Launching an Effective Strategic Planning Team

A strategic plan is only as strong as the team built to lead it. In this interactive workshop, participants will learn how to design, staff, and launch an effective strategic planning team, committee, or task force. You’ll learn how to structure and support the team,, select the right mix of roles and representation for the team, and develop an onboarding approach that helps members contribute confidently from day one. Grounded in SCUP’s Integrated Planning model, the workshop helps you move from “we need a committee” to a team with a well-defined mandate, clear expectations, and established decision-making norms.

The result is a planning team that is more aligned, more credible, and better prepared to navigate ambiguity, manage healthy conflict, and sustain momentum. You’ll leave with the tools, skills, and knowledge necessary to develop, launch, and support a team that leads effective, integrated strategic planning.

Who This Is For

• Institutional planners and strategic planning leads coordinating a campus-wide planning effort.
• Senior leaders responsible for launching (or resetting) a planning process.
• Institutional effectiveness leaders supporting strategic or institution-wide planning.
• Cross-functional partners who will staff or support the team (finance, HR, facilities, IT, student affairs, academic affairs).
• Those who’ve taken Planning Institute: Foundations and are looking for a deep-dive on the topic.

Learning Outcomes

• Explain the planning team’s purpose, role, and responsibilities in a strategic planning process.
• Write a planning team charter that provides a strong foundation for team effectiveness, outlining the team’s charge, deliverables, authority, and expectations.
• Outline selection criteria for team members by identifying the roles and responsibilities required for planning success, then determining the essential expertise, skills, and characteristics necessary to achieve your planning’s purpose.
• Develop an onboarding checklist that specifies the knowledge, tools, and supports team members need to be effective.
• Gauge team members’ attitudes and expectations towards planning,and recommend targeted training and support actions.

Facilitator

Nicholas Santilli

Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic AffairsUniversity of San Diego

Registration

Join now to take advantage of the member savings for this event and access a library full of vital resources!

Deadlines

**Cancellations must be made in writing and may be submitted by email to your registration team registration@scup.org by 4/24/2026. Refunds are subject to a processing fee – 10% of the total purchase. No-shows are not eligible for a refund, and funds committed by purchase order must be paid in full by the first day of the event. Refunds will be issued within 30 days of received written notification.