It’s Planning Season

Several departments and teams are examining their strategic plans this summer and revising their assessments for next year. I thought this simple checklist based on the example of changing a light bulb might help you in this process.

1. Does the light bulb want to be changed? If YES, develop a LIGHT BULB CHANGE MISSION STATEMENT and a LIGHT BULB CHANGE VISION.
2. What are the goals in changing the light bulb?
3. What is the expected outcome of changing the light bulb?
4. Who are the stakeholders in changing the light bulb?
5.. One stakeholder is the light bulb. But the term “the” light bulb, assumes one kind of light bulb. Thus, a relevant question is: are all types of light bulb inputs included?
6. What indicators can be used to determine whether the light bulb needs to be changed?
7. What indicators can be used to determine whether the light bulb has been changed?
8. How will the light bulb changing outcome be evaluated?
9. Who, in what way, and in what circumstances did or did not benefit from changing the light bulb, and what can be learned from this for future light bulb changing activities?
10. What consequences have ensued for the old, devalued and discarded light bulb? What provisions have been made for follow-up?
11. What social and cultural biases are implied in the action of replacing a possibly still vibrant and useful bulb with a newer one? (Note: No testing regimen has thus far been proposed to assess whether there are objective grounds for replacing the light bulb. Apparently, we have assumed that need is a product of pressures by stakeholders and the light bulb’s own internal state [i.e., “wants to be changed”]. Light bulb replacement policies must be examined as part of the evaluation plan.)

On a more serious note, please let me know how I can assist your teams this summer to review goals, set outcomes, and determine what you want to research.

Thanks to Tom Grayson at the University of Illinois for sharing this.

See you next month!
Kasey

Kasey Neece-Fielder
Director of Strategic Planning and Assessment
Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs
kasey.neece-fielder@utsa.edu
http://utsa.edu/students/assessment/