Strategic planning is a fundamental component of a Higher Education Institution’s Quality Assurance System, involving the definition of its vision, mission, values, and strategic priorities for a specific period. It aims at the long-term improvement and development of the institution, based on an analysis of internal and external environments and the active engagement of the academic community.
Key Elements of Strategic Planning:
- Definition of vision and mission statements.
- SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats).
- Setting of strategic goals and priority areas.
- Development of operational plans and goal-setting at unit level.
- Linking resources, actions, and timelines.
- Establishment of mechanisms for monitoring and revision of the strategy.
Strategic planning:
- Provides the reference framework for the development of all quality-related policies and initiatives.
- Guides goal-setting and the selection of performance indicators.
- Strengthens transparency and accountability, both internally and externally.
- Acts as a core element of documentation for external evaluation and accreditation (e.g. by HQA or other quality agencies).
- Supports the development of a quality culture across all levels of the institution.