Strategic Compass Unit Operational Planning Guide - Unit Operational Planning

Sep 11, 2026

Uploaded by Aran

Strategic Compass Unit Operational Planning Guide explains how UIS units operationalize the Strategic Compass through a structured unit-level planning approach. It links strategic planning to people and operations by grounding mission, vision, values, and directions in those closest to execution. Divisions use a Unit Operational Plan Template to define tactical steps aligned with the four directional pillars, set 5–10 year actions and outcomes, establish milestones, resources, performance metrics, and assign responsible parties for achieving a Premier Educational Experience.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time4 min

AccessFree to download

Unit Operational Planning Guide

Purpose and approach

Three-step process for unit operationalizing the Strategic Compass

Aligning goals with mission, vision, and values

Completing the Unit Operational Plan Template

UNIT OPERATIONAL PLANNING GUIDE | UNIT OPERATIONAL PLANNING GUIDE | | | --- | --- | | In their influential book“Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done,” Bossidy & Charan (2009) make a compelling case for linking strategic planning with an organization’s people and operations. The conceptualization and substance of the plan’s outcomes must come from the minds of people who are the closest to the action, who understand their mission, their vision and their strengths and weaknesses. The UIS Strategic Compass was intentionally crafted using a bottom-up approach in which members of the organization had a voice in helping to create our mission, vision, values and strategic directions.
This Unit Operational Planning Guide is intended to help all units at UIS make the Strategic Compass the foundation of their strategies, plans and goals. When properly executed, the Strategic Compass offers UIS the opportunity to fully achieve its overarching strategic goal—to provide students with a Premier Educational Experience. Each division of UIS (Chancellor’s Division, Division of Academic Affairs and Division of Student Affairs) will use the provided Unit Operational Plan Template (pages 6-10) to identify key tactical steps based on the directional pillars specified in the Compass, with the new mission, vision and values serving as guiding principles.
The Strategic Compass is not adequately executed until the directional pillars—World-class Teaching, Personal Attention, Experience Engaged and Liberal Arts Skilled—are cast as a series of tactical action | steps. A good operational plan is a road map that gives you plenty of room to maneuver within a dynamic landscape.
How far down the unit operational planning efforts go is up to the leader of each division. For example, within the Division of Academic Affairs, the Provost (working with colleagues in the Office of Academic Affairs) will prepare a plan. This plan, with the assistance of the provided template, will be used by the college deans (with the College Executive Committee) and directors (with their staffs) to collaboratively develop a plan more specifically tailored to their units. It will be up to the college dean and directors after consultation with faculty and staff to determine whether additional plans should be developed at the departmental or more specific unit level. Individual units that do not develop their own unique unit plan will be actively engaged in developing the broader college-level plan. The academic units’ plans will be centrally collected in the VPAA office for periodic monitoring of progress.
The Strategic Compass defines where UIS wants to go, and the operational plan specifies the actions that will be necessary to get us there, the milestones required to determine progress (estimated timeline, resources, performance indicators/metrics), and the individuals and parties responsible for executing the plan. The planning template provides a framework to assist in the development of each unit’s operational plan. | UIS Strategic Compass Unit Operational Planning Guide 2018 • 1 | The process for operationalizing the UIS Strategic Compass at the unit level involves three steps: | | | --- | --- | | Determine your unit’s connection to each directional pillar and the UIS overarching strategic goal.
The overarching strategic goal of the UIS Strategic Compass is to provide every student with a Premier Educational Experience. The Strategic Compass provides assurance that this goal can be achieved through the intentional and focused pursuit of the outcomes defined by the four directional pillars: World-class Teaching, Personal Attention, Experience Engaged and Liberal Arts Skilled. The challenge is to contextualize each of these directions in terms of your specific unit and the relationship of your unit to the institutional mission.
For each directional pillar, what are a couple of actions and outcomes that you are committed to achieving in t

FAQs

What is the goal of the Unit Operational Planning Guide for UIS units?

It helps UIS units make the Strategic Compass the foundation for their strategies, plans, and goals, so the institution can achieve a Premier Educational Experience for students.

How do units operationalize the Strategic Compass at the unit level?

The guide describes a three-step process: determine the unit’s connection to each directional pillar and the overarching strategic goal, align unit goals with UIS mission/vision/values, and complete the Unit Operational Plan Template with tactics, timelines, resources, metrics, and responsible parties.

What elements must be included in the Unit Operational Plan Template?

Each unit documents goals aligned to the UIS overarching goal and the four directional pillars, plus tactics, timelines, resources, performance indicators/metrics, and the individuals or parties responsible for executing each goal.

Sep 11, 2026

Uploaded by Aran