As a vital part of the educational enterprise, plans must be made to define the future we want to create for tomorrow's child and to enable educators to deliver on the promise. Planning is just a substitute for good luck. Not relying on luck, educators must identify valid and valuable measurable objectives for education and then enable educators…

Most organizational strategic plans are not strategic but rather tactical or operational plans masquerading as "strategic." This article identifies the basic elements required in a useful and practical strategic plan and explains why they are important.

Human competence is a vital element for any organization that expects to survive and then thrive. Developing individual performance ability is necessary but not sufficient because trained people alone will not make an organization successful. We must determine what people should deliver and why it should be delivered in order to add measurable…

In learning-centered community colleges, planning, like all processes, must measurably improve learning and learner performance. This article shares Valencia Community College's approach to revising its strategic planning process based on the Organizational Elements Model to: 1) focus strategic planning on learning results that add value for…

Most people understand the importance of objectives and the link between having objectives and accomplishing results. However, there is a difference between a well-defined objective and a poorly developed objective both in how they are constructed and in what they ultimately lead to. In this article, we explore three levels of objectives, provide…

In this article, the author discusses his researched framework that has been used in government organizations, the military (including international militaries), large corporations around the globe, and educational institutions such as the Sonora Institute for Technology in Sonora, Mexico. This framework is termed an "Ideal Vision" that expresses…

This second article in a three-part series on strategic planning offers insight on the planning process itself. Discusses identifying long-term and short-term missions, and developing the strategic plan. (DGM)

Every organization needs a plan for achieving its objectives; however, strategic plans are often developed for the wrong reasons. This book presents self-help tools for school leaders interested in assessing the efficacy of their school's strategic plan. Chapter 1 explains why it is important to review educational strategic plans. Chapter 2…

Introduces a new, comprehensive planning and change concept for universities, "change creation," that encompasses both strategic planning and a transition process for the organization from "what is" to "what should be." After exploring change, why it often fails, and the tenets of change creation, presents its steps. A few are: leadership team…

Defines a basic framework for educational strategic planning that serves both learners and society. Discusses Mega Planning's critical success factors, common planning errors, and basic elements of scoping, planning, implementation, and continuous improvement/evaluation phases. Strategic objectives should drive curriculum objectives, and these in…

This final article in a three-part series on strategic planning focuses on implementation and continuous improvement at the mega level of planning. Topics include steps for a proactive and holistic strategic planning activity, linking strategic planning to operations, integration versus separation of functions, and organizing for synergy. (LRW)

Identifies six critical success factors to rethink performance improvement following the terrorist attacks of September 11. Topics include moving out of traditional paradigms to use wider boundaries for planning and continuous improvement; focusing on end results; levels of planning; ideal visions; preparing clear, measurable objectives; and…

Ways that school administrators can develop or improve their strategic thinking and learning skills are presented in this guidebook, which forces the planner to change his or her actual thinking about planning before taking action. Chapter 1 deals with overcoming single-issue thinking and becoming proactive. Basic concepts and tools are provided,…

Discusses evaluation for human performance improvement and organizational success. An expanded framework that builds on the traditional four-level training evaluation framework is suggested that includes strategic and tactical planning, performance improvement, organizational development, customer satisfaction, total quality, societal…

Discusses total quality management principles and expands conventional total quality programs to go beyond client satisfaction by including societal usefulness. Highlights include contributing to future well-being; paradigm shifts; and integrating quality management plus and strategic planning to create synergistic organizational improvement. (LRW)