Do you care what outsiders think?
The
public kick-off of the strategic planning process invited Museum
stakeholders: management, staff, volunteers, Board of Trustees, and
community partners to generate ideas and form planning teams. The teams
explored creative approaches to education, interpretation and technology
and collected input from a wide range of internal and external
stakeholders. ODDA provided guidance as the planning teams crafted
viable strategic initiatives and developed implementation plans that
retained and expanded planning and analysis activities already in
place. Energy generated by the sense of community at the public kick-off
fueled the long hours and hard work contributed by members of the
planning teams.
Include all stakeholders in your planning process and infuse your
organization with collaborative energy.
Leaders
are recognizing the value of inclusive planning as a way to build
community, both internal and external. They realize that long-range
plans rely on support from external as well as internal constituencies.
ODDA offers proven strategies for managing people and data that
will lead organizations to create a plan that is not only solid, but
also flexible enough to respond to future challenges. We do this by:
- Collecting data from a broad range of constituency groups
- Breaking down institutional barriers
- Capturing the benefits of community engagement
These
strategies can also build engagement, improve interdepartmental
communications and cross-functional collaboration, and strengthen
external partnerships. The benefits of an inclusive process will extend
beyond the life of the strategic plan.
A Case Study in Collaboration and Community: A Major Regional Museum Develops a New Long-Range Plan
A
major regional museum came to ODDA seeking assistance with its new
long-range plan. Under the previous five-year plan, it had seen
successful expansion of programming; now it was time to identify
opportunities to build on its past successes.
Planning the Process
From
the beginning, Museum leadership intended to use an inclusive,
collaborative strategic planning process. They sought to bring renewed
attention to the institution's position and grow the sense of
responsibility within the community. ODDA worked with the leadership
team to design a planning process that would achieve these goals.
Inviting Input from External Stakeholders
The
public kick-off of the strategic planning process invited Museum
stakeholders: management, staff, volunteers, Board of Trustees, and
community partners to generate ideas and form planning teams. The teams
explored creative approaches to education, interpretation and technology
and collected input from a wide range of internal and external
stakeholders. ODDA provided guidance as the planning teams crafted
viable strategic initiatives and developed implementation plans that
retained and expanded planning and analysis activities already in
place. Energy generated by the sense of community at the public kick-off
fueled the long hours and hard work contributed by members of the
planning teams.
Results
This
strategic planning process required participants to work across
institutional boundaries: directors, curators, trustees and community
members all worked together. The initiatives and activities defined in
the strategic plan rely on continued collaboration among these groups
for success. For the museum, outcomes of the inclusive process
included improved interdepartmental communication and cross-functional
collaboration within the museum as well as stronger external
partnerships and community engagement -- benefits that will last beyond the life of the long-range plan.
The Major Phases of the Inclusive Planning Process
- Public Kick-Off: Generate Ideas
- Planing Team Meeting: Select Strategic Themes
- Strategic Initiative Teams: Develop Initiatives
- Writing Committee: Write Plan Draft
- Gain Commitment from Community and Board
- Train in Roll-Out and Use of Plan
- Follow-Up (6-Month and 12-Month)
