12 Strategic Planning
Dr Shantanu Ganguly
I. Objectives
The objectives of the unit/module are:
- To introduce the concept of strategic management
- To discuss the importance of strategic management with reference to libraries
- To explain the strategic planning process
- To describe various factors and techniques of strategic planning
II. Learning Outcome
After going through this unit/module, you would learn importance of planning and strategic planning and management in libraries and information centers. You would also learn meaning and need for strategic planning, planning techniques, assessing the environment, developing strategies for: collection development, allocation of rational budget allocation, strategic development in technology, and strategic communication and marketing.
III. Structure
1. Introduction
2. What are Strategies?
2.1 When should a strategic plan be developed?
2.2 How are strategies developed?
2.3 What is strategic management in Libraries?
3. Planning Services and Systems in Libraries and Information Centres
3.1 Anticipating the Future
3.2 The Planning Concept
3.3 Factors in Planning
3.4 SWOT Analysis?
4. Planning Techniques
4.1 Developing Standards and Guidelines
4.2 Management by Objectives (MBO)
5. What is Strategic Planning in Libraries?
6. Environment Assessment
6.1 Strategic planning principles
6.2 Focus and action plans
6.3 To facilitate intellectual life in the institution
6.4 To be a leader among academic institutions
7. Strategies for Collection Development
7.1 Acquisition Policy
7.2 Consistency
7.3 User Involvement
7.4 Competitive Vendor Profile
8. Rational Budget Allocation
9. Strategic Development in Technology
10. Strategic Communication and Marketing—A Necessary Tool
11. Strategic Plan of Actions – Case Studies 11.1 Case Study: 1
11.2 Case Study: 2
11.3 Case Study: 3
12.Example
13.Summary
14.References
1. Introduction
Strategic management as a term and concept is not new. The term was first used in the 1970’s, and it meant that a staff of strategic planners tried to sell them to decision makers. In the 1990’s, the view of strategic planning and strategic management is much different. Goodstein, Nolan, and Pfeiffer’s definition of strategic planning takes us away from the notion that strategic planning is a staff job and focuses more on a process that requires the senior leaders of an organization to set its strategic direction.
The concept of strategic management builds on this definition of strategic planning, recognizing that although planning is the prelude of strategic management, but it is insufficient if not followed by the deployment and implementation of the plan and the evaluation of the plan in action. Strategic management is a systems approach to identifying and making the necessary changes and measuring the organization’s performance as it moves toward its vision. It has been defined as:
“….management….system…that links strategic planning and decision making with the day-
to-day business operational management”. (Gluck, Kaufman and Walleck, 1982)
The following model depicts the five processes of strategic management which are pre-planning, strategic planning, deployment, implementation, and measurement and evaluation.
Strategic management goes beyond the development of a strategic plan, which included the pre-planning and strategic planning processes. Strategic management is the deployment and implementation of the strategic plan and measurement and evaluation of the results.
– Deployment involves completing the plan and communicating it to all employees.
– Implementation involves resourcing the plan, putting it into action, and managing those actions.
– Measurement and evaluation consists not only of tracking implementation actions, but, more importantly, assessing how the organization is changing as a result of those actions and using that information to update the plan. Strategic management is a continuous process rather than one-time event. Therefore, the senior leaders must become strategic thinkers and leaders of the organization and its culture, changing it as necessary.
When an organization is practicing strategic management, thinking becomes more visionary, which is characterized by:
– Breakthrough thinking about the future; organizational boundaries are more flexible
– A shift in focus from the inputs that are used to run the business to the outputs and outcomes the organization desires to achieve
– A focus on optimizing organizational performance and process quality as keys to delivering quality products and services
– A move toward an organizational culture that adapts easily to change
– With practice, patience, dedication, and hard work, the organizational learning that takes place through the application of strategic management will bring the organization closer to realizing its goals and vision.
With each update of the strategic plan, senior leaders will become better able to deploy the plan, implement changes, and measure organizational performance.
2. What are Strategies?
Strategic management consists of the analysis, decisions, and actions an organization undertakes in order to create and sustain competitive advantages. This definition captures two main elements that go to the heart of the field of strategic management.
- The strategic management of an organization entails three ongoing processes: analysis, decisions, and actions. Such as analysis of strategic goals (vision, mission, and strategic objectives) along with the analysis of the internal and external environment of the organization. Decisions, address two basic questions from management point of view: What industries should we compete in? How should we compete in those industries? And last are the actions that must be taken. This requires leaders to allocate the necessary resources and to design the organization to bring the intended strategies to reality. This is an ongoing, evolving process that requires a great deal of interaction among these three processes.
- The essence of strategic management is the study of why some organisations outperform others. Managers need to determine how a firm is to compete so that it can obtain advantages that are sustainable over a long period of time. That means focusing on two fundamental questions: How should we compete in order to create competitive advantages in the marketplace?
- Managers must also ask how to make such advantages sustainable, instead of highly temporary, in the marketplace. That is: How can we create competitive advantages in the marketplace that are not only unique and valuable but also difficult for competitors to copy or substitute?
Michael Porter argues that sustainable competitive advantage cannot be achieved through operational effectiveness alone. Most of the popular management innovations of the last two decades-total quality, just-in-time, benchmarking, business process reengineering and outsourcing all are about operational effectiveness. Operational effectiveness means performing similar activities better than rivals. Each of these is important, but none lead to sustainable competitive advantage, for the simple reason that everyone is doing them. Strategy is all about being different from everyone else. Sustainable competitive advantage is possible only through performing different activities from rivals or performing similar activities in different ways. An organisation with a good strategy must make clear choices about what it wants to accomplish.
2.1 When should a strategic plan be developed?
Strategy development follows the creation and affirmation of the organization’s purpose statement, environmental and program data collection and analysis, and identification of critical issues. It is critical that strategy development follows these steps because the information gathered and decisions made in these phases are the foundation for strategy creation and selection. Each of these steps provides the following: The purpose statement, the statement of the organization’s ultimate goal, provides the direction to which the strategies should ultimately lead. External market data and program evaluation results provide critical data to support strategy development. Without this information and insight, the organization’s strategies will not be in alignment with or effective in the market place. The critical issues list serves as the specific focus and frame work for the activities of the organization and the pattern of these activities (developing and selecting the strategies).
2.2 How are strategies developed?
Strategy formulation is a combination of rational and scientific examinations, intuitive best guesses. Many individuals are overwhelmed by the idea of developing strategies, but it can be a fun and invigorating process. The process entails: examining the organization’s critical issues determining how the organization’s strengths and skills can be employed to address the critical issues analyzing opportunities and strengths and looking for ways to synthesize the two exploring and choosing the best approaches for the organization. During this evaluation ask these key questions: Does the strategy meet/address critical issues? Is this aligned with our mission? Is this approach financially viable? One effective method of strategy generation is to list critical issues and organizational strengths on to flipcharts and then have staff or board members brainstorm possible uses of those strengths or other skills to address the critical issues.
2.3 What is strategic management in Libraries?
This is the application of strategically thinking of the jobs leading the library. This has the following three elements:
– Formulation of the library’s future mission in the light of changing external factors such as regulation, competition, technology and the users.
– Development of a competitive strategy to achieve the mission, vision and goals.
– Creation of the library structure which will deploy resources to successfully carry out its competitive strategy.
3. Planning Services and Systems in Libraries and Information Centres
Planning is a major component of strategic development. Effective planning of services and systems in libraries and information centres encompasses activities directed toward developing a vision and a mission, and then setting goals, motivating individuals, appraising performance of both personnel and systems, evaluating results, developing a financial base to accomplish all of that, and then adjusting directions to account for the outcome of those activities. Planning is at the heart of management activities because its effectiveness—or in some cases ineffectiveness—is reflected in every segment of an organization’s developmental process. As an analytical process, it involves assessing the future, determining a desired direction for the organization in that future, creating objectives in the context of that future, developing programs of action for such objectives, selecting an appropriate agenda from among those alternatives that are priorities, and pursuing a detailed course of action.
3.1 Anticipating the Future
Planning is an effort to anticipate future change; it can be accomplished by choosing from among several possible alternatives. Planning in the past was most often accomplished as a line function, performed only by managers in a direct supervisory relationship. Now many large libraries and information centres have developed cadres of people whose primary function is planning. Officers in staff positions augment and support team-based planning efforts, sometimes acting as information sources, sometimes as catalysts, sometimes as advisers, and sometimes as devil’s advocates. Those individuals might, for example, provide factual data and propose new services, but their primary role is to coordinate the entire planning program. Information centres like for-profit organizations are more likely to relate a portion of their activities to a planning division and with knowledge management becoming such an important component of their responsibilities, are likely to be represented at a high level in the organization because knowledge management plays an important role in those initiatives.
3.2 The Planning Concept
A textbook definition of planning is that it is an “analytical process which involves an assessment of the future, the determination of desired objectives in the context of that future, the development of alternative courses of action to achieve such objectives and the selection of a course, or courses, of action from among these alternatives.”
Planning is both a behaviour and a process; it is the process of moving an organi-zation from where it is to where it wants to be in a given period of time by setting it on a predetermined course of action and committing its human and physical resources to that goal. The analogy of a road map is an appropriate one—if one doesn’t know where he or she is, and doesn’t know how to get to where he or she wants to be, many roads lead to a dead-end, or at least a retracing of steps. Basic questions of “who, what, when, where, and how” are preceded by the most important philosophical question of “why,” and all must be addressed in the process. Perhaps the most important reasons for planning are: to offset uncertainty and to prepare for change, to focus attention on a clear direction for the future, to gain economic control of the operation, and to facilitate control and to demonstrate accountability.
A successful planning approach must build an understanding of the library’s or information centre’s reason for existence and capabilities as an essential first step to identifying future directions. To create a planning attitude, the concept must involve all levels of the organization, beginning at the top and filtering down throughout the various levels to be accepted and implemented through policies, procedures, projects, and programs that can be developed as a result. The outcome, a planning document, becomes today’s design for tomorrow’s action, an outline of the steps to be taken starting now and continuing into the future. The process leading to the development of a written document involves all segments concerned with and affected by the process, both inside the immediate library and information centre and outside through customers with programmatic interests and individuals and organizations with vested financial interests. This planning process forces action on the part of the “whole” of the institution.
3.3 Factors in Planning
Factors in the planning process can be arbitrarily divided into at least five elements: time, collecting and analyzing data, levels of planning, flexibility, and accountability.
Time Frame There are two categories of plans with respect to time: long-range or strategic plans and short-term, annual, or operational plans. These categories refer to the span of time over which the plan is effective, starting with the time when the plan is initiated and ending with the time when the objectives of the plan are actually measured for achievement.
Short-term plans provide the guidelines for day-to-day operations and the procedures by which they are accomplished. These plans are much more detail-intensive and immediate than strategic plans, and their objectives are much more short-term and specific. They encompass more known factors and, therefore, are more quantitative. Short-term plans bring the general guidelines developed in long-range plans to the operational level. One might view the two approaches as complementing each other—strategic plans providing the overview and operational plans providing the specific budgetary factors for a specified period of time. Because short-term plans are specific and immediate, they do not carry the uncertainty that strategic plans do.
Collecting and Analyzing Data This step includes systematic collection of data concerning the library or information centre, its activities, operations, staff, use, and users over a given period of time, as well as the external environment, which affects what the organization wants to do and the way it can do it. In other words, it is an analytical study of the whole organization and its operation. One must fight the urge to allow data collection to dominate or to bog down the planning process, rather viewing this step as a means to an end—the collection of data relating to past activities with the view of making decisions about future ones.
Levels of Planning Traditionally, long-range planning has been carried out primarily by the upper echelons, whereas short-term planning usually is conducted by supervisors or coordinators at the point-of-impact of services. In libraries and information centres that have planning committees or officers, and in smaller organizations, a hierarchical approach is abandoned in favour of input from all levels and segments of the organization.
Flexibility, or adaptability in meeting changing needs, is the essence of good planning. Flexibility applies to both short-term and strategic planning processes. Any planning that is too rigid to accommodate change as it occurs is an exercise in futility. This is why it is important to review plans on a scheduled basis with the intent of revising priorities that might change over the short term, as well as identifying objectives that have been accomplished.
Accountability is a key to future success. Accountability requires obligation and initiative to carry out established plans. For managers, this means delegating authority and making individuals or teams responsible for achieving the plan’s objectives once they have been established. Ultimately, however, the manager is accountable for the action or inaction toward the established goals.
3.4 SWOT Analysis?
SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis is a methodology of examining potential strategies derived from the synthesis of organizational strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT). The partnering of the different elements and the extensive data collected as a result of the analysis can serve as a spark for roundtable discussions and refinement of current strategies or generation of new strategies.
4. Planning Techniques
Many techniques must be considered for use in the planning process. However, they should not be mistaken for the process itself. Some of the most important techniques are developing standards and guidelines and forecasting.
4.1 Developing Standards and Guidelines
Standards are measurable, enforceable, and can be directly related to goals. They should provide guidance for actions in the present climate while being flexible enough to allow for future development. General, industry-wide, or profession-wide standards or guidelines established by various professional groups provide a basis for planning. For example, standards have been developed by the American Library Association, IFLA, and the Special Libraries Association. But these standards are not plans, they are a means of defining acceptable service. Each individual library must develop its own plans based on the demands of its clientele, using those industry standards as guidelines. Both human and technical factors must be considered in developing sound standards.
4.2 Management by Objectives (MBO)
MBO has been informally applied in some libraries (though perhaps not consciously) to combine individual and institutional goal setting with the decision-making process. Much has been written on the technique of MBO, a process that has been in and out of favour with industry and commerce for some time. Some now believe that its time has passed, whereas others feel it is now re-emerging.
Management by Objectives is perhaps one of the most evident examples of participative management because it involves everyone, to an extent, in the management process. It can clarify responsibilities, strengthen planning and control, and establish better relationships between supervisors and other staff members. The process rests upon several premises:
a. Clearly stated objectives. If objectives are not clear, they should be clarified.
b. A succession of specific objectives. Benchmarks must be established to measure progress.
c. Delegation of specific objectives. Certain people should be responsible for accomplishing specific objectives.
d. Freedom to act. Subordinates should be given objectives and authority and then be charged with accomplishment of those objectives.
e. Verifiable objectives. To achieve objectives, it is best to quantify them. If they are non-quantifiable objectives, they may relate to quantifiable ones.
f. Clear communication. This exists only when objectives are specific, are agreed upon by all parties, are budgeted, and are known by all individuals who have a reason for knowing.
g. Shared responsibility. Team effort is the key to management by objectives.
h. Personal accountability. Each person must be accountable for the achievement of his or her assigned objectives.
i. Improving management ability. Management is able to plan more objec-tively when these premises are accepted.
5. What is Strategic Planning in Libraries?
Strategic planning is a management tool to help the libraries to do better. It is used to determine mission, vision, values, goals, objectives, roles and responsibilities, timeliness, etc. This is a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what the library is, what it does and why it does it, with a focus on the future. Strategic planning is only useful if it supports strategic thinking and leads to strategic management. Thesis is the basis for an effective organization.
6. Environment Assessment
Libraries are affected by many changes in education and research that had impact on the institution as a whole. Some of these changes present opportunities and some threaten higher education and libraries as they operate. In addition, there are other factors in the environment that are of specific importance to libraries as they plan for the future. Some of the important factors include:
a. Changes in Library Outlook
There is slow but steady change in the library’s outlook is taking place. They are starting to engage in collaboration and partnership with global organisations for various reasons and also in consortia mode. Collaborations and partnerships require new skills for staff, such as knowledge of licensing and negotiations and technical infrastructure management. Libraries are also in the midst of expanding the building space for traditional collections apart from new forms of media and non-traditional information resources. Traditional models of academic library services are insufficient to meet current requirements and the librarians need to engage in devising new models.
b. Changes in Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
The increasing online environment is resulting in users who are more technology savvy and are demanding and expecting more from the libraries. The potential of delivering information anytime anyplace challenges libraries to re-examine how space is organized and used. It is necessary to create new modes to deliver services to the user’s desktops even outside the campuses. As more resources are created via the web, issues arise related to licensing, archiving, security and access. Librarians are challenged to develop new technical skills and abilities to validate the quality of information resources over the web.
c. Changes in Electronic Publishing
The transition from print to electronic distribution brought significant disruption to the publishing industry and also marketing the resources. The challenges concern the traditional scholarly communication that is converting the traditional publishing to the digital environment, intellectual property rights issues, alternatives to journals and dramatic increase in all forms of information content, etc. These challenges along with enabling technologies have created major issues around copyright, ownership and management of digital resources.
d. Changes in Higher Education
Innovations in the design and delivery of higher education to reach to the people are on the increase. But effectiveness of such innovations and the impact on the faculty productivity is still not clear. The new modes of learning need different approach and new support system for both students and the faculty.
e. Changes in Research Environment
Research funding, which was with government support is now available from public and private sources. While these new partnerships are important to the research, they also raise issues about the priorities, type of resources and support and the faculty interest, addressing the legal issues etc. Only established research libraries remain unaffected by these challenges in research funding.
6.1 Strategic planning principles
In developing a strategy it is important to ask right questions to formulate right choices. The typical right questions for libraries to answer are:
- What do libraries need to do to support excellence for different types of users?
- How the library can support divergent research needs, on and off campus including support in collaborative research?
- How the library can continue to facilitate and preserve developments in knowledge across the campus and in the wider scope of research and scholarship?
- How to participate actively in campus-wide solutions to information technology applications to support teaching and research?
- How the library can contribute and strengthen the life on campus in the institution?
Libraries in the academic institutions are creative partners in the research and learning process. They select, organize, present and preserve information resources relevant to education and research in the institutions. They sustain these resources and provide quality services on behalf of the present and future research and scholarly community. They build intellectual connection among these resources and educate the university community in the effective use of information. The libraries want the community to think first when they need information. Today’s complex and challenging environment requires the libraries to focus on core mission and willingness to experiment. Small changes may meet the university’s short-term needs but they will be inadequate to sustain excellence on the long term needs.
6.2 Focus and action plans
Providing rapid, easy and precise access to high quality information to support teaching and research. Locating and accessing accurate information has become increasingly difficult in today’s environment. The challenge to the libraries is to provide user-friendly, integrated, responsive and precise access to all resources in any medium in all relevant disciplines wherever and whenever it is needed. This requires libraries to develop tools to merge an invaluable traditional asset with emerging forms of research and instruction. Simply providing access is not sufficient. Overwhelming volume of information is available and the users need to have confidence in libraries that they would get the best resources to meet their specific needs. This requires the librarian to play the increasingly important roles of evaluator and organizer of information and educator of users. Librarian requires new skills and approaches to be successful in meeting the user requirements. Another important aspect of access is availability of access over time. In addition to providing access to current materials, the preservation and sustainability of resources, whether owned, developed or accessed, whether in print or electronic is an important goal that must be fulfilled. Emphasis should been relevance and excellence to define the standard for best practices in the libraries.
| Expanding network based access collection by providing online digital resources whenever needed. | This strategy focuses on the need to continue to build collections that provide the best and most relevant resources to the university community and ensuring ease of access for users.As more digital resources become available the library staffs need to develop tools and processes to add an expanding variety of digital contents to supplement the library resources to contribute to the libraries’ goal of excellence. |
| Improve access to materials that are based in the library and acquired externally by providing enhanced access and delivery of resources. |
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Improve service to thestudents and faculty byreducing fragmentation,expanding servicehours and developing training programs in the evaluation and use of information resources.
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For faculty and students needing access to the libraries’print resources, the fragmentation of the physical collections and need for useful bibliographic records as the teaching and research become more distributed and more interdisciplinary. Services should be available 24/7, whether through physical presence or electronic connection. Libraries should play major role in educating students in information seeking strategies. With new technologies and techniques there are opportunities for librarians to reach out to students, faculty and researchers and help them to fully utilize the resources that are available. |
Table 1.0 Action plan
6.3 To facilitate intellectual life in the institution
Libraries must be creative partners in the research and teaching process of the institution. This requires the library to redefine its role and acquire a place of recognition. In today’s learning environment students and faculty need not only individual study and work space but also multimedia spaces that allow group of people to work actively in close proximity to information. Libraries now must provide easy access to all media and learning tools to facilitate variety of working modes to the users. By providing both access to media and resources and opportunities for conversation and collaborative work, the library truly becomes place for active academic work. Today such space is lacking. The students are looking to the libraries for space that contributes to quality of life and intellectual growth.
| Create space that meets the needs of the academic community. | The needs that should be addressed are:
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| Create space that meets the needs of current and future library operations | It is necessary to reassess the present space and redesign the space slowly with additional construction, if necessary. Most independent library buildings on the campuses can be remodelled to suit to the requirements with future expansions. |
| Incorporate appropriate emerging information technologies in to library’s space. | There are many high-end technological advances, such as high bandwidth access wireless capability, that are sufficiently expensive to warrant deployment as shared resources. Library’s IT infrastructure should mould into the university’s IT infrastructure. |
6.4 To be a leader among academic institutions
Information Technology has dramatic impact on expectations regarding the definition and scope of libraries. But unfortunately, the gap between expectations and reality is vast in the libraries in India.
Advances in information technology focus almost exclusively on new applications and short and long-term gains. The University libraries have a unique responsibility for the development of sustainable information technology models for the future. IT has now created the need for educators and librarians to understand the impact and potential of the next generation of IT and to ensure that technological advances serve education and society effectively into the next century.
Create a digital library with partners from industry This helps to address important problems in applied library and information technologies. The digital library would focus on the new roles and responsibilities of libraries in the changing educational environment of higher education. It would address the need of libraries to sustain and serve digital publications from variety of sources and would also develop strategies and tools for managing the digital materials including the e-prints.
A digital library would provide a venue to experiment with new ways of organizing library services cutting across disciplines, supporting staff exploring new ideas, addressing technical problems and designing new services. It could also serve as a training ground for library staff to learn new skills.
Use the best applied technology to enhance user self-service Though present day technologies may enable the library users to do more on their own, it is not always simple. There are areas where a desire for self-service is at odds with system functionality. Technology will be sought that enables the libraries to address self-service check out and check in and user initiated interlibrary lending and hot links from within the libraries gateways and online catalogue.
Extend the reach of library staff As technology enables the students, faculty and researchers to access information from desk tops, they still need access to library expertise and assistance in using these materials. Live connectivity to library services could become a characteristic of the University, enhancing the university’s image and reputation in the scholarly community.
7. Strategies for Collection Development
Collection development is considered as one of the primary tasks for any library and information centre. It is a dynamic and continuous activity. In order to develop a balanced, user-oriented and active collection, a well planned and thought out system has to be evolved by the library and information managers in close association with the representatives of various user constituencies. Such a system will not only help develop need based collection but also save money, time and space that would, otherwise, be wasted on developing irrelevant, outdated, and passive collections. Some of the strategies followed in building the library collection of typical library are briefly outlined and illustrated as follows:
7.1 Acquisition Policy
Collection development of all forms of documents like the books, periodicals, CD-ROMs, audio-visual materials, corporate reports, rare materials, electronic databases, etc. on a well thought out, instrument in the form of an “Acquisition Policy”. The policy instrument, discussing various key collection development policy issues, addresses the following concerns:
– Qualitative collection development
– Not much of year-end like pressures
– No vendor patronages
– User requisitions/recommendations based collection development.
7.2 Consistency
The consistency of the library growth profile on books and periodicals indicates that the library has been growing steadily in terms of its core collection, comprising books and periodicals and also other resources, both print and electronic.
7.3 User Involvement
A library’s holdings are rated better (and user oriented) if most of the acquisitions are on the basis of user requisitions/recommendations. Towards periodical subscription/renewal also, the library follows a unique system ensuring user involvement to the maximum possible extent.
7.4 Competitive Vendor Profile
Library should invite quotations and profile from the authorised suppliers and vendors. The vendors and suppliers should have standing in the market in terms of supply, authenticity, delivery on-time.
8. Rational Budget Allocation
Need for rational budgetary allocation assumes significance when financial resources are limited and competing demands show an increasing trend. Both these aspects were not a limitation during the initial growth phase of the library. However, things change over the years. The institution and the library together has to do lot of due diligence for a comprehensive budget allocation policy. Library committee, with its membership representing all user constituencies, should pro-actively discuss and deliberated on the issue and came up with a policy for the purpose. Especially, the logic followed is that the allocation of budget for acquisition of new books, periodicals and e-resources is related to the number of faculty members and the number of courses (core as well selective) taught in particular area and other academic activities in that area. The budgetary allocation is made in the beginning of each year for each area, depending on the total budget available for acquisition of reading materials. Later, a mid-year review is done where the funds likely to remain unused (if any) in a particular area could be reallocated to other areas where requirements are likely to exceed the allocation made in the beginning of the year.
9. Strategic Development in Technology
As libraries and information centres plan strategies for the future, one of the most important components is developing a strategy that anticipates technological needs and integrates that into the planning process. Technology is the major force in changing library and information services today, and it is recognized that it continues to outpace humankind’s ability to envision how it can be most effectively used. Additionally, the lifetime of a technological innovation is reduced by the constant upgrade of both hardware and software. Technology planning, as an important component in the strategic planning process, helps translate the library’s vision and mission into options and actions. A reasoned approach to technology planning would require establishing standards, norms, and methods for evaluating, purchasing, implementing, and using technology, including hardware, other equipment, software, and staff training. Assuming that such a plan is already in place or is progressing simultaneously, a technology component should be articulated and integrated into the strategic plan.
Experience has shown that such a team-based approach ensures greater success in technology’s integration into the vision of information services. In the “looking-around” aspect of the environmental scan and the SWOT analysis, clients, customers, patrons, users, or other stakeholders and their needs will already have been identified. Identifying how technology applies in satisfying their needs is therefore paramount to successful mission accomplishment. Because technology plays such an important role in information services, planning its integration is embedded in almost every aspect of strategic planning processes.
10. Strategic Communication and Marketing—A Necessary Tool
Once the strategic plan has been developed, the plan itself can serve as an important tool for communication and marketing within the community. This thought will have been built into the plan at the very beginning by involving the whole community in the planning process and, thereby, encouraging everyone to buy into the outcome. The strategic planning process has not only identified goals and objectives but also the means by which the library will accomplish them. Perhaps the most important component is that of assuring or reassuring customers that their needs, identified in the process, will be met. That fact is translated into terms that everyone can understand in a marketing process. This requires special focus on a communication plan to promote those priorities of information services. A comprehensive marketing program, of course, encompasses not just the strategic plan, but because the major components of “what we are here for” have been identified in the plan, it makes sense to extensively market the goals and objectives of the plan, as the showpiece of the wide range of activities that are involved in meeting the needs of customers and giving value to those efforts.
Marketing the strategic plan presents the opportunity to move from the “push” mentality of persuasion to a “pull” mentality of identifying what is needed, a process that has been carried out in the strategic planning process. It involves all of the elements already discussed under strategic thinking and planning. For instance, when thinking about an environmental scan (SWOT, with its PEST component), a marketing audit would have been included in the community analysis component. Therefore the marketing audit and planning process must be bundled together in a single process in order to reach a successful comprehensive planning outcome.
11. Strategic Plan of Actions – Case Studies
11.1 Case Study: 1
IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions)
Background IFLA, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. IFLA acts as the global voice of the library and information profession, by:
– Promoting high standards of provision and delivery of library and information services;
– Encouraging widespread understanding of the value of good library and information services;
– Representing the interest of its members throughout the world.
To achieve its goals IFLA works in close cooperation with its strategic partners in the cultural heritage sector, in the scientific world and beyond. IFLA is an independent, international, non-governmental, not-for-profit member-based organisation, registered in the Netherlands as a Federation with full legal capacity, as required by Dutch law.
The role and position of libraries is rapidly changing to match the growing influence of the Internet, the digitisation of knowledge, and the expanding impact of online social networking tools. To continue its role as the trusted global voice of the library and information community, the IFLA Strategic Plan sets out IFLA’s strategic directions and goals for 2016-2021. It is a Strategic Plan to guide the governance and the entire activities of the IFLA organisation.
Vision IFLA is the trusted global voice of the library and information community, and drives equitable access to information and knowledge for all.
Mission IFLA is the international organisation for library and information associations, institutions and librarians in the user communities they serve throughout the world.
To advance the interest of its members IFLA:
– furthers accessibility, protection, and preservation of documentary cultural heritage;
– supports a library and information profession which anticipates and responds to the needs of communities worldwide;
– drives high standards in library and information services and professional practice;
– encourages widespread understanding of the value and importance of high quality library and information services in the public, private and voluntary sectors;
– promotes libraries as vital institutions that enhance people’s lives through equitable access to knowledge and information;
IFLA does this by creating strategic alliances; enhancing professional education; developing professional standards; disseminating best practices and advancing relevant scientific and professional knowledge. IFLA will work with its members, partners and other relevant strategic organisations and governments to fulfil its Strategic Directions.
Strategic Direction
| Libraries in Society | We will developed the library and information services sector to build literate, informed and participative societies. We will develop strategies and tools to enable libraries to be key providers of information, education , research, culture and social participation |
| Information and | We will build a framework that promotes equitable access to information and knowledge in any format and in any place. |
| Knowledge | We will establish the capacity for library to cat as catalyst of innovation, able to facilitate the creation and reuse of content by their communities. |
| Cultural Heritage | We will support the library and information services sector and work closely with our network of culture heritage partners to safeguard cultural heritage in its diverse forms, including traditional, historical, indigenous and contemporary expression, and to achieve optimal coordination of our cultural heritage activities. |
| Capacity Building | We will establish the capacity to raise the voice of the library and information services sector at national, regional and global levels. We will develop an advocacy agenda and strengthen the ability of IFLA’s members to advocate effectively for libraries as key players in political, economic and social change. |
Scope of the IFLA Strategic Plan This strategic plan sets out IFLA’s strategic directions and goals for 2016-2021. It aims to guide the governance and activities of the IFLA organisation. For 2016-2021, the IFLA Governing Board has set out four Strategic Directions:
– Libraries in Society
– Information and Knowledge
– Cultural Heritage
– Capacity Building
The four Strategic Directions of our Plan will be progressed through a set of Key Initiatives and Activities, which will be updated every two years.
11.2 Case Study: 2
Goldsmiths, University of London (Strategic Plan 2010-2019)
Mission The Library exists to provide access to the information resources needed by students and staff in the formats they can use at the times and places they want to use them.
Strategic objectives
– To support learning and teaching and enhance the student experience
– To support research, including the REF
– To engage with the local community
To ensure that appropriate services are delivered efficiently and cost effectively
| 1. Support for
Learning and Teaching |
1.a Continue to provide information resources (books, journals, audiovisual items, databases, special collections) relevant to taught courses.
1.b Where possible to provide resources in digital format
1.c Raise students’ awareness of other libraries that they could use to support their learning
1.d Continue to provide library induction and information skills training, by various means, integrating this where possible
1.e Continue to support language learning and teaching
1.f Continue to improve the building to provide varied study spaces and other facilities to support learning
|
| 2. Support for Research | 2.a Provide better access to information resources, in conjunction with other libraries
2.b Acquire and catalogue special collections relevant to research
2.c Build partnerships with academic departments and cultural bodies in order to participate in research and resource enhancement projects
2.d Continue to manage the institutional repository and support the Research Excellence Framework
2.e Continue to manage intellectual property rights and digitisation services
|
| 3. Community engagement | 3.a Continue to work with the academic departments to support students
3.b Continue to work with the team on workshops
3.c Continue to offer work placements for LIS students and school students |
| 4. Efficiency | 4.a To provide suitable access to information resources and other shared services for students and staff
4.b Update systems to improve services and take advantage of new technologies
4.c Survey library users regularly to ensure that services are relevant to their needs.
4.d Market services to targeted groups of users to ensure take up and enhance reputation of Goldsmiths
4.e Review processes systematically to eliminate waste
4.f Improve shelving of books (both speed and accuracy)
4.g Maintain a high standard of customer service.
|
11.3 Case Study: 3
Victoria University
Mission Victoria University Library is integral to the University’s mission to positively transform lives through the power of education and research by enabling access to quality information, providing excellent learning spaces and services, and supporting the University’s research activities.
Vision Over the next five years Victoria University Library will remain integral to the
University’s mission by:
- Positioning the Library’s information resources and services in an expanding digital world to meet the changing needs of students, teachers and researchers
- Harnessing technologies that enable users to more simply and effectively discover the information they require
- Re-conceptualising virtual and physical learning spaces to support modern pedagogie
- Developing more effective student centred services through the innovative use of technologies
- Increasing its partnerships with faculties, departments and external bodies to support learning and research
- Creating dynamic organisational structures and refreshing staff capabilities Library
| Strategies Partnering to support student learning | The Library will:
|
| Partnering to build research | The Library will:
|
| Partnering with the University | The Library will:
|
| Partnering with industry and communities | The Library will:
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| Partnering with Library staff |
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12. Example
An example of a typical strategic library plan in the current scenario is given below:
Mission The Library exists to provide access to the information resources needed by all stakeholders in the formats they can use at the times and places they want to use them.
Strategic objectives
– To support learning and teaching and enhance the student experience
– To support every academic activated and also research and development of the organisation
– To engage with the local community
– To ensure that appropriate services are delivered efficiently and cost effectively
Support for Learning and Teaching
– Continue to provide information resources (books, journals, audio visual items, databases, special collections) relevant.
– Where possible to provide resources in digital format
– Raise awareness of libraries services, and products that they could use to support their learning
– Continue to provide library induction and information skills training using information literacy programmes, by various means, integrating this where possible with academic work
– Continue to support language learning and teaching
– Continue to improve the building to provide varied study spaces and other facilities to support learning
Support for Research
– Provide better access to information resources, in conjunction with other libraries
– Acquire and catalogue special collections relevant to research
– Build partnerships with academic departments and cultural bodies in order to participate in research and resource enhancement projects
– Continue to manage the institutional repository and support the Research Excellence Framework
– Continue to manage intellectual property rights and digitisation services
Efficiency
– To provide suitable access to information resources and other shared services for students and staff
– Update systems to improve services and take advantage of new technologies
– Survey library users regularly to ensure that services are relevant to their needs
– Market services to targeted groups of users to ensure take up and enhance reputation of the organisation vis-à-vis library
– Review processes systematically to eliminate waste
– Improve shelving of books (both speed and accuracy)
– Maintain a high standard of customer service
13. Summary
Strategic planning is an organization’s process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy. It may also extend to control mechanisms for guiding the implementation of the strategy. Strategic planning became prominent in organisations during the 1960s and presents in libraries and information organisations too it remains an important aspect of strategic management.
In this module/unit, you have learnt the need for strategic planning in libraries. Every modern library requires the strategic planning process. The levels and steps of strategic planning have also been covered. Key factors in the prevailing environment influence the library planning. Definite strategies are required for collection development, budget allocation and develop marketing strategies. Lastly, strategic plans of action in the form of case study and an example of library planning in the current scenario have also been outlined.
14. References
- Donald E. Riggs. Strategic Planning for Library Managers. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1984.
- Charles B. Lowry. When’s This Paradigm Shift Ending?Portal: Libraries and the Academy, 2 (3), 2002, vii-xiii.
- Alam, Aftab. (2004). E learning: emerging issues and prospective trends. Prajana, 6 (2), 17-20.
- Anandan, C &Gangatharan, M. (Eds). (2006) Digital libraries: from technology to culture. Delhi: Kanishka.
- Prasher, R.G. (1993). Developing libraries collection. New Delhi: Medallion.
- Raina, R. (1999). TQM in library and information services. New Delhi: Infuse, p.30-40.
- Henry Mintzberg.The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning (Upper Saddle River,NJ: Prentice – Hall, 1994), 333.
- Stuart Wells, “To Plan, Perchance, to Think; Aye, There’s the Rub,” Information Outlook 5 (September 2001): 10-11.
- Edward R. Johnson, “Academic Library Planning, Self-Study, and Management Review,” in Charles R. McClure, ed., Planning for Library Services (New York: Haworth Press, 1982), 72.
- Arthur Langley, “The Role ofFormal Strategic Planning,” Long Range Planning2 (1988): 48.
- Benjamin B. Tregue and John W. Zimmerman, “Strategic Thinking,” Management Review 68 (February 1979): 10-11.
- Richard Cyert, “Designing a Creative Organization,” in Handbook for Creative Managers (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1988), 186
- Peter M. Senge, The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the LearningOrganization (New York: Doubleday, 1990).
- Miami University Library. Preserving the Past, Embracing the Future. 2000-2004 Strategic Plan. www.lib.muohio.edu/libinfo/strategic/Intro.html
- California State University Northridge-Strategic Plan www.library.csun.edu/susan.curzon /stratpln.html.
- University of Iowa Libraries-Strategic Plan 2000-2004 (rev. A’larcH 2001 www.lib.uiowa .edu/admin/strategic-plan.html.
- Peter F. Drucker, Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices (New York: Harper & Row, 1974), 121- 22.
- George S. Odiorne, Management by Objectives{ New York: Fearon-Pitman, 1965), 55-56.
- Oren Harari, “Ten Reasons TQM Doesn’t Work,” Management Review 38 (January 1997): 38-44.
- Tom Peters, “Strategic Planning,” Total Quality 5 (October 10, 1994): 1.
- Carla J. Stoffle, et al., “Choosing Our Futures,” College and Research Libraries 57 (May 1996): 213-33.
- Richard DeGennaro, “Library Administration and New Management Systems,” Library Journal 103 (December 15, 1978): 2480.
Learn More:
Did you know?
1. Strategic management is a continuous process rather than a one-time event.
- SWOT analysis is a methodology of examining potential strategies derived from the synthesis of organizational strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT).
- Management by Objectives is an examples of participative management
- For implementing IFLA’s strategic plan, the underlying Priority Activities that will be formulated by each IFLA Governing Board will be valid for a two year period.
Timeline
| Period | Main Focus and Issue | Dominant Theme |
| 1950 | Financial Control speciallythrough operations budget |
Budgetary Planning and Control |
| 1970 | Planning Growth specially through operations budget |
Corporate Planning |
| 1980 | Selection Industries Market Positioning Market Leadership | Strategic Positioning, Analysis of Industry and Competition |
| 1990 | Focusing Strategy Sources of Competitive Advantages,aspects of Strategy | Strategic Competitive Advantages |
| 2000 | Reconciling Size with Flexibility and Responsiveness | Strategic and Organizational Innovation |
| 2010 | Creating a Strategy that can be Sustained in Times of sudden Market Shifts, Global Considerations Disruptive Innovation | Complexity and Rapid Change |
| Source: www.enotes.com |
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