Course Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of the Module is to get students acquainted and familiarized with strategic planning in education, as well as be able to apply the relevant theory within the context of educational organisations. Students will study the concepts of organisations and management, needs analysis and the strategic forecasting of the future, as well as the concept of strategy. Students will also study the strategic analysis, both at the level of the external competitive environment of organisations and at the level of their internal environment, as well as the strategic choice, the strategic plan and its implementation. Then, they will examine Total Quality Management (TQM), with reference to the Common Assessment Framework (CAF), will explore responsibility and accountability issues, while the module will be completed with the implementation of strategic planning in the Cyprus Educational System (CES).

Course Content

Students will study the concepts of organisations and management, needs analysis and the strategic forecasting of the future, as well as the concept of strategy. They will be able to identify the basic stages an organisation should follow in order to develop good action plans, and the important steps towards developing a successful strategic plan. Students will also study the strategic analysis, both at the level of the external competitive environment of organisations and at the level of their internal environment, as well as the strategic choice, the strategic plan and its implementation. The will be able to      implement various analyses to collect information for determining the strategic position of an organisation. Then, they will examine Total Quality Management (TQM), with reference to the Common Assessment Framework (CAF), will explore responsibility and accountability issues, while the module will be completed with the implementation of strategic planning in the Cyprus Educational System (CES). Thus, they will be able to distinguish the conflict resolution styles, compare the field of business with the field of education, by noting some similarities and some differences between them, and highlight some strategic choices that the CES can pursue.