Department of Internal Audit and Compliance

Strategic Planning - Business Unit Strategy

Effectiveness and efficiency of operations 

A. The strategies that have been designed and implemented by the business unit support University objectives.

1. Has a business unit strategy been developed that incorporates management's current and future vision for the University?
2. Have communication lines been established up, down, and across the organization to allow prompt identification and resolution of problems that impede achievement of strategic goals?
3. Are regular management meetings held to ensure the University's strategy is relevant, focuses the organization on its goals, and is being implemented effectively?

B. Operations effectively support the implementation of the University’s business unit strategies.

1. Is the execution of the University’s strategy monitored through benchmarking?
2. Have appropriate performance measures for each critical business process been implemented? Do these performance measures allow management to align operation, information, management, and support processes with the University's strategy?
3. Has business strategy been translated into goals that are specific enough to drive the strategy?
4. Have critical business processes been mapped to visually represent their activities?
5. Have key activities of each critical business process been identified? (A key activity is a step that is critical to the process and its output.)

C. The University’s business unit strategies remain consistent with University objectives over time.

1. Are the University's goals reassessed and adapted continually based on changes in the business strategy or external environment?
2. Is an effective process to obtain reliable, relevant, and timely information about the external business environment maintained?
3. Are appropriate performance measures used to monitor progress toward strategic goals?
4. Is a management control structure employed to facilitate cross-functional support and communication within the organization?
5. Have strategic checkpoints been established to monitor progress toward fulfilling strategic goals?
   

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