About the topic Methodology for Developing a Strategy for Implementing Digital Technologies

The theoretical part of the thematic unit Methodology for Developing a Strategy for Implementing Digital Technologies provides a detailed overview of methods for creating a strategy — from analysis of the current situation to defining strategic goals. In addition, it presents the missions, visions, core values, strategic initiatives, and goals of four Croatian and four international higher education institutions. In the practical part, participants will analyze existing strategic plans for a selected higher education institution, assess the current situation of the chosen area of digital technology application (as identified in the previous thematic unit), and create a strategy for that area (including vision, mission, values, and three strategic goals). Learning outcomes at the thematic unit level are as follows:

• describe the concept of the continuum of strategic planning and management in the context of digital transformation (2/understanding);
  
• analyze and critically evaluate the strategic elements of different higher education institutions (mission, vision, values, and strategic goals) in accordance with recommendations for their clarity, relevance, and focus on digital transformation (6/evaluation);
  
• apply basic methods and techniques for situational analysis and strategy formulation, and create a strategy (7/creation).
  

Before exploring the topic in depth, analyze one strategic goal of a higher education institution.

Now, watch the video lesson on the methodology for developing a strategy for implementing digital technologies (duration: 7 minutes).

Transcript

	Welcome to this video lesson on the methodology for developing a strategy for applying digital technologies! In today's dynamic educational environment, a well-designed strategy is the key to effectively using digital technologies. While digital transformation brings many opportunities, without a clear and thoughtful strategy, it can easily remain just a series of disconnected efforts. In this lesson, you'll learn what makes a good digital technology strategy, how to define its key strategic elements, which methods to use for analysis and formulation, and how to set goals that are realistic, measurable, and achievable. By the end, you'll be able to recognize and assess the quality of strategic documents and define the essential elements of a strategy for your institution. Let's begin. Strategic management of digital technologies doesn't end with the adoption of a strategy. It's a continuous cycle of analysis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. The continuum of strategic management in higher education represents a holistic approach by which institutions plan, implement, monitor, and adapt their digital transformation strategy. This process includes several sequential and interconnected steps. Analyzing the current state, defining strategic frameworks, mission, vision, and values related to digital transformation, setting initiatives and goals, developing an action plan, implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and revising the strategy as needed. Literature often equates strategic planning with this continuum as planning in a broader sense includes implementation and evaluation, not just creation. Next, we'll look more closely at the methodology for developing a digital technology strategy and specify the methods applicable to each stage. The first step is analyzing the current state of digital technology use. Assessing institutional digital maturity can be done through frameworks like DigCompOrg org or other digital maturity models for higher education institutions introduced earlier. This includes examining digital infrastructure, competencies, teaching and administrative processes, culture and change readiness. Such diagnostics help identify strengths and weaknesses and form the basis for strategic decision making. Additional methods include SWOT analysis, KREDA analysis, PESTLE analysis, benchmarking and needs analysis. SWOT identifies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that define the current situation. KREDA adapted for schools examines internal and external factors affecting teaching and organizational quality. PESTLE analyzes the political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental context. Benchmarking compares institutions while needs analysis survey staff, students, and stakeholders to identify specific improvement areas. When formulating the mission, vision, and core values, it's important to start with clear definitions. The mission describes the organization's fundamental purpose, what it does for whom and why. Answering "Why do we exist?". It is stable and long term. The vision represents the desired future where the organization wants to be in five to 10 years and should be inspiring and motivational. Core values are the beliefs and principles that shape the organization's culture and behavior answering what matters most in our work when formulating these elements, pay attention to clarity, relevance, realism, inspiration, ambition, credibility and motivation. Useful methods include guided workshops, leadership interviews, the 5 Whys, Delphi methods, organizational cultural analysis, storytelling, creative thinking techniques, future back thinking. Strategic initiatives are the main areas of action that an organization decides to develop to achieve its mission and vision. They represent thematic priorities or focus areas toward which effort and resources are directed. Some systems distinguish only strategic goals depending on the organization's size. Initiatives are defined based on a gap analysis between the current state and the desired future. Strategic goals are specific measurable intentions within each initiative. They answer what exactly do we want to achieve in this priority area? Good goals follow the SMART principle: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Once the main elements of the strategy are defined, an action plan should be developed either as part of the strategy or as a separate document. This begins by operationalizing strategic goals into lower level activities and targets (explained further in Lesson 5). After finalizing the strategy, it must be adopted by the institution's. Governing body implementation follows alongside ongoing monitoring, typically on a quarterly basis to track performance indicators. Evaluation results may lead to revising or adapting the strategy depending on effectiveness. Monitoring may be supported by software tools ranging from simple Excel models to advanced strategic management systems like Envision or dashboard tools like power BI. In this lesson, we've learned how to manage the digital transformation strategy continuously design its key elements and apply various analytical and formulation methods. Now it's time to apply that knowledge and practice. Task one. Find strategic documents from local or international universities, analyze their missions, visions, and strategic goals, evaluating clarity, relevance, and connection to digital transformation. Task two, choose one higher education institution, preferably your own, and collect its mission, vision, and goals for a specific area of strategy. Based on your analysis, suggest revisions where needed. Additionally, choose two strategic goals and conduct a SWOT analysis to identify internal and external success factors.

After watching the video, especially the part related to the SMART definition of goals, you will likely conclude that there is room for improvement in defining strategic goals from the previous poll. But what about the situation with the strategic goals in your institution’s strategy? Try to find your institution’s strategic plan and analyze its goals using the SMART approach.

After becoming familiar with the content of this thematic unit, explore the topic in greater depth through the book  Methodology for Developing a Strategy for Implementing Digital Technologies. Discuss examples of strategy elements and start creating the strategic plan for the selected higher education institution according to the instructor’s guidance. The strategic plan is to be developed in Worksheet 4 of the Excel document in which you are completing the course project. For additional support and mentoring during the development of your strategic plan, take advantage of synchronous online consultations with your instructor.