Table of Contents
SDD1: Identification of Leading Principles and Ideas
The first part of strategy development is to figure out, where the strategy leads. Strategies are an instrument of controlling and leadership; the chosen method should involve a team of different status groups on the identification of leading principles. This enhances acceptance representative nature of the strategy. To work time effective and to give room to discussions and finding consensus, this working step should take part in presence of all actors
Learning objectives
Learning outcomes
Session details
| Lesson item | Method(s) and instructions for trainers | Required resource(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Clear introduction into strategy development is necessary: 1) overview of the 5 Modules 2) explanation of strategy 3) Example for Mission, Vision and Values | PowerPoint Presentation including facts, presentation of JSTE schedule, explanation of Mission, Vision and Values, example(s) |
| Activity 1: | Discussion of Mission, Vision and Values of the school regarding digitization | Work circle (chairs) |
| Activity 2: | Fixing the discussion’s results on a MindMap, concretisation of the three points | FlipChart, Felt-Tips for 5 groups |
| Activity 3: | Transfer the results to a digital visualisation (can be done as Blended Learning) | FreeMind |
| Post-Activity Discussion | Presentation and discussion of the group results. | Beamer |
Assignments
Additional notes and tips for trainers
Possibly, the participants my not finish the documents during the training. Important is, that they are able to work: they understood the task and know, what to do. They should finish the document back at school and add it to the strategy development documentation.
SDD2: Analysis I – Environment and Organization
The second part of strategy development is to understand the environment, as well as the organization itself. It answers the question of “where do we stand?” which is necessary to clarify the situation. According to that, the state “where do we want to stand in 2020?” can be imagined and fixed. A clarified situation allows the definition of goals and the evaluation of the distance between actual and future state.
Learning objectives
Learning outcomes
Session details
| Lesson item | Method(s) and instructions for trainers | Required resource(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Clear explanation of the working step necessary. Presentation. Plenum. | PowerPoint Printed Example with space for notes |
| Activity 1: | Dispute of state analysis (Focus Groups, IO1_A2) and transfer to table of categories. Work Groups. | Results of Focus Groups (IO1_A2) |
| Activity 2: | State-definition related to multi-level categories, also using knowledge from the recent ICT modules. Work Groups. | MS Excel (Open Office) sheet |
| Activity 3: | Definition of future state (2020). Work Groups. | National Strategy Paper |
| Activity 4: | Definition of the difference between state and vision regarding “organization” and “environment”. Work Group on excel sheet. | MS Excel (Open Office) sheet |
| Post-Activity Discussion | Presentation and discussion of the group results. | Beamer |
Assignments
Additional notes and tips for trainers
A very narrow support of the participants is necessary. This working step (document) represents the base for the next step of defining and operationalize goals. If it is too difficult for the participants to work with digital tools, it is thinkable to let them do this task on a metaplan paper or with sticky notes on a wall. The focus during the modules SDD1 to SDD5 lies on learning strategy development, ICT implementation is subordinate.
SDD3: Analysis II: Defining concrete strategies
Comparison of organization policies with strategic options. Clarifies the question “Which option to we follow?, “Which is the overall strategy for the institution?”, “What impact has the overall strategy for the strategic business units?” and “What means the strategy for central functions and processes?”. The definition and choice of concrete strategies needs communication and consensus. Presence during this working step requested.
Learning objectives
Learning outcomes
Session details
| Lesson item | Method(s) and instructions for trainers | Required resource(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Presentation. | Beamer, PowerPoint |
| Activity 1: | Choice of final strategy/strategies. Decision on concentration or diversification of strategies. Group work. | Materials from modules SDD1,2 and 3 |
| Activity 2: | Elaboration of the strategy/strategies in the above named dimensions. Group work. | Metaplan, felt-pens, sticky notes. |
| Activity 3: | Formulation of concrete strategy. | MS Word, preparation for school homepages or chimpmonkey. |
| Activity 4: | Definition of the difference between state and vision regarding “organization” and “environment”. Work Group on excel sheet. | MS Excel (Open Office) sheet |
| Post-Activity Discussion | Presentation of the strategies in plenum. | PowerPoint |
Additional notes and tips for trainers
The definition of the final strategy or strategies is the last step of directional determination. Every following step already focusses rough planning (schedules, work packages) and concrete implementation issues. It is important that each learner understood the function of this step and, even more important, that the strategy development team agrees about the strategic orientation. They will have to transfer these developments to the other teaching and administration staff. If there is a lack of time to finish all requested work steps, the trainer should take care of the depth of understanding by using discussions and answer still open questions.
SDD4: Construction I: Goals and Indicators
Strategies are a controlling instrument. Therefore, their main function is to make progress measurable: the achievement of goals must be assessable. There are different ways to operationalize goals. One of them is to create a Balanced Score-Card (BSC). It includes a prioritization of targets, as well as codes (i.e. numbers) and indicators to make progresses visible.
Learning objectives
Learning outcomes
Session details
| Lesson item | Method(s) and instructions for trainers | Required resource(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Presentation of working step, definitions and an example | Beamer, PowerPoint |
| Activity 1: | Definition of goals and creation of range (short-, mid-, long-term). Work Groups. Presentation. | Metaplan paper, felt-pens, sticky notes |
| Activity 2: | Operationalization of the goals through codes/numbers/amounts and indicators (financial and non-financial). Short break included for questions. | BambooBSC |
| Post-Activity Discussion | Plenum discussion about expected challenges and collection of ideas, how and by whom the strategy performance management could be done. | Open discussion round for challenges, FlipChart notes for performance management. Camera. |
Assignments
Additional notes and tips for trainers
This part is the most difficult of strategy development, because fixed numbers and indicators are requested. The participation of school leading staff is necessary. This can be done via skype during the JSTE or by a face-to-face quality check afterwards.
SDD5: Construction II: Operational planning
Last work step in an interactional presence phase. Last possibility for the learners to clarify uncertainties and questions. The planning is an important guide for the implementation phase and therefore important to strictly support and discuss.
Learning objectives
Learning outcomes
Session details
| Lesson item | Method(s) and instructions for trainers | Required resource(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Presentation of work step and projectlibre | PowerPoint, projectlibre |
| Activity 1: | Definition of implementation phases (+duration and dates) and milestones of the strategy. | projectlibre |
| Activity 2: | Definition of work packages and responsible persons for them. | projectlibre |
| Activity 3: | Presentation of the planning and next steps, when back home. | projectlibre, Beamer |
| Post-Activity Discussion | Discussion of difficulties during the planning process, exchange of considerations regarding different feasibility issues. |
Assignments
Additional notes and tips for trainers
It is likely that the participants might not finish every document during the JSTE. Support of further planning or implementation experiences and problems online via email, skype, messaging tools or phone calls necessary. The final strategy covers a time range of at least three years (National Strategy Papers until 2020). The strategy includes action targets in at least three fields: (1) stakeholders, (2) direction of change and (3) school culture.
If the participants have problems to use projectlibre let them use paper and pencil. It is more important to fulfil the task of strategy development then to work with projectlibre, but without any results that help the strategy development groups to get started.
