SUMS supported the University in testing its core vision to ensure it reflected their aspirations and developing a refreshed strategy. To enable strategic delivery, we then developed a tighter, more effective approach to planning and budgeting.
Strategic planning
Get support with your strategic planningHigher education is in a period of significant change. Financial challenges are driving institutions to be ever more strategic while realising operational efficiencies. With greater regulation from the Office for Students and nascent policy directions from Government, effective strategic planning provides a practical toolkit which enables you to regain control and get ahead.
SUMS supports you to translate your macro-level vision into plans which deliver change. You’re able to evaluate your institutional performance and use insight to prioritise plans and projects. Effective planning relies on good communication, cascading senior management decisions and shaping local delivery to turn strategy into reality.
Our approach
Developing institutional visions and strategies can be easy. But planning the actions to realise your strategy and gathering the evidence that your actions and investment have the desired effect can be hard. SUMS partners with you to develop solutions to problems across the strategic planning process.
Our modular approach is flexible and adaptable to different requirements and budgets, integrating seamlessly with your existing institutional approaches or providing a foundation for further development.
We know that leadership and communication are the key to success. Strategic planning processes aren’t complicated, but they do require leaders to think differently, be willing to listen and communicate.
Our expertise
SUMS consultants and practitioners have extensive experience across the strategic planning landscape, from developing university strategies through to detailed modelling and analysis. Whatever your strategic planning challenge, we have the skills and knowledge to help you navigate it effectively and develop an appropriate response to the changing external context.
Examples of our work and impact
From strategy to action, University of Northampton
The future of strategic planning offices, University of Greenwich
SUMS explored the planning function’s scope, remit and ways of working. We used benchmarking case studies to provide insight and set out a direction of travel for the strategic planning and business intelligence functions over the next 5-10 years.
Optimising the business planning process, University of East London
With the help of SUMS, the University was able to review its business planning process to ensure optimal alignment across academic planning, student number planning, budget setting, workforce and space planning. Together we also developed a roadmap for further enhancement.
Student number planning and income forecasting, University of Hertfordshire
SUMS provided independent critique and advice on the student number planning and tuition fee income forecasting models. We facilitated discussion on developing a new approach, including comparison and best practice input.