Development, Implementation and Assessment of a Comprehensive Strategic Plan in a School of Pharmacy

Objective. To develop, implement and assess a strategic plan and its process within a school of pharmacy. Methods. The process for developing the strategic plan included five phases: designing and scanning by a planning committee; divergent thinking with input from key internal and external stakeholders who shared their vision for the school; convergent planning in which faculty members helped to prioritize the clusters, goals, and metrics that had been identified; refining ideas into strategies; and assessment, during which metrics were aligned with assessment plans and data were collected and analyzed. Results. The completed strategic plan had five broad strategies, 20 specific goals, and 90 associated metrics. The plan was implemented with engagement by all major stakeholders in the program. Reallocation of existing resources and generation of new resources were key in making progress. The assessment, which was conducted three years after implementation of the strategic plan, found that each strategy had affected the school's mission to provide an exemplary educational experience for students and to advance the institution. Conclusion. The strategic plan provided direction and focus to meet the challenges of continuing to advance the school. The keys for success in strategic planning are having a well-defined process, involving all faculty members and other key stakeholders, implementing the plan, and routinely assessing progress in meeting the strategic goals.