Developing teams and working groups
The implementation of strategies in support of strategic plan outcomes and goals is accomplished primarily by strategy working groups. These strategy working groups collaborate with and report regularly to goal implementation teams. Finally, these implementation teams report regularly to the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and the President’s Cabinet. Each of these roles is explained in more detail below.
1. Strategy working groups
To prepare for implementation planning, a strategy working group is created for each identified strategy defined in the plan. These strategy working groups “own” the implementation plan for the assigned initiative during both development and implementation.
Each working group is advised to identify a group leader that will provide leadership to the committee by ensuring that implementation plans are developed and submitted, progress is regularly evaluated, and that the strategy is fulfilled according to established timelines. Working group members provide input to the development of the implementation plan and oversee the enactment of the plan.
Primary responsibilities
- Prepare an annual implementation plan for the assigned strategy
- Prescribe actions — what and by whom — and monitor progress
- Report regularly to the goal implementation team
2. Goal implementation teams
To facilitate effective implementation of the strategic plan, each of the five goals was assigned to an implementation team. The implementation team will oversee the creation of working groups to develop and enact implementation plans to accomplish the strategies contained within each goal. When the initial implementation plans for the goal area have been submitted by the strategy working groups, the implementation team will review the plans, rank them in order of institutional importance and impact, and determine suggested funding priorities.
Following the initial implementation planning process, the implementation team should generally meet monthly (or more frequently as needed) to ensure that strategy working groups supporting the goal are making progress, provide executive support as needed to help facilitate achievement of outlined actions, and address any issues or difficulties with implementation. The implementation team should also regularly review measurable outcomes.
Primary responsibilities
- Ensure that each strategy has an established working group
- Remove roadblocks and facilitate execution of outlined actions
- Regularly review measurable outcomes and progress
- Report regularly to the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and the Strategic Initiatives Forum
3. Strategic Initiatives Forum
On a bimonthly basis, the implementation teams from each goal will meet as a group with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness (OIE). This regularly standing committee comprises the Strategic Initiatives Forum and is chaired by the President and administered by the Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness. During these meetings, the plans and progress from the individual goals and strategies will be discussed and monitored within the context of the overall strategic plan, progress and any related measures will be shared, and any necessary adjustments will be recommended. The OIE may also redefine or prescribe any needed updates to performance measures or methods of assessment.