Strategic Management and Planning
Local boards are responsible for establishing local ministry leadership structure, goals and approaches. They are also responsible for annually evaluating the program and goals of the campus ministry. The goals should be inclusive of the campus ministry’s philosophy and mission and expressed as short-term goals (1-5 years) and long term goals (6 or more years)
To effectively fulfill this responsibility, Local Boards/Campus Ministries should engage in strategic management and planning.
Strategic Management involves strategy formulation, implementation and evaluation. Strategic planning deals with the first phase (strategy formulation). For campus ministries strategic management should focus on integrating the major functions (administration, student programs, outreach, development, finance, property management, etc.) to achieve your vision/objectives/goals.
This page is designed to provide resources to support the strategic management and planning process. There are different models of strategic planning. The first covers a “standard” approach to strategic management and planning. The second provides a focused approach to planning.
A Comprehensive Approach to Strategic Management and Planning
For Wesley Foundations that need to focus on campus ministry (faith development and campus transformation), financial sustainability and effective property management, a comprehensive approach is recommended. The following documents are provided to assist in this process:
- The first provides a conceptual framework for strategic management and planning
- The second is a guide that explains the steps involved
- The third is an example of a Wesley Foundation strategic plan for 2025
A Focused Approach to Strategic Planning
For those Wesley Foundations that want to focus on the primary mission of disciple making, consider the approach outlined in the book: The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals, (2016) by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey and Jim Hurling, published by Free Press, New York. The four disciplines are:
- Focus on Wildly Important Goals
- Act on Lead Measures
- Engagement ( A Scoreboard)
- Create a Cadence of Accountability
There is a video available that provides a good overview of the process: Link
The first document is a summary and user guide: 4-Disciplines-of-Execution-User Guide
The second document is a summary of the book: The Four Disciplines of Execution Book Summary
The third document is an over view of the book. The Four Disciplines of Execution Book Overview