Strategic Planning

A comprehensive, environmental approach to prevention engages in a process that uses science-based strategies to bring about long-lasting cultural and institutional change. Each campus is unique, with its own variety of alcohol, other drug, and violence issues. Some college prevention efforts have rushed to select prevention activities before engaging in a thorough process to ensure such activities are appropriate and science-based and will result in outcomes that will solve the college's specific problems. A sounder approach first determines the problem and the desired outcomes, and then identifies activities that are likely to achieve them. The research literature suggests that prevention programs are most effective when they are designed to achieve realistic goals, have clear and focused objectives, are comprehensive in scope, and are adapted to fit the specific community and social context. Meeting that standard requires participation in a strategic planning and evaluation process.

Strategic planning is a systematic process involving identifying and analyzing problems, identifying goals and objectives, selecting and implementing evidence-based strategies, and then evaluating those strategies. Engaging in these steps will ensure that (1) efforts are targeted to meet a campus’s needs and problems as documented by local data, and (2) selected strategies are evidence-based, drawing on research literature and theory.

The Higher Education Center has identified five steps in the strategic planning process:

1. Conduct a problem analysis
2. Establish long-term goals and objectives
3. Select evidence-based prevention strategies
4. Create a strategic plan
5. Execute an iterative evaluation plan