OERu/Strategic plan 2014 - 2017/Strategic plan 2015 - 2017/Annual report 2014/Strategic planning working group

Report of the strategic planning working group

The aim of the strategic planning working group is to coordinate the consultative development and corresponding documentation for the OERu Strategic Plan 2015-2017 and to guide its implementation.

Composition of the group and liaison with associated network structures

The strategic planning working group comprises four members of the OERF Board of Directors (Robin Day, Wayne Mackintosh, David Porter and Jim Taylor) and the Chair of the OERu Council of Chief Executive Officers (Alan Davis).

A key function of the strategic planning working group is to liaise with associated structures of the OERu network including the:

• Executive Committee of the OERu Council of Chief Executive Officers representing executive leadership of the OERu partner institutions.
• OERu Management Committee on the development of the sub-components of the strategy and implementation of the operational priorities of the collaboration.
• Board of Directors of the OERF to ensure alignment between the high level strategy of the Foundation and the OERu strategic plan.

Main outputs

Two formal meetings were convened during March and August 2014 respectively and members of the working group communicate regularly. In the absence of a strategic plan directing activities for the current year, the working group published the 2014 operational priorities to guide the work of the OERu network this year. additionally, the strategic planning working group launched the 2014 audit of course nominations in May 2014, which rendered thirty one full course equivalent nominations exceeding the anticipated target of twenty courses.

The team also coordinated the establishment of the strategic planning portal on WikiEducator in May 2014 publishing a number of strategic goals and corresponding objectives derived from the 2nd meeting of OERu partners for the open consultation process, culminating in the online SCoPE synthesis seminar convened during August 2014. Collectively, the strategic planning portal has generated +4,000 page views indicating that the draft plan has been consulted. Commentators have provided constructive feedback which has been incorporated into the refinements for the current version of the plan.

The working group prepared a summary of progress on the 2014 operational priorities which was included in the letter from the Chair of the OERu Council of Chief Executive Officers distributed to the Vice-Chancellors and Chief Executives of the OERu partners in August 2014.

The key recommendation of the strategic planning working group is that the OERu Strategic Plan 2015-2017 should be implemented as an evergreen and living document whereby the plan will be adapted and re-calibrated each year at the annual OERu meeting of partners in response to the dynamic open and higher education environment.

Future perspectives

Feedback from the mid-year summary of progress on the 2014 operational priorities indicates that this was well received by the Vice-Chancellors and Chief Executives. The strategic planning group recommend that a mid-year progress report for the Chief Executives be instituted as an annual milestone for the annual operational plan.

The working group recommends the inclusion of high level, three-year targets in the strategic plan recognising that with an evergreen approach, strategic goals and corresponding objectives may change over the duration of the plan. The annual iteration of the Strategic Plan will incorporate key performance indicators and corresponding outputs for the forthcoming year to guide operational priorities each year of the plan which will be revisited at the annual partners' meetings.