A recent situation brought to mind the issue of Strategic Partnerships as a Goal in a 21st Century Library Strategic Plan. What would that look like in a practical, written-plan sense? As usual, I have some thoughts on that.
In the Strategic Planning Process, I’ve suggested that the following structure makes a comprehensive and practical guide to developing a functional Plan.
I. Mission Statement – Why does YOUR library exist?
II. Vision Statement – An image toward which the library is motivated.
III. Values and Guiding Principles – Guiding principles that define and shape the organization’s culture and climate, and establishes the standards upon which it operates.
IV. Goals – The desired results we want to achieve to accomplish the mission, expressed in general terms.
So, to reiterate the question – What does a Goal of “Develop Strategic Partnerships” look like in our Strategic Plan? Here’s an example.
Goal #8. – Develop Strategic Partnerships.
(Expressed in general terms, this Goal is broad enough to allow for more specific Objectives.)
Objective #O8.1 – Seek out organizations, companies, agencies of any type within the community that have potential strategic partnership value to the library.
(This description defines a specific Objective to be proactive in determining what entities within your community have potential benefits for the library through a strategic partnership.)
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Activity #A8.1.1 – Conduct preliminary research to better understand which organizations, companies or agencies have potential benefit as strategic partners.
Activity #A8.1.2 – Conduct preliminary research to better understand what the identified potential strategic partners do.
Activity #A8.1.3 – Conduct more in-depth research to better understand what the potential strategic partners’ library service needs may be.
Activity #A8.1.4 – Prioritize community entities on the basis of the most potentially beneficial partnership for Xxxxx Library.
Objective #O8.2 – Contact organizations, companies, agencies with potential strategic value within the community that potentially have library service needs that Xxxxx Library can provide.
(This description defines a specific Objective to be proactive in determining what entities within your community have library service needs that are within your capabilities. This is also part of knowing your community’s library service needs.)
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Activity #A8.2.1 – Develop a succinct, appealing, business-like brochure of library services to leave with the people with whom you will meet.
Activity #A8.2.2 – Schedule visits with leaders of potential Partners to discuss their potential library service needs, highest priority first.
Objective #O8.3 – Conclude the details of a Strategic Partnership with organizations, companies, agencies that expressed interest in a partnership with Xxxxx Library.
(This description defines a specific Objective to follow-up on those opportunities that materialize as a result of your Strategic Partnership efforts.)
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Activity #A8.3.1 – Clarify the details of specific Partnerships.
Activity #A8.3.2 – Assess resources necessary to fulfill obligations of a Partnership.
Activity #A8.3.3 – Prepare plans to manage a Partnership.
The above is what your “pre-Strategic Partnership” Plan might look like. What about when you actually establish a Strategic Partnership that impacts your Goals, Resource Allocation, etc.? How do you revise your Strategic Plan?
After you have secured and cultivated a Strategic Partnership for your library, it will change your situation enough to incorporate the existence of that Partnership into your Strategic Plan.
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• How are you going to manage the details of this Partnership?
• What resources are required to accomplish the requirements of this Partnership?
• What are the Measures and Outcomes related to this Partnership?
• How will you know if you are succeeding in your obligations?
• How will you know if this Partnership is actually beneficial to the library? – to your Mission?
Here is one suggestion.
Objective #O8-1.1 – Provide library services for XYZ Organization in accordance with the Partnership memo of understanding (MOU).
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Activity #A8-1.1 – Revise the library collection development policy to include technical materials relevant to XYZ Organization’s library services needs.
Activity #A8-1.2 – Conduct training for reference and acquisition staff to become familiar with technical materials relevant to XYZ Organization.
Activity #A8-1.3 – Conduct resource allocation review to prioritize acquisition of technical materials related to XYZ Organization Partnership.
All of these issues related to a new Strategic Partnership need to become a part of your library’s Strategic Plan, because when you achieve that “Develop Strategic Partnerships” Goal, it brings with it new and necessary Objectives, Activities, Measures, Outcomes, and unquestionably, Resource Allocation, all of which impact the overall Strategic Plan – and, don’t forget, the Strategic Plan is a living document.
