Strategizing Strategic Plan

The good news of the week is about strategic thinking and strategic planning at IIUI. For those who know about the functions, procedures and decision making processes of IIUI, this is a breaking news and to be candid, somewhat difficult to digest as well! In IIUI everything is tactical and adhoc and we hardly see "policies" determining "actions" of administration and faculty. Though strategic planning is increasingly becoming a buzz word in IIUI's day to day business life but hardly anyone knows about the scope and implications of strategic planning. We have read about the latest movement in this regard and this time a new team is leading this process. Previously, we have seen many unsuccessful attempts towards building a long term strategic vision of IIUI and the last initiative was during Dr. Ghazi's tenure when Mr. Athar Zaidi was entrusted with this task and he was trying to fix faculty members through his innovative means, of course with the support of some faculty members too! Even before that another imported talent in the university (Dr. S M Hasan) was responsible for this task but we could not see any outcome.

By its design and structure, the latest attempt to build a strategic vision and planning for IIUI looks a continuation of earlier failed attempts. We have no reasons to cast doubts about the capabilities and skills of the team which is now leading this process. However, we'll here refer back to our consistent argument on this blog and that's about institutional character and institutional memories. Strategic planning is not merely a technical task which some technocrats can perform in isolation without getting fully rooted in the culture and traditions of an institution. IIUI has a history and its future is closely linked with its institutional character and capabilities. These insights cannot be simply communicated to a group of short term contractual appointees who are responsible for this crucial task. They can produce an excellent strategic vision for IIUI by all means but what next? Where are our earlier 10 years, 15 years and long term plans developed over the periods? Are we following those plans when we go for massive expansion of teaching programs and faculties and administration? Where do a medical college and 500 bed teaching hospital fit in those plans which our president is very keen to start? Of course nowhere! And the reason is simple. Those programs were lacking institutional support and could not be ultimately stored in institutional memory. We have every reason to believe that the latest attempt would also face the same consequences unless both the process and contents are going to be different this time.

By process we mean nothing but a true spirit of consultation across the board. But this consultation should not be formal and controlled. Our standard consultation practice is confined to a vertical communication in the form of command of high administration. We distribute forms and ask for immediate feedback and that's our consultation. We know that it does not happen like this. It should be rather an enabling process. If you are communicating in the same language and jargon with Usuluddin/Arabic/Shariah and Computer Sciences and Engineering then your methodology is flawed. In a system where many people cannot simply appreciate difference between strategic and tactical matters, if you are taking them for granted then you are wrong.

In terms of contents, there are number of serious issues which we should decide at IIUI before adopting a strategic vision. There are all sorts of issues such as:

• Are we still comfortable with our "international" and "Islamic" outlook or we should move away from optics to content. We are not putting any agenda on the table here but there are issues around and we should honestly and candidly consider them.


• What is our understanding about IIUI as a university and educational institution? Is it going to be just another mainstream educational institution like many others in Pakistan or we want to be approached differently given our character preserved in governing statute. This question is important to consider because there is a clear dichotomy between what we "did" and what we are "doing". In other words there is a historical construction of institutional character and then there is a "new" university which is expanding massively in several areas without considering the crucial questions of specialization and scope. We can see a clear dissent and sense of dissatisfaction in the campus about issues related to this problem. If we want to be just another university then the matters such as co-education, new programs and comparative advantage would be dealt altogether in a different way. But, if we are still an institution within the parameters of our governing law and earlier traditions then we need to seriously reconsider our expansion polices, new programs and future dimensions.

If we are not ready to address these issues through strategic planning then the whole process is futile. Having ten more departments, fifty MoUs, a fleet of 200 buses, spacious car parking areas, a few more blocks and soaring students' population, are not strategic matters by any definition. If we are true in our intentions then let's talk about real the issues.