University of Manitoba - Office of the President - Implementation and Accountability
Implementation and Accountability
Implementation and Accountability

The Strategic Planning Framework 2009 - 2014 was intended to be used as a guide for the University of Manitoba community in making decisions about programs, structures, and the allocation of resources and effort. The Plan similarly will provide direction, though to a greater degree of specificity.

Faculties, departments and administrative units will continue to be expected to develop and connect their internal plans and priorities with the goals and supporting actions of the Plan and to report on their progress during the annual strategic resource allocation process.

Related operational plans and reports (partial)

  • Blended and Online Learning Task Force Report
  • Community Engagement Strategy (under development)
  • Comprehensive Campaign - Case for Support
  • Cooper Commission Report
  • Experiential Education Working Group Report
  • International Strategy
  • Pathways to Indigenous Achievement Framework
  • Strategic Enrolment Management Framework
  • Strategic Research Plan (under development)
  • Visionary (re)Generation (under development)
  • Individual faculty and unit plans (existing and under development)

Integration

Numerous operational plans and reports exist that provide additional context and background for the priorities, goals and supporting actions articulated in this plan, and that will support implementation efforts. These include the objectives articulated in major plans like the Strategic Enrolment Management Framework, the Comprehensive Campaign Case for Support, or the Strategic Research Plan, for instance.

In some other cases, such as the Pathways to Indigenous Achievement Framework, operational plans do not yet exist, but are under development. The Vice-Presidents will be accountable for ensuring that the priorities, goals and supporting actions of the Strategic Plan are achieved and that the necessary operational plans are developed in support of the Plan. The absence of an operational plan, however, will not be seen as an impediment to the pursuit of the University's priorities - faculties, departments and administrative units should continue to feel free to innovate in how they contribute to the attainment of the priorities and goals contained herein.

Reporting Progress and Accomplishments

As part of implementing this Plan, we need to be able to report our progress on the priorities and goals that we have established - to develop a shared understanding of our progress and accomplishments, for accountability to our Board of Governors, and to compare ourselves to other institutions.

The Strategic Planning Framework 2009 - 2014 identified, as its first priority for implementation, the development of a self-assessment framework that would allow the University to be able to gauge its progress in pursuing its priorities. This work proved challenging, due to the limited availability of data that could generate meaningful information about outcomes or comparability with similar institutions.

Two significant factors have since had the effect of improving the University's position in this area. In 2011 the University joined with the U15 group of universities, which has resulted in an ability to access a significant amount of comparative data from peer institutions. In addition, the University has enhanced its support to the Office of Institutional Analysis (OIA) in order to bolster its institutional research capacity.

In developing this plan, it has been clear that further work is required in order to establish an appropriate set of institutional indicators of progress and success.

For some supporting actions, such as those that form part of the University's Strategic Enrolment Management (SEM) Framework, baseline information and targets already have been established. For others, qualitative and quantitative indicators, baseline information and targets will be established in 2014/15. The Strategic Planning Committee or an ad hoc working group established by the Committee, in collaboration with the Office of Institutional Analysis, will be charged with developing an assessment framework that captures both the qualitative and quantitative dimensions of the impacts of this plan. Starting in 2015/16, the University will report annually to the Board of Governors and Senate on this new set of institutional indicators, and share this report with the University of Manitoba community.