Transcript Developing Association Strategic Plan

Developing the
Association Strategic Plan
June 2008
for AMT, Association Committee, Trustees
Trustees agreed plan be revised to:
• Cover a five year period – Jan 2009 to Dec 2013
• Be clearly strategic with operational elements removed to
annual planning
• Draw upon the existing Association Plan as much as possible
for continuity and to build on achievements to date
• Take forward the Reshaping project influencing it and learning
from it
• Support the development of regional and association annual
plans
• Allow for priorities summary so all WEA stakeholders can
understand and act to achieve the plan
• Be developed and consulted ahead of Strategic meeting of
Trustees and management in September
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AMT April - key themes:
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Revitalisation and renewal
Sustainability
Difference
Responsiveness
Diversity
Working together and building good practice
Focussing on what we’re good at, improving or dropping the
rest
Outward looking with partners, to government to wider
social issues and in civil society
Advocating influencing and leading to defend/promote adult
learning
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AMT April - priorities
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Maintain responsiveness to learners and communities: working with the
community and in many communities
Sharpen strategic focus and profile through doing what we do well and
dropping other things, building the strands and marketing our work
through these
Take advantage of our difference as space opens up behind Leitch
Engage with tutors as ambassadors, quality improvers, curriculum
developers, advocates
Develop partnerships and relationship management
Revitalise: finance, marketing, branches, tutors, staff and management
Campaigning, advocacy and influencing and making the case to
government – and locally
Anticipate and plan for dramatic funding change
Build/share good practice: develop Inter-regional work as the ‘loose’ in
the ‘tight-loose’
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Updated vision?
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An Outstanding provider
Of Democratic adult education
Making a difference nationally, regionally, locally
Inclusive and diverse and taking forward the values of liberal
education
With great tutors that build the WEA in every class
Sustainable: environmentally, financially, in staff volunteers and
governance
Building social capital within an infrastructure of educational
opportunities for adults that help them change their lives
Long standing mission continually reviewed and renewed in
new circumstances (curriculum, teaching methods, modes of
study, relationship to communities, partners and civil society)
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Proposed Plan outline
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Introduction by the President
Executive Summary
Mission and Vision Statements
Critical Issues (SWOT, internal/external)
Statements of Direction (the old four
tweaked)
Association Goals (prioritised)
Regional and Function plans arising
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Work – statement of direction
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The WEA’s work is to develop a range of educational activities meeting the
needs and interests of adults returning to education to improve their skills and
knowledge for themselves, for their involvement in communities and workplaces
and their understanding of the world - its environment, societies and cultures.
The WEA’s work encourages all these adults to: become aware and involved in
an association that advocates continuing education as essential to democracy;
become more active citizens; and to play a vital role in taking that work forward.
The methods of work used throughout the WEA reflect and reinforce
democratic educational principles
The WEA’s work includes campaigning, influencing and alliance building to
ensure that a high quality adult education is available to all through an
infrastructure of many providers – not just the WEA itself
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Workers – statement of direction
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The WEA’s workers include all those it pays to employ (staff and tutors) and
those who it uses as volunteers (in such activities as organising, promoting,
campaigning, evaluating, fund-raising and governance). Workers in the WEA are
capable, confident, resourceful, versatile and responsible for delivering the work
of the Association.
Wherever they are in the organisation, WEA workers have the information they
need to do their job and represent the WEA. This is accompanied by a range of
appropriate continuing professional development and training that is
systematically part of their work and informs their review and performance
management.
WEA tutors are key to taking our work forward. They are expert in their
subject and in their teaching methods and develop these through reflective
practice and with others in a network of WEA tutors. They are involved in
developing the overall work of the Association and the relationship is
professional but more than just contractual. They meet all WEA students as
equals and see themselves as part of the Association as a whole.
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Supporters – statement of direction
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The WEA’s supporters act to further the aims of the Association and its work.
They include members, donors, supporters, affiliated organisations and other
partners. They understand the work of the WEA and how they can contribute
as volunteers or in other ways.
Their voice is heard through the Association and they seek to encourage all
students and potential students to hear of our work.
The structures through which supporters work are clear and communication
with and between supporters is effective and builds the WEA’s voice, work,
resources and reputation.
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Money – statement of direction
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The Association gets its money from a range of sources including the LSC (and
its successor), other government departments and agencies, partner
organisations, learners and donors.
It uses it effectively and sustainably to maximise its impact in supporting the
work of the WEA. The Association continually looks to cost efficiencies to
maximise resource directed to the work, build reserves and minimise
environmental impact and carbon use.
This includes, where appropriate, technological solutions and review of
operational locations that are not directly linked to the provision of learning and
engaging with individuals, communities and partner organisations.
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Goals for each
• Arising from the four statements
• Each capable of being broken into actions and
outcomes which are measurable
• Each ‘owned’ in one of the AMT Boards and
reported to Trustees, with goal oriented agendas
• All prioritised and reviewed annually with top five
strongly communicated to all
• Self assessment becomes a whole organisation
activity related to reviewing progress with goals
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Example goals: by 2013
• Our income will grow overall but we will receive less
than XX% from one contract
• Ofsted will judge us as outstanding in next inspection
• We will have XXXXX members and YYYYY supporters
• Our governance will have X:Y:Z proportion of recent
learners drawn from our three educational strands
• Our website will have XXXXXX hits per year
• We will have a Framework for Excellence score in the
top 10% of providers in England
• Our direct operations will be carbon neutral
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New Board structure?
• Three functional AMT boards: Finance and Resources;
Communication & Development; Education & Strategy
• Each has an RD from North, Central & South (plus Scotland)
• With annual move-on for one RD in each board?
• With sub-boards and committees linked in to these three
• Three Inter-regional Boards based on current RQCs but with
clear Terms of Reference, resource and reporting
• One ‘Performance and External Affairs Board’?
• Scrutiny and governance linked in by Officers
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Benefits
• Goal directed
• Clearer AMT and Trustee agendas and built around
the plan and reports from these boards
• Sub-boards and other projects linked to main boards
– e.g. TOR for nominees group
• More noting, approving and delegating
• Better flow of decisions and communication
• More devolution and peer working
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Association Strategic Plan
• Has agreed goals that we will know when met
• Is annually reviewed through self-assessment
• Is prioritised - with the top five goals widely
published
• Is understood and worked to by all from
tutors to President
• Informs all management and Trustee decisions
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Devising goals
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How do we frame them?
How do we invite proposals?
Who do we involve?
How to we finalise them?
How do we prioritise them?
What’s the timetable up to September
meeting?
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Next steps
• Do you agree with the thrust of the proposed
new plan?
• What goals should be derived from the
Statements of Direction?
• Welcome proposed goals that are:
– Association wide
– Strategic
– Measurable
• Start with “in 2013 the WEA will…”
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Propose your goal
• At WEA regional and national meetings
between now and 12th September
• To your Regional Director or the General
Secretary
• Post a comment to the WEA’s Education Blog:
http://weaeducation.typepad.co.uk/
• E-mail [email protected]
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