Strategic Planning for Technical Institutions

Technical institutions face a number of challenges which include falling enrolment and employment potential, expectations of the industry on students’ competence, poor faculty motivation and limited interaction with the industry. Further the institutions are expected to meet accreditation standards and adapt to pedagogical practices such as outcome based education. To excel in the present scenario an organisation needs to specify what it wishes to become and how it proposes to get there. Strategic Planning is a systematic process of clarifying the organisation's direction, assessing its internal resources and external environment leading to setting its objectives. Strategic Planning helps an organisation to proactively shape its future. This course provides the teachers with the knowledge, skills and tools required for developing a strategic plan for their institutions. The planning methodology uniquely suits the needs of an educational institution. Besides video lessons, the course offers extensive exercises and assessment opportunities.

COURSE LAYOUT

WEEK 1

Title:Overview of the Course andIntroduction to Strategic Planning

Description:The Overview of the Coursegives the learners an idea aboutthe purpose of the course and the methodology used. Theywill be able to appreciate that the course gives them a Practical Guide for developing a strategic plan for their institute. The learners will be given an introduction to strategic planning, in terms of the concepts of strategy and strategic planning, difference between long range andstrategic planning.

WEEK 2

Title: Need forStrategic Planning in an institution

Description:The learners will be able to relate the changes in the external environment and the need for a change in their institution. They will be able to appreciate why and when strategic planningneed to be carried out and the need for aligning people in the organization with its goals.

WEEK 3

Title:Steps in Strategic Planning

Description:The learners will be able to appreciate themodel proposed for strategic plan of an institution which involves eight steps and follows aniterative process.They will be able to formulate the Strategic Planning Group, clarify the Mandate for the institution and develop the Vision and Mission statements.

WEEK 4

Title:ConductSWOT analysis for the institute

Description:The learners will be able to appreciate theneed for analysis of the internal and external environment of the institute for the purpose of identifying areas requiring change. They will be able to design and carry out SWOT analysis for their institution and formulate analysis of the data.

WEEK.5

Title:Identify Thrust Areas – the strategic directions for the institute’s development

Description:The learners will be able to identify Thrust Areas which are the important functional areas that need a change for the institution to achieve the Mission;They will also be able to formulate Goal statements for each Thrust Area. A Goal is a broadstatement which indicates what the institute seeks to achieve through the Thrust Area.Each Goal statement leads to a number of Objectives in the model proposed; Objectives are the practicalalternatives which are taken up for implementation; They will also be able to formulate Objective statements.

WEEK 6

Title: Develop Work Plan and Action Plans for implementing the Thrust Areas

Description:The learners will be able to use Nominal Group Processwhich is a priority setting exercise for prioritizing the Trust Areas.They willbe able to develop i)Work Plan which is a tool used to track the progress of the Trust Areas and ii) ActionPlanwhich specifies the micro level activities and their time schedule for each Objective.

WEEK 7

Title:Publication and Dissemination of Strategic Plan

Description:The learners will be able to compile the various documents generated during the strategic planning process into a Long Version of the Strategic Plan which will be the reference document for implementation. They will also be able to make a Short Version of the Strategic Plan for dissemination to all stakeholders.

WEEK 8

Title:FromStrategic Planning to Strategic Management

Description:The learners will be able toform a Strategic Management Group for the implementation of the Strategic Plan.They will also be able to develop the Terms of Reference for the Strategic Management Group. They will be able to identify the structures and procedures to be created for sustaining the Strategic Management process.