impacted the outcomes?

Analysis Resource use (return on investment) – what is the cost benefit analysis? Did the impact warrant the staff time and resources? What else need to know – are there gaps in your assessment data that could better inform your analysis and recommendations?

Recommendations Based on the trends, outcomes, and resource use what is recommended for the next year – should the strategy be tweaked, revamped, eliminated? Are there areas to focus on or new collaborative partnerships to form, etc.

Key Performance Indicators Use KPI’s to measure organization success over time What is important? What data can be consistently collected?

Key Performance Indicators

Discussion Is there a formalized process for Strategic Planning? Does Strategic Planning occur departmentally or divisionally or combination? Who is charged with leading the process? How have you encouraged staff buy-in into the strategic planning process? (Who participates in strategic planning?) How often do you review your plan throughout the year? What systems are in place to ensure assessment measures are tracked consistently? How do you link budget decisions to strategic planning?

Recommended Reading Hinton, K. (2012). A practical guide to strategic planning in higher education. Society for College and University Planning. Maki, P. (2004). Assessing for learning: Building a sustainable commitment across the institution. American Association for Higher Education. Palomba, C.A. and Banta, T.W. (1999). Assessment essentials: Planning, implementing and improving assessment in Higher Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Sanaghan, P. (2009). Collaborative strategic planning in higher education. Washington, D.C.: National Association of College and University Business Officers). Whitney, D. and Trosten-Bloom, A. (2010). The power of appreciative inquiry: A practical guide to positive change. San Francisco: Berett-Koehler, Inc.