Qatar University

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Qatar University Workshop On Academic Action
Plan Conducted By Salaheldin Ismail, PhD Chair,
Department of Management Marketing June, 2006
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Contents

• Introduction
• (Mission, Objectives, Strategies)
• Action Plan Concepts
• (Concepts, Types, SWOT analysis)
• Scorecard Concepts
• (Definition, Importance, Implementation)
• From Recommendations To Action Plan
• (How to Transform Task Force Recommendations into
  Action Plans)
• Key Lessens Learned

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First Introduction
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Strategic Management Hierarchy
VISION What we want to be

MISSION Why we exist
VALUES What we believe in
OBJECTIVES - STRATEGIES Our Game Plan (Action
Plan)
SCORECARD Implementation and Concentration
STRATEGIC INTITIATIVES What we need to do
STRATEGIC OUTCOMES
PERSONAL WORK OGJECTIVES What I need to do
Satisfied CUSTOMERS
Effective PROCESSES
Motivated Prepared WORKFORCE
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Vision

• Reflects the ability to create and articulate a
  realistic, credible, attractive goals that
  proposes a future better than the present.
• e.g. we enable growth and add value to all we
  touch. QU will become a recognized educational
  leader, inspiring and empowering persons for
  leadership.

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Mission

• It is a broad statement that identify the
  organization products and customer and
  distinguish it from its competitors. The reason
  for existence of an organization. States the
  purpose of an organization.
• e.g. QU creates learning communities where
  students develop their potential for meaningful
  and productive lives.

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Values

• Reflect ideas about what a society believes to be
  good, right, desirable or beautiful.
• e.g. we act with integrity and honesty. Respect
  for one another. Cooperation

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Objectives

• They are the targets toward which the
  organization is directed
• The main consequences of any activities.
• Provide detail and scope of the mission.

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Objectives should be SMART.

• Specific
• Measurable
• What gets measured gets done
• If you cannot measure it you cannot
  understand it
• If you cannot understand it you cannot
  control it
• If you cannot control it you cannot manage
  it
• Applicable
• Realistic
• Timed
• e.g. increase No. of students (200- Fall 2007).

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Advantages of setting objectives

• They provide guidance or direction for people in
  the organization.
• They provide an effective mechanism for
  evaluation and control.
• They can be considered as a source of motivation
  (if they are SMAT, they can motivate people to
  work harder, especially, if attaining the goal is
  likely to result in rewords).
• Resource Allocation Critical decisions involving
  resources (people, time, equipment, money) are
  more consistent with organizational objectives
  when objectives- setting strategies are used.

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Strategies

• Plans for achieving organizational objectives.
• e.g. To establish a new college. To obtain a
  college education.

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Tactics

• Methods and activities taken to accomplish
  strategies.
• e.g. select a college, select a major.

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Operations

• Day to day activities.
• e.g. Register, Buy books, take courses, Study.

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Second Action Plan
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Planning

• The process of defining the organizations
  objectives, establishing strategies for achieving
  those objectives and developing action plans to
  integrate and coordinate activities.

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Importance

• Helps managers to be proactive (make things
  happen).
• Provides directions (increases the ability of
  forecasting).
• Reduces the impact of change (uncertainty).
• Minimizes wastes (time, capacity, materials,
  workforce).
• Sets the standards to facilitate control.

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Dimensions of Plans

• Repetitiveness is the extent to which the plan
  is used over and over again (standing plans or
  single- use plans).
• Time is the length of time the plan covers.
  (long, intermediate or short term plans).
• Scope is the portion of the total management
  system at which the plan is aimed. (Inputs,
  processes, outputs).
• Level is the level of the organization at which
  the plan is aimed (Top level, Middle level or
  lower level).

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Approaches

• Bird Approach.
• Squirrel Approach.

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Action Plan

• Definition
• A plan used to operationalize any other kind of
  plan. It is a specific action proposed to help
  the organization achieve its objectives.

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Action plan requirements
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1. Where we are?.

• To do that, there are many tools such as
• Critical Questions Analysis
• SWOT analysis
• Business Portfolio Analysis
• Porters Model
• SWOT Analysis is a strategic development tool
  that matches internal organizational strengths
  and weaknesses with external opportunities and
  threats. (SWOT is an acronym for an
  organizations strengths and weaknesses and its
  opportunities and threats).

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2. To where we want to go?.

• Objectives
• Short- term objectives (targets to be achieved in
  one year or less- set by and for lower- level
  managers).
• Intermediate- term objectives (targets to be
  achieved in one to five years- set by and for
  middle management).
• Long- term objectives (targets to be achieved in
  five to seven years set by and for top
  management).

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3. How to get there?

• Set up your Road Map i.e. Strategy Strategic
  Plan It is a long term plan that focuses on
  the organization as a whole.
• Tactical plan A plan aimed at achieving
  tactical goals and developed to implement parts
  of a strategic plan.
• Operational Plan Focuses on carrying out
  tactical plans to achieve operational goals.
• Identify resources needed i.e. People,
  Equipments, Materials, Time.

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Third Scorecard
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What is the Scorecard (SC)?

• The scorecard is considered as a management
  philosophy (not only a measurement tool). It will
  enable colleges or departments to spell out their
  vision, strategy and objectives and translate
  them into (effective and sufficient action
  plan).

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Scorecard Benefits

• Learning
• SC Places the departments and colleges in a
  learning environment.
• How to set up new initiatives and how to assign
  your resources sufficiently?.
• Promoting Cause-effect philosophy.
• Understanding measurement processes.
• Planning
• Allocating resources based on performance
• Predicting future outcomes
• Developing real KPIs.
• Transforming planning from an academic exercise
  into practical tasks.
• Facilitating Improvements
• Identifying what most needs to be changed
• Identifying best practices through benchmarking
• Providing a feedback for both the internal
  business processes and external out comes in
  order to continuously improve your performance
  and end results.

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Scorecard Requirements

• Developing and institutionalizing a Quality
  System.
• Having the right people managing the process,
  with top level commitment.
• Understanding how SC will be applied to the
  process and objectives in advance.
• Creating a balance among people, process, and
  technology in order to drive continuous
  improvement effectively.

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Why Use the Scorecard in QU?

• Because we need to know what our customers
  (students and community) expectations are and
  what our employees needs (Tangible and
  intangible) to have to meet these expectations
  (SC can be linked into performance management).
  Because we cannot achieve our stated objectives
  without taking those expectations into account.

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Implementation

• Identify strategic objectives
• Identify outcome measures
• Develop Action plans
• Identify data collection systems
• Launch Scorecard
• Set up Continuous Improvement initiatives.

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Getting Started in SC
1- Set Objectives
2- Create KPIs
6- Set continuous Improvement Initiative
3- Action Plan for Measuring
5- Review data and Launch Scorecard
4- Collect data
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Fourth From Recommendations To Action Plan
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Recommendation. 1
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Recommendation .2
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Recommendation .3
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Fifth Key Lessens Learned

• It provides a framework needed for strategic
  alignment and organizational learning.
• It can be used as a Performance measurement.
• It can be used as a management philosophy.
• It increases the use of information technology.
• It helps to know what to Benchmark

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Success Comes in Cans Not in Cannots