Strategic and Master Planning Consulting

What is an Integrated Strategic and Master Plan?

BHDP and Terra Firma’s Integrated Strategic and Master Planning offering is an accelerated, comprehensive yet practical process that drives extraordinary value for the client institution. Campuses have historically commenced strategic and master planning processes on separate timelines, often disconnected from one another, even though strategic plans almost always include substantial references to physical facility needs. Similarly, master plans are often commissioned and completed without a proper grounding in the institution’s strategic plan and its commensurate successful execution.

BHDP and Terra Firma’s Integrated Strategic and Master Planning services offer a college the opportunity to synchronize its strategic plan with its master plan, resulting in a more coherent, productive, and achievable future. By engaging BHDP and Terra Firma, the college will receive numerous benefits, including: 

• Board education on key topics of importance.
• Market assessment of the college’s current and potential academic programs.
• Assessment of faculty/staff through our proprietary faculty/staff assessment.
• Assessment of the board through our proprietary board self-assessment.
• Facilitation and completion of an institutional strategic plan.
• Facilitation and completion of an implementation plan in support of the strategic plan.
• Facilitation and completion of an institutional master plan.

The Process

The foundation of our approach to strategic planning is a four-stage process that we tailor to meet each institution’s unique structure, culture, and needs. These stages include:

1. Introductory phase
2. Data gathering and stakeholder engagement phase
3. Sensemaking phase
4. Writing and concept phase

Each of these stages includes numerous activities, some of which are listed below.
 

Introductory Phase

During this phase, the community is educated and organized around a planning process. This phase includes:

• Establishment of a Strategic Planning Steering Committee and related committees.
• Establishment of a Master Planning Steering Committee.
• Determination of project timeline. 
• Determination of scope.
• Identification of resources required.
• Identification of key constituencies and critical questions.
• Preliminary identification of key strategic questions and focus areas. 

Key touch points during this phase include:

• Launch meeting with the president and the cabinet.
• Launch meeting with the Strategic Planning and Master Planning Steering Committees.
   

Data Gathering and Stakeholder Engagement Phase

During this phase, BHDP, Terra Firma, and the respective steering committees engage internal and external constituencies. This phase includes:

• Deployment of Terra Firma’s proprietary faculty/staff questionnaire.
• Deployment of Terra Firma’s proprietary board self-assessment.
• Commencement of the Academic Snapshot™- a market analysis to assess existing and prospective academic programs against student interest and labor market demand.
• Collection of supporting documentation.
• Engagement with key constituencies identified during phase 1.

Key touch points during this phase include:

• Board retreat facilitated by BHDP and Terra Firma.
• On-site town hall facilitation and engagement with various constituencies.
   

Sensemaking Phase

During this phase, BHDP and Terra Firma work with the Strategic Planning and Master Planning Steering Committees to distill the information gathered during the previous two phases, including:

• All committees meet separately to distill the data they have collected, and begin the process of identifying and formulating preliminary objectives, strategies, and tactics in advance of the Sensemaking Summit.
• Commissioning of the Sensemaking Summit to include the steering committees and invited guests.

Key touch points during this phase include:

• On-campus Sensemaking Summit facilitated by BHDP and Terra Firma.
   

Writing and Concept Phase

During this phase, BHDP, Terra Firma, and the writing team take what was concluded and learned at the Sensemaking Summit to begin drafting final documents and concepts. This phase includes:

• Resolution of any modifications to the mission statement.
• Development of the vision statement.
• Finalization of objectives, strategies, and tactics.

Key touch points during this phase include:

• Final presentation of the Strategic Plan and Master Plan to the board of trustees.

For more information or to schedule a consultation, please fill out the contact form below.