Why schools should write and implement strategic plans 

A Strategic Plan (SP) is a document giving institutions the sense of vision and purpose. It enshrines stupendous strategies to be implemented with specific timelines — in most cases lustrum — spanning 5 years or so.

In a school set-up, it acts as a yardstick guiding school arrowheads to remain transformative, visionary and strategic in their leadership style. Strategic Plans assist schools in mobilisation of more resources to enhance growth and development.

Strategic formulation and strategic implementation forms the central plank of Strategic Plans. Strategic formulation entails defining institutional philosophy and mission. Setting long-term and short-term objectives. Selecting strategies to use in achieving objectives.

Whereas strategic implementation focuses on matching selected strategies with institutional infrastructure and culture. Providing leadership strategy, budgeting and implementing.

The strategic planning process entails examining history of an institution. Assessing the present situation and the capacity to inject change and necessary improvement. It focuses on looking into the future. Determining goals of the institution and identifying objectives of the institution.

Data collection occurs through strategic planning workshop, poring over the previous Strategic Plan. Focusing on oral and written interviews. Issuance of questionnaires. Collection and collation of reports from key stakeholders.

In a tome titled School Administration and Management, Geoffrey Wango avers that a Strategic Plan is one of the documents Principals rely on to assist them steer schools towards shores of success. It is an important document used in best management practices.

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When it is there, it is easier to manage change and transition. In the unputdownable autobiography titled Tower of Transformational Leadership, the late Prof George Albert Omore Magoha, admitted that in his 10-year tenure (2005-2015) as Vice Chancellor of the University of Nairobi, having a Strategic Plan helped him provide legendary leadership in that iconic institution.

Therefore, it is crystal-clear, SPs aid leaders to stand at a vantage point with a panoramic view and vision. To some extent, it is also a resource mobilisation document. More so, when it has a carefully-crafted prioritised development projects and implementation budget projection.

Somewhat, when a Strategic Plan is available, it makes managers to see beyond the sea. In The Art of Institutional Leadership, Prof Laban Ayiro, Vice Chancellor of Daystar University, points out that vision is a picture of the future, which produces passion in people. In the Bible, Habakkuk 2:2-3 implores vision-bearers to write the vision on the table, and allow those who can read run with it.

A classic case to visionary approach is the inventor — Thomas Alva Edison. He made the first public demonstration of his incandescent light bulb on December 31, 1879, in Melo Park New York. With the good gift of foresight, he heralded, “We will make electricity so cheap that only the rich will burn candles.”

Consequently, Wright Brothers pictured a radiant day when they would soar high like birds in the sky. Through vision, they saw a “metal capsule” with wings wending like wisps of wind. Serendipitously, on December 17, 1903, the Wright Flyer made its maiden take off from the sandy beaches of North Carolina.

Therefore, at the core of leadership, sits the essence of vision — bright picture of the future. School Principals can meet and greet this aspect by treasuring Strategic Planning. They should hire experts like the welder of these words to assist them craft and draft the document — write and edit it. Then, prop it up with an impressive implementation plan. The document should not be left to gather gust of dust on the shelves because it is just there for formality purposes.

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It is instructive to note. The content of a Strategic Plan should begin with the foreword done by the Chairperson of the Board of Management (BoM). Then — the preambular part — executive summary woven well by the Principal. There should be the acknowledgement of the strategic planning development committee in the prefatory part to arouse sense of ownership and belonging. Consequently, Chapter 1 should be the rationale of the plan.

Purpose or reason of its existence. At the start, it is important to point out the process used to arrive at it. For it should be a product of meeting of minds. Additionally, Chapter 2 should enshrine the strategic framework, which focuses on school philosophy and ethos — the school motto, mission, vision, core-values or culture principles, anthem and theme song. Planners should dedicate Chapter 3 to school’s core-functions, customers and graduates’ outcome.

Moreover, Chapter 4 should be a situational analysis. Starting with contextual analysis — the historical background of the institution. The history should capture an in-depth analysis of KCSE for the last 10 years. It should enshrine enrollment. BoM chairpersons and Principals since inception should feature.

Planners should project KCSE (for 8-4-4 System) and KCBE (for CBE) performance — reflecting positive deviations. Then, need or gap analysis, which attempts to assess the difference between the current situation and stated goals should suffice.

Somewhat, SWOT analysis should follow — exploring strengths and weaknesses (internal). Then, opportunities and threats (external). Close to this, is PESTEL Analysis, which examines political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, ecological and legal factors affecting the school. Stakeholders and financial analysis should follow suit.

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Advisedly, Chapter 5 focuses on key strategic issues like school leadership and management, prioritised projects and relationship of the school with the community. Chapter 6 focuses on strategic direction or issues split into strategic objectives and strategies or actions.

Lastly, the SP should focus on the implementation plan matrix. There should be a detailed table on strategy, activity, person responsible, period, resources required, sources of funds, assumptions plus output indicators. There should be budgetary projection, focusing on cost estimates, sources of funds, year of action, key projects and implementation.

Then, the implementation checklist, which focuses on people with responsibility to implement. Proper allocation of resources and reconciling assumptions made. Developing detailed operational and tactical plans and coming up with an implementation timetable. The epilogue should enshrine Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Committee that will spear-head impressive implementation of the SP. In table form, M&E should capture stage, type of indicator or nature of data.

Victor Ochieng’

The writer assists schools to write, edit and review strategic plans. He also trains school stakeholders (Principals, BoM, PA, teachers, et cetera) on how to write, review and implement School Strategic Plans. vochieng.90@gmail.com. 0704420232