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Planning,
Policy, and Budget |
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Office of
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The "Alignment Planning Toolkit" is a resource to
assist in your planning efforts. The toolkit will be updated
periodically as additional issues come to our attention and as new
information becomes available. We hope you find these resources beneficial as you work to finalize your plans. Please let us know if you have any questions or would like additional information.
FAQs Q: What is unit alignment planning? A: Unit alignment planning is a mechanism for linking our human, financial and physical resources with the priorities articulated in The Talent Imperative! Unit alignment plans are not operational plans and thus, should not include current or on-going activities. Instead, the plans should focus on new or modified activities (i.e., Priorities for Action) proposed for 2007-08, 2008-09, and 2009-10 that directly relate to the university-wide strategic agenda. Q: What are the primary components of unit alignment planning? A: (1) Mission Statement: How does the unit support the NKU mission? (2) Priorities for Action (PFA): What are the specific actions the unit shall undertake to accomplish the university-wide priorities articulated in The Talent Imperative? (3) Measurable Desirable Outcomes: What are the expected results in quantifiable terms? (4) Assessment Methods: How will progress and results be determined? Who is responsible for collecting the data? (5) Additional Funding Requirements: Are new resources required over the planning period? Q: What is the relationship between unit alignment plans and budget requests? A: Unit plans will help to streamline the budget process, but do not constitute a formal budget request or commitment. The goal is to make the budgeting process more efficient for units and divisions by integrating these processes into a seamless system. Unit alignment plans will be incorporated into the development of the 2008-09 and the 2009-10 operating budgets and subsequently be continued on a 2-year cycle to correlate with the biennial budget. Funding requirements reported in the unit alignment plan should include estimated levels of funding for only those Priorities for Action that require new or additional funding. Detailed budget information will be required in the operating budget request, but not in the alignment planning materials. Q: Should each unit work independently to develop the unit alignment plan? A: No. The development and implementation of unit alignment plans must be a collaborative process across divisions to the fullest extent possible. The development of Priorities for Action should include an examination of potential challenges and consideration of others that need to be involved and/or informed to ensure a successful outcome (i.e. facilities, human resources, IT). Communication with key collaborators is essential to the success of the Priorities for Action and the overall planning process. Q: Is it appropriate to include Priorities for Action (PFA) for current activities that are not adequately funded, such as additional responsibilities absorbed by existing faculty/staff to meet a critical need? A: Current activities that have been unfunded (or underfunded) may be included as priority actions requiring new resources, including additional faculty/staff, if: (1) the activities directly align with the priorities of the University/Division/College AND (2) evidence is provided that the activities will be improved and/or expanded as a result of the new resources. This will be an important consideration as priorities are established in the resource requirements worksheet and plans are linked to the budget process. Q: How many Priorities for Action (PFA) should be included in the unit alignment plan? A: The PFA express the unit’s contribution to meeting the priorities of The Talent Imperative! The number of PFA will vary from unit to unit. However, a general rule of thumb is to examine both the strategic priority areas and support priority areas in The Talent Imperative! and determine which priorities the unit can contribute to the most. In addition, some priorities require action from all units. (See Appendix C for more information.) Q: What are desired outcomes? Should desired outcomes be reported for each year of the planning period? A: Desired outcomes are the expected results of successfully implemented Priorities for Action. Great care should be taken in the development of desired outcomes as these measures serve as indicators of progress and success. The desired outcome should be quantifiable and stated in specific terms. In addition, the development of desired outcomes for each year of the planning period is strongly recommended to simplify monitoring and reporting annual progress. Q: Do all Priorities for Action (PFA) require the completion of the additional funding requirements columns? A: No. Not every PFA will require new resources. It is expected that the majority of the PFA will be undertaken using resources already accessible to the unit through the dedication of time and effort of faculty and staff and, in some cases, the redirection of resources or the reallocation of budgeted funds within the unit. Q: Should requests for additional resources be reported for each year of the planning period? A: Reporting additional resources by fiscal year is highly recommended to assist in providing a clear picture of resource needs and ultimately linking the planning process to the budget request process. Q: The guidelines indicate that WEAVEonline will be used to submit alignment plans. When will this software be available? A: Alignment plans should be developed and submitted using the Word and Excel templates in accordance with the timelines established by each Vice President. We are in the early stages of testing the WEAVEonline software and given several other new software activities on campus, we are delaying its use for planning purposes until December. Once it is fully operational, training sessions will be scheduled to provide a hands-on opportunity to enter the approved plans directly into the new software. More details and a training schedule will be forthcoming. Q: Can revisions be made to the plan submitted in Fall 2007? A: Units will have an opportunity to make revisions to the plan during Summer 2008 to coincide with the submission of the first annual progress report due July 1, 2008. After this initial year of planning, units will update plans every two years in conjunction with the biennial budget process. Q: Who should I contact if I have more questions? A: Units are encouraged to work collaboratively with Deans and Division leadership. In addition, Academic Units may contact Molly Tami (tamim1@nku.edu) for assistance. Administrative Units may contact Sandi Gillilan (gillilans1@nku.edu) for assistance.
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