Academic Quality Improvement Program - Aligning Strategic Planning and Budgeting

Planned project kickoff date:

September 15, 2006

Target completion date:

September 1, 2009

Updates:

2008 Update (PDF)

2007 Update (PDF)

A. Give this Action Project a short title in 10 words or fewer:

Aligning strategic planning and budgeting.

B. Describe this Action Project's goal in 100 words or fewer:

Implement an aligned planning and budgeting process to:           

• Clarify and gain consensus on strategic priorities
• Communicate strategy throughout the college
• Strengthen effectiveness of strategic plan by allocating resources appropriately
• Focus department and individual work plans on college priorities
• Obtain feedback to inform and improve strategy

C. Identify the single AQIP Category which the Action Project will most affect or impact:

 Category 8 - Planning Continuous Improvement

D. Describe briefly your institution's reasons for taking on this Action Project now -- why the project and its goals are high among your current priorities

A Strategic Planning task force led by Tom Morgan spent several months in 2005-2006 outlining a new process and timeline for college planning. That group identified a need to link the planning process closely to the annual budgeting cycle, ideally involving a broader group to determine budget priorities. Implementing a Balanced Scorecard approach to planning was recommended by the Board Marketing Committee in 2004 and is consistent with the direction of the Strategic Planning Task Force.  Balanced Scorecard promotes a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging collaboration and aligning college resources around strategic priorities.  The Strategic Planning Task Force will investigate other institutional planning models (including Balanced Scorecard, Compact Planning, etc…) and will recommend a planning model to the College Cabinet.

E. List the organizational areas - -institutional departments, programs, divisions, or units -- most affected by or involved in this Action Project

Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Institutional Advancement, Enrollment Management, Finance and Administration, Information Technology

F. Name and describe briefly the key organizational process(es) that you expect this Action Project to change or improve

• Budgeting process will be more transparent and links to planning will be better understood
• Employee performance evaluations
• Strategic planning
• Annual work plans
• Internal Communication
• Research and Development project planning

G. Explain the rationale for the length of time planned for this Action Project(from kickoff to target completion)

 A three year implementation plan will allow time to:

• Review the current budgeting process and recommend changes
• Link budgeting to the new strategic planning process
• Introduce the Balanced Scorecard methodology and rationale to the community
• Provide training and support for an effective Balanced Scorecard implementation.

H. Describe how you plan to monitor how successfully your efforts on this Action Project are progressing

 A cross divisional work team has been assembled to lead the new planning methodology implementation, with the Special Assistant to the President for Strategic Planning acting as team leader and project champion.

I. Describe the overall "outcome" measures or indicators that will tell you whether this Action Project has been a success or failure in achieving its goals

• Transparent discretionary budgeting process with clarity on priorities
• Project-based budgets that may span department and division boundaries
• Multi-layered institutional “dashboard” system that collects and presents key institutional indicators
• Feedback process for managers to interpret the results of key institutional indicators and refine action plans

J. Project Leader and contact person

First Name: Thomas
Middle Initial: F.
Last Name: Morgan
Title: Special Assistant to the President
Email: morgan@augsburg.edu
Phone: 612-330-1773