strategic planning
The cultures and missions of independent schools vary tremendously, but The Gowan Group believes that several guiding truths obtain to all schools as they plan for the future:
Foremost, the development of a long-horizon strategic plan is one of the most important obligations of the Board and Head of School.
The process of developing the plan and the community engagement inherent in that process has an intrinsic value equal to the final product.
A strategic plan is an opportunity for the Board and Head to publicly demonstrate leadership and cement loyalty across all school constituencies.
This process is an opportunity to showcase Board/Head collaboration and strengthen governance muscles.
All constituencies have the opportunity to be heard and to feel invested in the highest aspirations of the school.
The gravitational pull of the immediate--particularly at elementary schools, makes too many strategic plans tactical. The Gowan Group pledges to push you hard, often to discomfort, to generate a truly strategic map for the future of the school.
Boards must develop more granular implementation tactics, timelines and reporting structures that keep the plan at the center of Board work and anticipate the shifting realities in which the school exists. The Gowan Group process takes schools from blue sky thinking to measurable results.
The Gowan Group will lead a well-informed and well-trained strategic committee in developing a comprehensive strategic plan with at least three community centered goals for the school to achieve in the coming two-five years.
The process is divided into four phases:
1. The Research and Discovery Phase: The Gowan Group will use existing research, your recent accreditation materials and school publications to gather relevant materials to inform the overall planning process. Additionally, and importantly, The Gowan Group will meet extensively with school leadership to establish parameters for the strategic plan.
2. Community Involvement Phase: The Gowan Group will conduct a series of interviews, focus groups and surveys with all constituencies of the school community.
3. Planning Priority Phase: The Gowan Group will work with the Strategic Planning Committee over the course of two separate retreat days to assess the research and focus group findings (within leadership set parameters) to establish the planning priorities. Follow up meetings will be used to refine those priorities and establish objectives therein.
4. Design and Production Phase: The Gowan Group's graphic design team will lead the strategic plan and/or Communications staff to produce and deliver the final publication.
