The planning and evaluation area of practice requires school business officials to have long-term insights, deft analytical skills, and managerial and leadership expertise. With sensitivity to their community's needs, they also engage with stakeholder and have strong communication skills. The school business official serves as a leader as part of the system leadership team, having a shared vision for the organization and working with stakeholders in translating that vision into a comprehensive plan, based on integrity and commitment for the educational mission and to inspire and motivate others in achieving a common goal.
STRATEGIC PLANNING
In this function, school business officials understand the strategic planning process and work with the board and senior leadership team. They know how to allocate funds to maximize resources that go into the classroom and understand education plans and the culture of the system. This function also includes soft skills in communication and team building - more than just knowing how to do things, it involves helping others learn too. A school business official understands and demonstrates the ability to:
- Assist in the development and communication of a vision of the preferred future of the school authority, drawing from current research and best practice.
- Assist in developing a strategic plan that will move the school authority toward the achievement of its mission and goals.
- Review the financial impact of strategic planning goals by analyzing and quantifying relevant data for optimal decision-making that leads to successful educational outcomes for the school authority.
- Assist with the implementation, monitoring, evaluating, reporting and revision of the strategic plan.
PROGRAM EVALUATION
In this function, the school business official's role is to understand costs and how these match overall system outcomes. They make plans to cost instructional programs and identify measurements for tracking them. A school business official understands and demonstrates the ability to:
- Collaborate with stakeholders and establish strong working relationships to understand the teaching and learning program structures and needs.
- Use financial data to evaluate programs and services for relevancy, effectiveness and efficiency to determine if program outcomes have met desired objectives.
- Identify and analyze the various economic factors associated with the delivery and evaluation.
- Managing change when evaluation determines it is necessary.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
In the community engagement function, school business officials engage with various levels of the community , local, school, local government, etc. on issues that affect them. However, they also proactively listen to and engage parents and the community as a whole to understand its position on issues. A school business official understands and demonstrates the ability to:
- Understand and develop relationships with stakeholders to create strategic alliances in the community.
- Manage and assist in a comprehensive system to target broad community engagement.
- Develop plans to review and analyze stakeholders perspective into strategic direction.
- Communicate results, findings, actions arising from community engagement sessions.
- Understand and competently navigate the political environment at all levels.
