About this resource

'There is always a better strategy than the one you have, you just haven't thought of it yet'

Sir Brian Pitman

A quick search of the internet, or your nearest bookshop, will confirm that there are probably as many books and resources on strategy planning available as there are FE/HE institutions in the UK. Each one is described as being the must-have guide, often providing a simple step-by-step methodology to implementing an effective strategy. Unfortunately, real life never seems to be quite as straightforward as these books tend to assume.

Our resource isn't designed to tell you how to develop and implement your strategic activity. We don't claim to have all the answers and yet, at the same time, we are firm believers in the notion that nothing is ever perfect and that even small improvements to the status quo can often yield big returns. If all this resource does is to encourage you to stop and question how you currently conduct strategic activity within your institution it will have performed an important function.

This framework is deliberately non-prescriptive and non-dogmatic. It does not require you to reject the way you currently do things and to 'sign-up' to our approach. Instead, it simply reflects what we believe to be the most important tasks and processes required to successfully articulate, coordinate and manage strategic activity within your institution.

Within each of the stages you will find a host of different tools, techniques and approaches. Some you may find useful, others not; some you may be doing already, and others you may have tried and discarded in the past. The intention is not that you will use them all, but that you may find some of them of use within your particular situation.

Those new to the subject of strategic planning and activity, or planning a fundamental review of how it is conducted within their institution may find it useful to read through each of the four stages in order to gain a clear understanding of the purpose of the four stages and how they fit together. Alternatively, those well versed in the concept of strategy management but looking to strengthen a particular area of their procedures, or introduce a slight refinement, may wish to dip straight into particular elements or resources to address a specific issue.

Feedback

We would be delighted to hear about your experience of using this resource and any comments you may have about its contents and overall usefulness. This infoKit is designed to be a dynamic resource and whilst we may not be able to make changes to it in the light of every piece of feedback received, we will endeavour to continue to make the infoKit as relevant and useful as possible.

Please email us with your feedback.