The nature of the environment within which the UWI has to operate and the resources that are available to it mean that it must adopt a disciplined and focussed approach to planning and decision- and policy- making in order to maintain or achieve long-term sustainability. It must develop creative initiatives and solutions to respond to the challenges it faces. This is the nature of strategic planning in an uncertain environment. In a highly competitive environment characterised by economic volatility and uncertainty, the UWI has to leverage its core competencies (areas in which it has specific expertise beyond its competitors), which lie in its intellectual capital and information and communications technology (ICT) to achieve competitive advantage in three key areas: • Delivery of accredited quality programmes (for example, degrees, diplomas, certificates) at reasonable costs • Generation of impactful, cutting-edge research and innovative outputs, especially for targeted niche markets • Achievement of operational excellence (involving talent management, efficient processes, information technology and customer service) to provide a quick response/agility to the needs of stakeholders Although the UWI has made significant progress in these areas over the 2007-2012 planning period, there is need for further consolidation and strategic expansion in selected areas in order to distinguish itself within the higher education landscape of the region, as well as to enhance its international reputation. Over the 2012-2017 planning period, the UWI will continue to build capacity in an efficient manner in order to effectively address the range of development challenges facing the region (e.g., production diversification and economic growth, high level of poverty and inequality, the effect of climate change, the rise of chronic non-communicable diseases, the scourge of crime and violence, the strengthening of human security and governance systems). Through its core functions of teaching, research and public advisory service, the UWI will continue to offer solutions to the region’s development challenges, while at the same time contributing to the global intellectual discourse. These initiatives lie at the heart of the mission of the UWI.
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The process for developing this Strategic Plan formally started with the Fourth Annual Review of the Implementation of the Strategic Plan, 2007-2012 (St. Augustine, August 2011). The 2012-2017 Plan was developed through structured and inclusive cross-campus consultations led by the four Campus Strategic Planning Teams and the Vice Chancellery Team, and coordinated by the University Office of Planning and Development (UOPD). A web portal was also established to solicit comments from internal and external stakeholders. A Strategic Plan Consensus Retreat (Mona, December 2011) was subsequently held to integrate components of the Strategic Plan into a cohesive document and to achieve consensus on the various elements of the Plan. Further engagement processes with all stakeholders were held at the four campuses to discuss the first draft of the Strategic Plan. The resulting Plan has been carefully constructed through the synthesis and integration of feedback from staff, students and other stakeholders, reports from the Campus Strategic Planning Teams and the Vice Chancellery Team, and reports of special Working Groups. This Strategic Planning document contains a brief overview of the achievements and challenges associated with the 2007-2012 Strategic Plan and a presentation of the current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the UWI. This assessment of the UWI’s performance and environmental analysis is followed by the mission and vision statements guiding the UWI over the planning period, along with the core values of the University and the key attributes of the UWI graduate and employee. The strategic goals and associated high-order objectives are stated from six perspectives or dimensions of the UWI’s operations: Financial; Employee Engagement and Development; Internal Operational Processes; Teaching, Learning and Student Development; Research and Innovation; and Outreach (National and Regional Development; Internationalisation; Marketing and Communication; and Alumni Engagement). The Strategic Plan uses an integrated framework, which involves the following elements: • Strategic Perspectives of the UWI’s Operations (and causal relationships among them); • Strategic Themes with elaborations within the Perspectives; • Strategic Goals and Objectives (which will guide the Operational aspects of the Plan). These six perspectives and their corresponding themes, goals and objectives are viewed as linked together in an integrated strategic framework (see Figure
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