Making projections for 2017 is useful within a manageable timeframe. Such projections also provide a strategic framework to document and evaluate annual targets for 2015 and 2016. Treating the strategic plan as a live document will also enable effective review and possible adjustment of targets as we proceed.
Thanks Jim,
That's valuable advice. We have seen that establishing concrete priorities for 2014 combined with our Working Group structure and OERu Management Committee has contributed to impressive progress for OERu this year. The conveners are doing a sterling job in moving things forward.
We'll build in operational targets for 2015 & 2016 in the documentation leading to the attainment of the 2017 projections.
Absolutely - incremental design is a key strength of the OERu model which keeps us agile and responsive.
W
My thoughts are aligned with Jim Taylor's on the point of a "living" plan.
I believe that OERu should take the perspective of creating a multi-year strategic plan with a three-year look-ahead and an annual review and revision process – an evergreen strategic plan, in other words.
The idea would be to have a strong vision, a clear mission statement and a set of goals and tactics that span three years, with actionable and measurable targets for the upcoming year, and further in some cases.
Factors that would be accounted for in the annual evergreen process would include new opportunities, issues that arise, and performance against mesaurable targets. Each of these factors would spur some part of the evergreening process of the overall strategy, vision and mission and help the OERu set the stretch targets and measures for upcoming years.
We've used a similar process at my own organization, BCcampus, and we produce our annual report at the same time that the refreshed strategic plan is also announced. There is demonstarted linkage between outcomes of the previous year's activities and what comes next.
dp
Hi Dave,
I like it! I think OERu should follow the lead of BCcampus here.
I particularly like the model of combining the annual report with refreshing of the strategic plan.
This will also slot in rather well with the financial and planning schedule of the OER Foundation with our international OERu meetings. The OERF has a December year end and the OERF meetings are usually scheduled around November. This would enable us to discuss the annual report and refreshed strategic plan during the international partners meeting and Council of CEOs meeting in time for approval by the OERF Board of Directors at their December meeting.
We'll trial this during the 2014 series of meetings.