april 2009where are we going? where are we going? strategic planning for public libraries

April 2009 Where are we Going?

Where are we going?

Strategic Planning for Public Libraries


Cheryl Becker

Public Library Administration Consultant

South Central Library System

http://cbeckerscls.pbwiki.com/presentations


Today’s Agenda What is strategic planning? Why plan “Planning to Plan” Getting started The process: Developing the plan Approval and implementation Living the plan Why plans fail


Strategic planning

Continuing and systematic process Organization envisions its future Develop procedures and operations Achieve future How to measure progress/success


Overview of Planning

Where are we now? How did we get here? Where do we want to go? How do we get there? How do we know we’re there?


Why plan?If you don’t:

What are decisions based on? No clear priorities Investment in status quo Measure success?


Why plan? If you do:

Set priorities Make wise decisions Track performance Demonstrate what taxpayers get for their

money


Before you start

Planning is about CHANGE Choose planning process Board and staff Schedule / Timeline Committee / Community Facilitator


Change Higher expectations/Fewer resources Technology Partnerships Library as leader/Community developer Changing demographics Changing formats Other?


Change Libraries will evolve into new models of

service

—OR—

Libraries will fade away as people use other, more convenient ways to obtain services currently offered by libraries

(Nelson, Strategic Planning for Results, 2008)


Change“The phonograph. . . is not of any commercial value.”

—Thomas Edison, 1880

“Sensible and responsible women do not want to vote.”

—Grover Cleveland, 1905

“Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?”

—Harry Warner, 1927

“There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in their home.”

—Ken Olson, president of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977


Facilitator

Consider: Neutral Training and skills Cost

Sources: LibraryConsultants.org Library System School District University / College Extension Other?


Get started!

Committee / Community Timeline / Schedule Orient board, staff, committee


The planning process

Keep brief Meetings Staff, board, community involvement Background info for committee


Planning is for doingGet the Planning done

Get on with the Doing


Planning for Results Process

COMMUNITY VISION

Community Needs

Library Service Priorities

Service Goals

Objectives

Evaluation


Planning for Results ProcessKey Points:

Community Committee Library Service Priorities Measures of Progress Managing Change


Community Based Committee

Community Vision Current Conditions Community Needs Which needs can the library address? Preliminary Service Responses


Needs library can address Which needs can the library address?

Potholes?

Low income housing?

Literacy?

Select preliminary service responses


Hands on practice


Staff and Board Consider preliminary service responses

Staff: SWOT analysis

Board: React to staff SWOT Approve / Recommend changes


Service Priorities

Select final service responses Prioritize service responses Managing CHANGE Library Values


Balanced Scorecard

Developed at Harvard

Planning tool for businesses

Balanced approach (not focused on one area)


Balanced Scorecard Process Success at your library Difference it makes in customer’s lives Perspectives:

Financial Customer Internal Process Organizational readiness


Mission & Vision

Performance Measures

Targets & Initiatives

Integrated Scorecard

Communicate Scorecard

Strategy Map

Balanced Scorecard Process


Starting Point Mission Statement (the present) The Vision (the future) Service responses The gap between now and the future leads to

a plan of action to achieve the vision. How we get to the future involves strategies


Strategy Results that matter How to achieve them 3 Broad options:

Customer Intimacy

Operational Excellence

Innovative Services

Focus on ONE!


Strategy Map

Cause-and-effect links among perspectives Describes what library will do to succeed Visual framework for library’s strategy Strategic themes

Describe what library must achieve to be successful in the future


Performance Measures For each strategic objective in each

perspective Types:

Input Process Output Outcome

Internally focused

Balance with measures that reflect impact of library on community and individuals



Input, process, output and outcome measures Internal & external measures Reflect on strategies chosen by the library 3-4 measures per perspective



Simple rather than complex measures Automated or existing measures New measures Rely on staff counts as a last resort


Important to any process

Communication Inform and involve board and staff Board approval points Buy in, support Flexibility


Writing the plan

Mission, goals, objectives (Or objectives, measures, targets. . .) Keep it short Format


Describe the Future Goals

Benefit community will receive because of a library service response

Objectives How library will measure progress toward goal


Goals Service Response:

Express Creativity Target audience:

Teens Benefit:

Programs and services to create innovative and interactive media

GOAL: Teens will have services and support to create innovative and interactive media.


Objectives Measure

How well the service meets their needs

Target 90% of teens surveyed

Date / Time frame Each year


Objective

Each year, at least 90% of teens surveyed will rate the assistance they received in creating or sharing content as very good or excellent.


Outcome Statements

By the end of the year, 90% of the family literacy program participants will double the amount of time they spend reading to their children each week.

At the end of the hour, 75% of the attendees in the Internet workshop will access and bookmark 2 web pages relevant to their selected topic.


Approval

Easiest step in the process

(if you’ve kept Board informed!)

Inform municipality Inform & involve staff Communicate, communicate, communicate


Implementation

CHANGE Reallocation of resources Staff involvement Like collection development!


CHANGE

Enthusiastically support change

Relatively positive about change

Reservations about change

Actively oppose change


Living the plan “Integrating the Scorecard” Decision making Plan and support budget requests Continual evaluation of progress toward goals Measurement Publicize success


Why plans fail

Ineffective vision Poor implementation / lack of follow through Poor leadership Poor communication


Effective vision Embraces change as opportunity Reasonable and rewarding Relevant to community and specific

challenges to be addressed Vision is directly tied to goals and strategic

directions.


Effective Leadership

Clear vision Willingness to embrace change Desire to reposition library in community Effective communicator


Effective Implementation

Integration of plan into operations Recognition for achievements Flexibility; make adjustments Minimize resistance Staff involvement


Effective Communication

Statement of purpose Ongoing communication with community

leaders, users, board and staff Use plan to position library as key player in

community development


Recap What is strategic planning? Why plan “Planning to Plan” Getting started The process: Developing the plan Approval and implementation Living the plan Why plans fail


Change is inevitable.


Libraries will evolve into new models of service

—OR—

Libraries will fade away as people use other, more convenient ways to obtain services currently offered by libraries

(Nelson, Strategic Planning for Results, 2008)


Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning.


Future

Opportunity? Threat?


Go forth and

PLAN!


Questions?

Thank you!


Cheryl Becker

South Central Library System

[email protected]

608-246-7973

IM: sclscheryl

http://cbeckerscls.pbwiki.com/presentations

april 2009where are we going? where are we going? strategic planning for public libraries

Documents

planning doneget

library address

harvard planning tool

results processkey points

staff swotapprove

addresswhich needs

systematic processorganization

changesservice priorities