Archived: The Corporate Imperative - Step 5: Plan, Implement and Evaluate

A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

The Corporate Imperative: A Business Guide for Implementing Strategic Education Partnerships-1999

STEP 5. PLAN, IMPLEMENT AND EVALUATE

Worksheet 11: Develop and Implement a Business Plan

PURPOSE

To identify the steps needed to develop and implement a business plan for your strategic educational approaches.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

What is the vision? (Review Worksheets 1 and 7)
What is the current status of these educational approaches? What are the baseline measures? (Review Worksheets 5 and 8)
Who are your champions, internal stakeholders and external stakeholders? (Review Worksheets 9 and 10)
What are your short-term and long-term goals and objectives?
What are the steps to achieve them?
Who will be responsible?
What is the timetable?
What resources will be needed?
What are the expected outcomes?

Worksheet 11: Develop and Implement a Business Plan

Vision: Refine your vision for creating systemic educational change and developing more capable workforce entrants.

Determine if your corporate environment (culture, programs/policies/resources) will support educational initiatives (Worksheet 1).
Review core business values and organizational objectives (Worksheet 7).
Identify current school objectives that contribute to educational improvements (Worksheet 7).

Vision:

Leadership: Provide the leadership to actualize your vision.

Facilitate communication between all champions and internal stakeholders (Worksheet 9).
Identify and contact key educational and community stakeholders (Worksheet 10).
Take stock of the vision. What will you need to succeed?
Articulate priorities.
Get all the players committed and ready to act (use "Investing in Partnerships for Student Success" to move the partnership forward).

Internal and external individuals/organizations committed to participate:

Name Contact Information Priority Areas

Measurable indicators: Implement a plan to achieve your goals.

Commit to educational approaches that meet business values (Worksheet 7 and 8).
Develop goals and objectives.
Outline the tasks and activities needed to implement the educational approach.
Determine who will be responsible for implementing the approaches.
Create a realistic time frame.
Assess the costs and resources needed.
Articulate the anticipated outcomes.
Identify or create tools to measure the outcomes. Consider hiring an external evaluator to assist you.

Develop measures to determine whether initiatives have a positive impact on company concerns, which may include:

workforce needs and employee concerns
recruitment and retention
stress-related illnesses and health care concerns
community life

job satisfaction

absenteeism and productivity

work-life balance concerns

consumer loyalty

Use the following chart to develop your plans.

Educational Approach Goals Objectives: Long term Objectives: Sort term Task and Activities Individuals Responsible Time Frame Resources Needed/ Costs Anticipated Outcomes How will anticipated outcomes be measured?

Continuous improvement: After implementing your educational approaches, begin to plan for future initiatives. In order to do so, you must first evaluate the impact of your educational initiatives. Look at the previous table. Have your anticipated outcomes been achieved? If they have not been achieved, what can you do to make them more successful? Do you have the correct tools to measure outcomes or do they need to be revised?

Assess and adjust your initiatives.
Determine future plans.

Actual Outcomes Proposed Revisions Priority Areas

See "Documenting Added Business Value" in the Addendum for more information.

A four-stage plan for action.

Stage 1: Vision

Conceptualize your vision of what your company can do to achieve systemic educational change
Determine your company's role in this vision
Articulate your vision and its relevance to business and educational goals
Create awareness and commitment to your vision

Each company needs an individualized strategic plan that reflects their business and educational objectives. Stage 2: Leadership

Provide the leadership to translate the vision into action
Create buy-in and develop linkages with key stakeholder groups (internal company departments and school/community groups)
Identify company "champions" who can take a leadership role in advancing your vision
Reduce barriers and obstacles which may inhibit implementing your ideas

Stage 3: Measurable indicators

Determine what you plan to accomplish, clarifying your goals and indicators of success
Identify how you will measure outcomes at your company
Develop a timetable to evaluate the achievement of these outcomes

Company educational initiatives that are linked to business objectives have the greatest likelihood of impacting the bottom line. Stage 4: Continuous improvement

Evaluate the impact of your educational partnerships
Plan next steps
Continue to assess and revise your efforts

Worksheet 12: Create a Communications Strategy

PURPOSE

To develop a communications strategy to publicize your educational approaches.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

What do you want to communicate? What is the message?
Who are your target audience(s)?
What is your timetable? What do you hope to accomplish in three months, six months and one year?
What vehicles will you use to communicate your message?

Worksheet 12: Create a Communications Strategy

Message Audience Communication
Vehicles Timetable

Choose our company as a place to work because it cares about families and education Recruiters, career centers, the community, current and potential employees, schools Printed brochure, company email message 3 months: email message, newspaper
6 months: brochure
1 year: community meetings

3 months:
6 months:
1 year:

3 months:
6 months:
1 year:

3 months:
6 months:
1 year:

3 months:
6 months:
1 year:

Upon completion of this worksheet, you will have developed your communications strategy.

Your communications plan is an essential part of your overall work plan. It conveys the value of your strategic approaches to internal stakeholders, external stakeholders, and the community. In order to develop your communication plan, consider the following:

your communication goals and objectives
your audiences
your messages
your communication strategies
your criteria to measure success

Look to the future. Which communications goals do you want to accomplish in 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year?

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[Step 4: Build Coalitions]

[Business Guide Addendum]

Educational Approach	Goals	Objectives: Long term	Objectives: Sort term	Task and Activities	Individuals Responsible	Time Frame	Resources Needed/ Costs	Anticipated Outcomes	How will anticipated outcomes be measured?

		Stage 1: Vision Conceptualize your vision of what your company can do to achieve systemic educational change Determine your company's role in this vision Articulate your vision and its relevance to business and educational goals Create awareness and commitment to your vision
Each company needs an individualized strategic plan that reflects their business and educational objectives.		Stage 2: Leadership Provide the leadership to translate the vision into action Create buy-in and develop linkages with key stakeholder groups (internal company departments and school/community groups) Identify company "champions" who can take a leadership role in advancing your vision Reduce barriers and obstacles which may inhibit implementing your ideas
		Stage 3: Measurable indicators Determine what you plan to accomplish, clarifying your goals and indicators of success Identify how you will measure outcomes at your company Develop a timetable to evaluate the achievement of these outcomes
Company educational initiatives that are linked to business objectives have the greatest likelihood of impacting the bottom line.		Stage 4: Continuous improvement Evaluate the impact of your educational partnerships Plan next steps Continue to assess and revise your efforts

Message	Audience	Communication Vehicles	Timetable
Choose our company as a place to work because it cares about families and education	Recruiters, career centers, the community, current and potential employees, schools	Printed brochure, company email message	3 months: email message, newspaper 6 months: brochure 1 year: community meetings
			3 months: 6 months: 1 year:
			3 months: 6 months: 1 year:
			3 months: 6 months: 1 year:
			3 months: 6 months: 1 year: