Planning Definitions

Strategic planning: A process of setting multi-year goals that align to the mission, vision, and values and deciding the best steps to reach them.

Strategic plan: A document that connects the institution’s mission and vision to specific goals and actions to help the institution stay focused on its purpose (mission) and work toward its future aspirations (vision). At Great Falls College, the actions are documented on strategic action plans. 

Pillar: The objectives that resulted from the strategic planning process. Great Falls College refers to these objectives as pillars in Forging Futures. They help set a general direction for the strategic plan.

Strategic plan goal: The goals identified by the college that are in the strategic plan.

Metric: A measurement of the strategic plan goals.

Target metric: A specific numerical goal.

Unit and committee strategic goals: The goals identified by units and committees that directly align with strategic plan metrics.

Strategic action plan: The document where all units and committees track the progress toward their strategic goals.

Strategic initiative or strategic plan initiative: A specific, focused project or action that will help achieve one or more goals in the strategic plan.

Strategic plan alignment (direct): Work that directly relates to a unit or committee’s strategic goal and will be documented in its strategic action plan.

Strategic plan alignment (indirect): Work that does not directly relate to a unit or committee’s strategic goal and which will not be documented in any strategic action plan but could potentially affect one or more target metrics in the strategic plan (e.g., Second Chance Pell, sprint degrees, grant projects).