The strategy for the Chikola Secondary School Alumni Association involves developing a comprehensive plan that will guide its operations from 2026 to 2027. To begin, a needs assessment is conducted, using meetings, surveys, and data analysis to identify the needs of alumni and the gaps in current operations. For instance, stakeholders like school officials and students might provide valuable insights into potential areas of improvement.
Next, goals and objectives are defined through strategic planning sessions. These objectives are aligned with findings from the needs assessment and are crafted to be SMART—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example, setting a goal to increase alumni engagement by 20% over the next two years would require clear milestones and responsibilities.
Finally, an implementation plan is developed, breaking down objectives into actionable steps. This includes determining necessary resources, such as funding, and assigning tasks to alumni members or committees. Monitoring progress and celebratory milestones ensure motivation and accountability throughout the implementation phase.
The strategies
⛳️ Strategy 1: Conduct a needs assessment
- Organise meetings with current alumni members to gather insights
- Collect data on potential needs through surveys and questionnaires
- Analyse historical data and trends related to alumni association activities
- Identify gaps in current association operations and services offered
- Engage stakeholders including school officials and current students for their perspectives
- Prioritise needs based on member feedback and data analysis
- Document all findings and challenges identified during the assessment
- Develop a comprehensive report summarising the needs assessment
- Share the report with key stakeholders for feedback and validation
- Refine needs assessment based on stakeholder input
⛳️ Strategy 2: Define goals and objectives
- Facilitate a strategic planning session with key alumni and stakeholders
- Identify short-term and long-term goals for the association
- Align objectives with the needs assessment findings
- Ensure goals are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound
- Prioritise goals to focus efforts on the most impactful areas
- Create a timeline outlining goals achievement milestones
- Assign responsible parties to each objective for accountability
- Develop key performance indicators to measure progress
- Document the finalised goals and objectives for association records
- Communicate the goals and objectives to all alumni members and stakeholders
⛳️ Strategy 3: Develop an implementation plan
- Break down each objective into actionable steps
- Determine required resources including funding, personnel, and time
- Develop a timeline for the strategic plan’s execution
- Assign tasks to individual members and committees
- Create a budget aligning financial resources with planned activities
- Establish communication channels for updates and reporting
- Set up a monitoring and evaluation system to track progress
- Organise regular follow-up meetings to keep everyone on track
- Amend the plan based on feedback and real-time challenges
- Celebrate small achievements to maintain motivation among members
Bringing accountability to your strategy
It's one thing to have a plan, it's another to stick to it. We hope that the examples above will help you get started with your own strategy, but we also know that it's easy to get lost in the day-to-day effort.
That's why we built Tability: to help you track your progress, keep your team aligned, and make sure you're always moving in the right direction.
Give it a try and see how it can help you bring accountability to your strategy.
