Foundation Schools Strategic Management Plan

Introduction

Foundation Schools Strategic Management Plan

Foundation Schools, already an industry leader in special needs students, is seeking to expand into local communities. In order for an expansion to take place, a strategic management plan must be developed and implemented by the management team. Currently the organization does not have adequate revenue to fund the purchase of building space for an expansion. With the challenge of increased profitability to fund their expansion, Foundation Schools must implement a modified structure to accomplish their goals. With a new strategic management structure in the works, Foundation Schools must remain flexible and resilient. Change, culturally, and resourcefully, is in the near future for Foundation Schools. To remain successful financially, educationally, and industry-wide, Foundation Schools must embrace the new management plan and develop clear objectives.

Throughout this paper, the current situation of Foundation Schools will be discussed, analyzed, and evaluated. Foundation School's latest strategic management plan will be outlined, which will include a framework for the project teams and how important culture is to project management. More efficient suggestions will be made in the category of project selection for the current strategy that Foundation Schools employs. In this paper the subject to describe is the alternative solutions available to Foundation Schools along with the associated risks and the organizations end-state visions.

Describe the Situation

Identification of Issues and Opportunities

Customer relations, in any industry, are critical to the success of an organization. Foundation Schools, are acquiring resistance issues with new technological mergers, needs a strong management strategy to increase revenues. With no established strategic management plan, the optimal time for management to implement an achievable plan, designed to fulfill the needs of the organization is now. The management of Foundation Schools has the opportunity to attain complete control of a plan, which will include their mission, objectives, situational analysis, strategy formulations, and implementation procedures. "Strategic management is the process of assessing what we are and deciding and implementing what we intend to be and how we are going to get there. Strategy describes how an organization intends to compete with the resources available in the existing and perceived future environment" (Gray & Larson, 2006, p. 22).

Board members of Foundations Schools are having trouble making their key program targets the focal points of the organization. To be successful, board members must emphasize the goals that need to be accomplished. "Effective project management begins with selecting and prioritizing projects that support the firm's mission and strategy" (Gray & Larson, 2006, p. 15). New initiatives cannot be brought up until key program targets are resolved. Project management is most effective when order and stability are present. The board needs to organize plans and objectives, develop strong structure and operating procedure, and monitor the measurable results against what is already in-place. An example of a focal point in jeopardy of becoming lost is the new technology. Life Skills software has developed some frustration among the staff. A number of individuals want to merge the new software into the organization, and a number want to continue to use the current technology. Life Skills offers a unique opportunity to link technology, resources, and strategy.

The organization is in need of a comprehensive analysis to visualize the impact of current projects. A comprehensive analysis will allow the organization to develop a program scope, which would indicate the benefits of each project. "The scope document directs focus on the project purpose throughout the life of the project for the customer and project participants" (Gray & Larson, 2006, p. 100).

All of these issues and opportunities begin in the meeting room. Board members need to make good use of their meeting time to clarify goals, communicate project information, and set guidelines. In the past, meetings have been excellent for developing achievable goals; however, the meetings were concluded with more goals rather than solutions. Attainable goals must be accompanied with attainable solutions. "A less obvious function of project meetings is to help establish a concrete team identity. During project meetings, members see that they are not working alone. They are part of a larger project team, and project success depends on the collective efforts of all the team members. Timely gatherings of all the project participants help define team membership and reinforce a collective identity" (Gray & Larson, 2006, p. 355).

Stakeholder Perspectives/Ethical Dilemmas

Foundation Schools have various stakeholders such as investors, teachers, and board members which all want to provide their perspective on how decisions should be made. The stakeholders agree that increasing revenue is the main objective, which will keep shareholders profitable and satisfied. An opportunity to increase the organizations strong teaching faculty presents itself with the linking of resources and strategies. An ethical dilemma presents itself, however. There are mixed emotions concerning change within the stakeholders. Members of the board are pushing for change, whereas the teachers are showing great resistance. Both parties are responsible for enhancing the organization with their business decisions, so a common agreement must be made. The dilemma is how the organization can settle on a common agreement without distancing both oppositions.

Framing the Correct Problem/Describing the "end-state" Vision

Foundation Schools must align the conflicting perspectives of the board members, and the teachers to be effective in increasing revenue. A proper plan must be implemented through market research and development. With the increasing enrollments because of funding, Foundation Schools could maintain a 4:1 teacher to student ratio. With the increased funding and enrollments, Foundation Schools has noticed a five percent increase in annual revenue. The Life Skills program and technology gives Foundation Schools an edge in the education industry. All students, present, and future, are receiving an increased educational value because of the new technology. The Life Skills program has provided a more efficient way of assisting students with learning critical skills that will allow them to live and work independently in their communities (University of Phoenix,