VISION 2018 - Howard County Public Schools

The process I 20The Strategic Plan Development ProcessFundamental to the strategic plan development process was a decision to build upon our system’sfoundation of strength. The plan was designed to leverage the extensive resources of talent, expertise,and commitment that exist among our stakeholders and incorporate what is already working well into aroadmap to an even stronger future.Effective strategic planning is an ongoing process by which an organization continuously evaluatesprogress and adjusts priorities to meet operational goals. The plan itself serves as a single, easily accessibledocument that lays out the vision and operational priorities of the organization. It also lays out a frameworkfor evaluating progress toward attainment of that vision within a prescribed timeline. A well-implementedstrategic plan aligns operations and resource allocation with strategic goals. All operational structures,continuous improvement activities, and accountability measures embedded throughout the organizationsupport attainment of the strategic goals. Guiding operations through a strategic planning framework canhelp an organization become more focused, efficient, and effective.Charting the PathThe strategic plan development process began in July 2012 with a comprehensive literature review ofbest practices (see references, p. 26-27). Multiple philosophies exist on how to approach the collaborativedevelopment of a strategic plan. The most traditional methodology is a problem-solving approach thatidentifies an organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities for improvement, and threats (SWOT)(Bryson, 2011).