Strategic Priorities: Purpose and Next Steps
Focus, Synergy, and Coherence
Strategic Priorities provide focus, synergy, and coherence to the Strategic Planning process. Strategic Priorities reinforce the UNO Strategic Framework, including the mission, vision, values, and the strategic goals. Elevating themes to Strategic Priorities allows UNO to align resources and ensures an action-oriented approach to Strategic Planning.
Pillars of Priority Setting
There are three pillars of priority setting:
- Futuristic Breakthrough Approach
○ Design thinking, collaboration, and proactivity are cornerstones
○ Questions the status quo
○ Addresses the problems of the future (institutional and/or societal)
○ Focuses on institutional relevance - Institutional Strengths
○ Leverages/grows institutional strengths
○ Bolsters competitive advantages
○ Recognizes existing synergies (e.g. UNePlan synergies) - Institutional and Community Dilemmas
○ Institutional data shows opportunities for growth
○ Responsiveness to societal and/or institutional outcry
Constituency Participation
Once priorities are set, the constituency groups (including faculty, staff, students, and community partners) are actively engaged in the Ideation Phase. This phase allows for the generation of concrete ideas and initiatives that operationalize the priority. Inclusive and broad representation in constituency participation is essential for buy-in and shared ownership of Strategic Planning. Once input is gathered and analyzed, it is used to inform the decision-making around implementation.