Strategic Planning withAppreciative Inquiry

NACAS West, June 4, 2013by 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?

1. Informal strategic planning2. Have a strategic plan but still in development3. Have an effective strategic planning process

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)

Mission Goals

Implementation Strategies

Assessment Gather data

Interpret evidence Analysis and

Recommendations

Iterative Assessment Cycle Adapted from Peggy Maki, Ph.D.

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

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.

• 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.

Problem Solving Appreciative Inquiryvs.

Appreciative Inquiry Four D’s

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 FormatPillar 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 FormatProvocative Proposition: Goal: Strategy: Steps:

Assigned to Assessment measures

Timeline / Status

1.

2.

3.

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.

Mission Goals

Implementation Strategies

Assessment Gather data

Interpret evidence Analysis and

Recommendations

Iterative Assessment Cycle Adapted from Peggy Maki, Ph.D.

Key Performance Indicators

• Use KPI’s to measure organization success over time– What is important?– What data can be consistently collected?

Key Performance IndicatorsPILLAR II – Campus Life effectively and efficiently operates nearly one million square feet of state-of-the-art multi-use space that is safe, clean, and well-maintained with a focus on operational quality and service innovation. 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 Student Union and Event Services Student Union Door Counts 2,239,868 2,258,958 2,131,498 Student Union Daily Average Visitors 8,667 9,309 8,900 Game Room visitors 27,647 31,762 31,923 Student Union Student Use* 95% 95% 95% Student Union Satisfaction Ratings 89% 90% 91% Student Union Cleanliness Ratings 79% 90% 91% Bookings w/ Event Coordinators 5,467 4,298 3,956 Individual Stay Nights Booked 2,797 2,771 4,290 Individual Stay Occupancy 66.71% 44.70% 66.71% Conference Housing Groups 45 39 45 Conference guest cleanliness ratings Not available 96% 92% Conference guest maintenance ratings Not available 97% 97% Conference guest satisfaction ratings Not available 96% 96%

Discussion1. Is there a formalized process for Strategic Planning? Does

Strategic Planning occur departmentally or divisionally or combination? Who is charged with leading the process?

2. How have you encouraged staff buy-in into the strategic planning process? (Who participates in strategic planning?)

3. How often do you review your plan throughout the year?4. What systems are in place to ensure assessment measures

are tracked consistently?5. 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.