Library Strategy: models and measurement

University of LundWednesday 19th September 2012

Summary

1. To provide some models and frameworks for strategy and measurement

2. To consider how these apply in real situations (York & Lund)

WHAT IS A STRATEGY?Strategy Refresher

Definition

‘Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term: which achieves advantage for the organisation through its configuration of resources within a changing environment, to meet the needs of markets and to fulfil stakeholder expectations’

Characteristics of Strategy

• Long-term direction• Advantage• Scope of activities• Matching of activities to environment• Contextual• Different to operational management

‘ambiguous, complex, organisation-wide & fundamental, with long-term implications’

Framework

• Understanding strategic issues– Strategic analysis

• Decisions on strategies– Strategic choice

• Making strategies happen– Strategic implementation

Johnson, G & Scholes, K : Exploring corporate strategy. 5th ed. Prentice Hall, 1999.

Levels & Effects of Strategy

• Corporate - overall purpose & scope

• Business Unit - particular market

• Operational - to deliver the above strategies

leading to• major resource changes• operational changes• structural changes• competency changes

Strategy Triangle (Earl)

• Top Down– Senior management & Business plan

• ‘Inside out’– Staff & technical creativity

• Bottom Up– User views (eg from LibQUAL+)

University of York Plan

• Excellence• Internationalistion• Inclusivity• Sustainability

Lund University Plan

• Cross-boundary collaboration• Internationalisation• Quality enhancement• Leader, teacher and employee excellence

Strategy Development 1• Environmental analysis• Current systems evaluation• Information need• Future systems evaluation• Options and resources

Earl, M.

Strategy Development 2Business Planning:

• Local Profile• Market Structure• Competitive Position• Market Forces• Local Strategic Implications

Strategy Development 3Corporate Planning:

• Corporate Objectives & Targets• Gap Analysis (External & Internal)• Strategic Appraisal (SWOT)• Formulation & Decision (Options)• Implementation (Action plans & Budgets)

Documentary Sources• Local– Vision– Mission– Forward Plans & Existing Strategies

• Government Policies & Plans• Sectoral analyses – Higher Education (national & international) – Information & Scholarly communication

• Research findings & futurology• Internal documents

Data Inputs• Review of existing Information Strategy,

reflections on progress• Review of other University Strategies• Departmental MTP/LTP documents• Survey Outcomes: NSS, PRES, Staff Survey,

Library, IT• External strategies: Gartner, UCISA, Educause,

SCONUL, National Archives

Emergent strategy & scenariosScenario development is a means of providing a

more coherent and dramatic picture of what the Research Library might look like in the future (longer term)

This vision of the future may form an introduction or an appendix to a formal strategic plan, providing a compelling or challenging narrative

A Scenario is …• ‘A self-contained envelope of consistent possibilities

which describe the future.’• ‘Conceptual stories composed around carefully

constructed plots.’• ‘Scenario planning attempts to capture the richness

and range of possibilities, stimulating decision makers to consider changes they would otherwise ignore … it organises those possibilities into narratives that are easier to grasp … scenarios aim to challenge the prevailing mind-set.’

Scenario building• Consider the main environmental trends for the

future (these may arise from a PEST analysis)• Translate these into opposing ‘uncertainties’• Choose a pair to set against each other, and identify

the two possible variants for each issue• Use the matrix to create up to four scenarios arising

from the possibilities• Label each with a subtitle, and characterise the

future vision implied as fully as you can

Decisions?• Which scenario for the future would you like

to choose? – Which is the most likely?– Which is the least likely?– Which is closest to the status quo?

• What implications are there for the Research Library in terms of choice of strategy?

• How can a desirable scenario be brought about through an implementation plan?

ANALYSIS PHASEStrategy Phase One

Analysis options• Environmental analyses– PEST– Scenarios– Futurology

• Organisational analysis– SWO(O)T– Portfolio (Boston Box)

• Stakeholder analysis– Needs– Stakeholder power

Environmental analysis objectives

• To understand the environmental influences on your research library (global to local)

• To collect data to set the environmental analysis against your organisational strengths and weaknesses (gap analysis)

• To consider actions required to achieve a better fit to prevailing conditions

• To generate a set of the main constraints and drivers of the strategy

York and Lund …

“world-class information services for a world class University”

“strengthen international position and competitiveness”

Organisational analysis objectives• What are your library’s Strengths and Weaknesses

in relation to the marketplace?• What needs to change to achieve the vision, or to

meet changing requirements• Are all elements of the portfolio still needed, and

what need attention either practically or politically?

• What are the key areas the strategy needs to address?

Information Services SWOTStrengths

• Building / Physical Space• Creativity and Collaboration• Embedding Academic Liaison into departments• Partnerships and Collaborations

Weaknesses

• Celebration/Communication of achievements• Patchy engagement with student bodies• Links with planning (MTP/LTP)• Fragmentation with staff in different office buildings

Information Services SWOTOpportunities

• Student experience funding• New forums for engagement - Academic Co-ordinators, GSA Forum,

Student/staff liaison groups• Membership of RLUK

Threats

• Above inflation increases in content subscription costs• Raised expectations in new funding regime• Needs for funding with student growth

STRATEGIC CHOICEStrategy Phase Two

Strategic Choices 1?

• No Change• New Markets (Penetration or Development)• New Products• New Business Areas (Diversification)

After Ansoff, I.

Strategic Choices 2?

• Cost leadership - lowest price• Differentiation - uniqueness• Focus - particular segment

Porter, M.

Testing your strategyDoes it achieve:• A distinctive value proposition• A tailored value chain• Trade-offs (choices) different from competitors• Fit (strength/alignment) across the value chain• Continuity (facilitates appropriate innovation)

Porter, M.

IMPLEMENTATIONStrategy Phase Three

The Information Strategy

York core strategic programmes…A unified information strategy:1. Information systems2. Portals and access systems3. Content4. Infrastructure5. Policy6. Environments

EnablersVision StatementThe environment to permit and encourage the core programmes to progress

Portfolio– Relationships– Quality– Staff and Culture– Resourcing– Collaboration and Partnerships

Lund LUB Strategies

• Information services• Research support• Support for education and learning• Physical and virtual learning environments

• A worldwide library

Programme ManagementRationale:

• Integrated delivery of change• Framework for senior management to direct• Better management of risk• Improved control• Bridge the gap between strategies and projects• Consistent policies, standards & working practices

UK Office of Government Commerce

MSP approach

Vision led and Outcome driven

Vision as opposed to specificationOutcome as opposed to benefit

Thus your programmes are based on “outward facing description of new capabilities” arising, and measured by results generating change in “real world behaviours or circumstances”

Senior Staff Structure: focus on strategy

An outcome driven strategy: Content programme

1. An array of information resources which matches requirements and competitors2. Better availability of core material for teaching3. The capability to create and build digital special collections as required4. An increasing volume of digital information for teaching, research and administration5. The ability to offer, manipulate, store and preserve media in all relevant formats6. The capability to embed the right content into teaching programmes7. Users and stakeholders engaged with helping select what is required8. Effective collection, management and distribution of the University’s knowledge assets

ProgrammesDefined by:

• Vision statement• Blueprint (Roadmap?)• Business case• Organisation• Project portfolio• Benefit profile• Stakeholder map

Governance requires:

• Quality management• Stakeholder management• Issue resolution• Risk management• Benefits management• Resource management• Planning and control

Project management

“The rational management of change”

Identify a portfolio of projects which will achieve the vision expressed in each programme

The implementation plan will need timescales, resources required, and the benefits and impact of each

Project matrix

STRATEGIC MEASUREMENTMonitoring progress

One Director’s perspective …

• Articulating the value proposition • Translating what we understand about changing need

into strategies and plans• The transformation and sustenance of our services into

a different social, technological and economic future• To demonstrate that our value proposition

encompasses a contribution that transcends narrow and local assumptions about the library’s role

Some frameworks

• Critical success factors• The Balanced scorecard• EFQM• Quality maturity models• A Value scorecard

Critical Success FactorsDefinition

A term used to mean the most important sub-goals for an organisation. CSFs are what must be accomplished for the strategy to be achieved. CSFs are followed by the key processes for the strategy - the activities that must be done particularly well for the CSFs to be achieved.

After Oakland, J.

Critical Success FactorsThe minimum key factors or subgoals that the

organisationmust have or need and which together will achieve the strategyNot necessarily directly manageable, but provide

direction and success criteria.Each is necessary and together they are sufficient

for the strategy to be achieved.No more than eight, no less than four.

Application

• Can be used at all levels– Organisational (Library)– Programme– Project– Service

Proposed Critical Success Factors1. We must meet information needs2. We need sufficient resource to achieve

aspirations3. We must inspire and enable innovation4. We need to engage the University community5. We must align with University plans6. We must manage risk and comply with

regulation

EFQM (2003). Introducing Excellence. Brussels: EFQM. Available

at: http://www.efqm.org [Accessed 30 March 2005]

Leadership

People

ProcessesKey

PerformanceResults

Policy & Strategy

Partnerships & Resources

People Results

Customer Results

Society Results

Innovation and Learning

Enablers Results

Capability Maturity Model

Transcendent contributions to …

• The student experience• Research impact• Reputation • Internationalisation• Financial sustainability• Society

A Value Scorecard

• Relationship & reputation capital• Organisational capital– Tangible assets and resources– Intangible and meta-assets

• Library virtue– Impact and social capital

• Library momentum

A narrative of momentum?