University of San Diego School of Leadership and Education Sciences Department of Leadership Studies EDLD 511: Strategic Planning and Positioning Spring 2010 Class location: MRH 137 Class Days & Time: Tuesdays, 6 pm – 9 pm Instructor
Mary Mc Donald marymc@sandiego.edu 619 260-2747 (w) 231 740-8887 (c) Office Hours: (MRH 275 D) Mondays 1 pm – 5:00 pm Wednesdays 1 pm – 4 pm or By appointment
Required Texts* Allison, M. & Kaye, J. (1997). Strategic planning for nonprofit organizations: A practical guide and workbook. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Briskin, A., Erickson, S., Ott, J. & Callanan, T. (2009). The Power of Collective Wisdom. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. * Supplemental readings will be available for download from the library reserve. The reserve is accessible via the Library e reserve filed under EDLD 511 and the password “strategic”.
Course Content Planning is a fundamental management function. This course focuses on the process of planning and strategic techniques needed to assess and to implement plans successfully. Students will learn basic planning concepts, specific planning methods, and current planning best practices. It is expected that students will develop essential planning skills through course readings, in-class discussions and through the development of strategic plan products for a San Diego area nonprofit (to be assigned by the instructor). Classes will consist of presentations, class discussions and assigned readings. Students should complete the assigned readings prior to each class in order to significantly contribute to discussions. All assignments (including class activities, see Weeks 8, 10 and 13) are expected to be completed by each class meeting. Students should come prepared to discuss the assignments in class. Failure to do so will result in a reduction in the student’s class participation grade. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with either the instructor as needed during the semester.
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General Course Objectives Upon completion of the course students will: ♦ Be able to discuss the essential features of planning as a management function and how it relates to other organizational functions. ♦ Be able to use planning methodologies in the analysis of a substantial planning case. ♦ Be able to discuss the nature of strategic management. ♦ Be able to complete strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOTs) analysis, with special emphasis on analysis of competitive offerings and the identification of potential market strategies. ♦ Be able to discuss the role of organizational mission, vision, values, and strategic objectives in developing strategic alternatives. ♦ Know how to identify strategic objectives and develop a plan to alter or create new objectives. ♦ Be able to discuss the supporting role played by several organizational subsystems, including information systems, financial management systems, marketing, human resources management and how all these tie together into organizational-wide strategies. ♦ Be able to discuss the major pressures on nonprofit organizations and how systemically they can be integrated into the planning process. ♦ Be able to discuss the concept of strategic control and its various implementation methodologies.
Code of Academic Integrity The code of academic integrity is not just rhetoric; forms of academic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, or facilitating academic dishonesty, will not be tolerated in this class and may result in suspension or expulsion from the university. To summarize, anything you hand in to us must be written in your own words, exemplifying your own thoughts and ideas, and you must source any references you used in completing your work using the APA format. Although you are encouraged to work and learn collaboratively, both within and outside of class, the work you submit to us should reflect your own thoughts and ideas, and it must be expressed in your own words unless you cite whose words you are using. If you are unsure of what this means, please check with me before completing an assignment.
Note for students with disabilities Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Disability Services in Serra 300 (tel. 260-4655) as soon as possible to better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
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Evaluation Performance will be determined as follows: Class Attendance and Participation Essay on Collective Wisdom Plan to Plan Planning Products Strategic Planning Report
10% 10% 20% 30% 30%
Class Attendance and Participation – You will learn best when you are actively engaged in class discussions. It is helpful to come to class having read and thought about the assigned materials. Bring your unique viewpoint to class and participate in the discussions and other activities. Participation involves more than attendance. Failure to be a part of in-class activities either by absenteeism or avoiding discussions will lead to a reduction of your participation grade. Essay on Collective Wisdom – In this work, you are asked to write an essay that presents the idea of collective wisdom and then to apply it to strategic thinking/planning. There is no right answer. Points will be awarded based on the clarity of the ideas and the application. This essay is “due” when ever you want to turn it in but no later than the due date of your “Strategic Planning Project”.
Plan to Plan – Before an agency can undertake the strategic planning process it must develop a plan for how the work should be undertaken. This is called a “Plan to Plan”. It is a detailed description of the planning steps and the individuals responsible for various aspects of the process. Each student team will be expected to prepare a Plan to Plan for their client agency. The plan must be signed by at least two members of the client organization (a board member and the Executive Director or a designate). The Plan includes worksheets 1-4 and 8 in the Allison/Kaye text. Planning Products – Each team will be required to prepare three of the following products: • • • • •
Marketing survey Key informant interviews Focus group interviews Internal management audit Trend analysis/positional map
Strategic Planning Project – Each team will be required to interpret the planning products in both written and oral presentation form. You are expected to articulate the key trends and issues that your client organization is facing and identify preliminary strategies that the organization can employ to move forward. Grading Scale – 95-100= A, 92-94 = A-, 89-91 = B+, 85-88 = B, 82-84 = B-, 79-81 = C+, 7578 = C, 72-74 = C-, 69-71 = D+, 66-68 = D, 65 and below = F.
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Tentative Schedule Assignments and readings are subject to change
Week
1.
Date
1/26
Assignments and Notes Introduction to the Course: • Introduction • Course description • Review of Syllabus/Course requirements
The Nature of Strategic Planning • Thinking strategically • Starting with mission/values statements • Why/Why not • How-Cycle of planning 2.
2/2
Homework for Week Two: Chapters 1, 2 and Appendix B in Allison/Kaye Reserve articles: • Greiner - Evolution and Revolution • Stone-Planning as Strategy • Moore-Managing for Value • Light-The Spiral of Sustainable Excellence
Leadership Roles: Guest Speaker Paul Van Dolah • Role of the board • Using a consultant • Changes in tough times 3.
2/9
Homework for Week Three: Chapter 3 in Allison/Kaye text Reserve articles: • Siciliano-Comparison of CEO and Director Perceptions • Tracy-Strategic planning in tough times • Evans-The case against strategic planning
4.
2/16
Assessing the Environment: Internal assessment: What is going on inside? • Getting the questions right • Document assessment • Internal management audit (Elements of an Effectively Managed Organization: Allison/Kaye Appendix C)
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Homework for Week Four: Appendix A in Allison/Kaye text Chapter 4 and Appendix C in Allison/Kaye text
Assessing the Environment: External Guest Speaker Carole Fish CFRE • • • 5.
2/23
Finding the market-surveys (survey monkey) Key informant interviews and focus groups/world café and unique ways to gather perspectives Position maps
Homework for Week Five: Appendix D, E and F in Allison/Kaye Reserve articles: • Gronbjerg-Managing grants and contracts • Bryson and Crosby-Leadership roles • Thomas-General inductive approach to qualitative evaluation data
Homework for Week Six: 6.
3/2
7.
3/9
8.
3/16
Chapter 5 in Allison/Kaye Plan to Plan Due (Worksheets 1-4 and 8 in Allison/Kaye) Spring Break
Strategic Alternatives and Objectives: • Values and Strategic Objectives • SWOT • Agreeing on Priorities • Setting Your Course Homework for Week 8: Chapter 6 in Allison/Kaye
9.
3/23
Strategic discussions with data • Recent research findings from the Caster Family Center • Sources of data on nonprofit organizations
5
Facilitation of consensus process • When, why and now to retreat to advance (force field analysis/nominal group technique • Facilitating consensus discussions Homework for Week 9: Appendix G in Allison/Kaye Reserve articles: • Thomas-General inductive approach to qualitative evaluation data
Writing of goals/objectives and activities Homework for Week 10: 10.
3/30
11.
4/6
12.
4/13
Chapter 6 in Allison/Kaye Annotated review of two strategic plans - come prepared to share these plans and critique them based on the principles of excellent strategic planning
Homework for Week 11: Work with team
Putting it Together – Plan writing and evaluation of a strategic plan Homework for Week 12
Guest Speaker Barbara Marrino, Executive Director Vista Family Clinic 13.
4/20
• •
What looks right? Managing change How to make mid-course corrections
Homework for Week 13: Strategic products due
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14.
4/27
15.
5/4
16.
5/11
17.
5/18
No class…work with clients/special office hours to advise plans
Voices from the field of practice: Guest panel to discuss what happens when the plan is done. • What changes were made in operations? • What leadership lessons can be learned? Class Presentations Final Projects due
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EDLD 511 Strategic Final Report Grading Rubric Criteria 100 Points Possible
Unacceptable
Clarity of project No to little work scope as defined in submitted the strategic questions and products
Introductory
Weakly substantiated justification of strategic questions or product based
Competency
Clear justification of the strategic questions, the products and the themes in the products
Mastery
Clear justification of the strategic questions, the products and themes within the organizational context 35
Description and execution of analysis
No to little work submitted
Definition of the market clear but relationship with organization’s mission unclear
Clear definition of the market based on mission (answers why groups were selected as part of the market)
Clear definition of the market based on mission and aligned with the strategic questions
30 Recommendation No to little work submitted alignment with strategic questions
Significant alignment with Evidence of some alignment Clear evidence of strategic questions and the significant alignment with strategic questions with strategic questions organizational context 20
Writing Competence
No to little work submitted
Significant spelling, grammatical, punctuation, and/or capitalization errors were noted. Little evidence
Minor spelling, grammatical, punctuation, and/or capitalization errors
Product was clearly written, without typos, grammatical, and/or spelling errors.
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of coherence and following were noted. appropriate writing standards 15
EDLD 511 Strategic Products Rubric Criteria 100 Points Possible
Unacceptable
Introductory
Competency
Mastery
Internal Management Audit No to little work Rationale for product selection submitted based on strategic questions
Clear justification of the Clear justification of Weakly substantiated justification of product based the product based on product based on the on strategic questions the strategic questions strategic questions and the organizational context 35
No to little work Alignment of mission/board submitted areas with strategic questions
Evidence of some alignment Evidence of significant Significant alignment with strategic questions and alignment with with strategic questions organizational context strategic questions 30
Criterion for prioritizing strengths and
No to little work submitted
Criterion for prioritizing strengths and weaknesses
Clear criterion for prioritizing strengths and weaknesses
Significant alignment of criterion with strategic questions and
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based on strategic questions
weaknesses based on strategic questions
organizational context
20 Writing Competence
No to little work submitted
Significant spelling, grammatical, punctuation, and/or capitalization errors were noted. Little evidence of coherence and following appropriate writing standards
Minor spelling, grammatical, punctuation, and/or capitalization errors were noted.
Product was clearly written, without typos, grammatical, and/or spelling errors.
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EDLD 511 Strategic Products Rubric Criteria 100 Points Possible
Unacceptable
Introductory
Competency
Mastery
Trend analysis No to little work Rationale for product selection submitted based on strategic questions
Clear justification of the Weakly substantiated Clear justification of justification of product based the product based on product based on the on strategic questions the strategic questions strategic questions and the organizational context 35
Rationale trends No to little work and timeframes submitted based on strategic questions
Minimal rationale for the trends and timeframes
Clear rationale for the Clear rationale based on trends and timeframes strategic questions and organizational context
10
30 Justification of No to little work “Competitors” or submitted “Collaborators” based on strategic questions
Evidence of some alignment Clear evidence of significant alignment with strategic questions with strategic questions
Significant alignment with strategic questions and construction follows rules of good survey questions
20 Writing Competence
No to little work submitted
Significant spelling, grammatical, punctuation, and/or capitalization errors were noted. Little evidence of coherence and following appropriate writing standards
Minor spelling, grammatical, punctuation, and/or capitalization errors were noted.
Product was clearly written, without typos, grammatical, and/or spelling errors.
15
EDLD 511 Presentation Grading Rubric Criteria 100 Points Possible
Unacceptable
No to little work Clarity in presentation of submitted strategic questions, products and
Introductory
Competency
Mastery
Clear justification of the Weakly substantiated Clear justification of justification of product based the product based on product based on the on strategic questions the strategic questions strategic questions and the organizational context
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themes of products 35 No to little work Clarity in presentation of submitted analysis and recommendations
Definition of the market clear but relationship with organization’s mission unclear
Clear definition of the market based on mission (answers why groups were selected as part of the market)
Clear definition of the market based on mission and aligned with the strategic questions
30 Evidence of group participation and shared understanding
The project as presented and the presentation do not reflect equal participation
All group members had some role in the project as presented and the presentation
All group members participated equally in the project as presented and the presentation including questions
All group members clearly participated equally in the project as presented and the presentation, including questions and could accurately respond to all areas of the topic when asked 20
Presentation style
Materials unprofessional, presentation
Materials include some Materials are errors, presentation ill timed professional, presentation with questions timely
Materials are professional, presentation with questions timely, creative and engaging 15
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