ITEM Strategic Planning: Two Approaches

Best practice in IT for Educational Management (ITEM) promotes the value of robust strategic planning. In schools, however, the experience of the 1980s and early 1990s suggested that school senior management teams were inadequately trained and prepared for managing the development of an ITEM Strategic Plan and driving its implementation. From around 1995 to the present day, school management teams have been becoming more sophisticated in their approach to ITEM Strategic Planning. This paper considers the approaches of two schools to ITEM Strategic Planning – one in Australia and one in England – and compares the advantages and disadvantages of the two approaches. The paper discusses issues surrounding governance, collection of evidence, approaches to professional development and feedback mechanisms. Similarities and differences between the two approaches are highlighted, and recommendations made that are of relevance to schools that are seeking increased effectiveness in their ICT efforts.