A.

Mark Macias

Director of Institutional Research

Spokane Community College

WARP Fall Conference November 2008

 Introduction to the environmental scanning
process
◦ Definition of scanning
◦ Types of scans
 What to include in your scans
 Tips on conducting scans
 Tips on producing scan report
 Resources
 References

WARP Fall Conference November 2008

WARP Fall Conference November 2008
 The process of collecting, analyzing,
and distributing information for
tactical and strategic purposes

WARP Fall Conference November 2008

 To provide strategic intelligence by evaluating
potentially significant environmental changes
◦ Conveys both current environmental status and
how it is changing  trends
◦ Alerts planners to trends that are converging,
diverging, interacting, accelerating, or decelerating
◦ Ideal end-goal: allows for adaptive planning before
these trends occur or fully develop

WARP Fall Conference November 2008

 Often refers only to the environment that is
external to the organization
(also called the macroenvironment)

 Good strategic planning requires information

on internal organizational factors, so
whenever possible include these also
(unless obtained in separate processes)

WARP Fall Conference November 2008

 One cycle in the strategic planning process

WARP Fall Conference November 2008

WARP Fall Conference November 2008
 Ad Hoc
 Usually performed in
General response to crisis
Character-  Not as in-depth
istics
 Forecasts are more short-
term
 Allows for quicker turn-
around of scan results
Pros  Lower commitment of
resources over time
 Data can be more superficial
 Results may address
immediate issues, but are
less generalizable
Cons  If only conducted in response
to crises, indicates lack of
organized institutional
planning efforts
 Planning response is reactive
Periodic Continuous
 Also called Continuous Learning
 Tied to planning cycle  Structured, in-depth data
(e.g., every 3 years) collection and analyses by
 In-depth dedicated staff
 Forecasts 5 to 10 years  Data gathered is more
comprehensive
 Dedication of time by researchers
 Predictable frequency allows incorporation of data
allows for appropriate from more sources
budget planning  Provides planners with more
 Frequency provides comprehensive information
timely information  Informs planners of critical
gathering for planning changes sooner
 Planning is proactive…  Plans can be adjusted or adopted
more proactively
 Reaction to unforeseen
changes in environment
(e.g., onset of
recession) may require  Requires ongoing institutional
Ad Hoc scan to commitment of resources
supplement (funding, personnel, and time)
information.
 Planning response is
then more reactive
WARP Fall Conference November 2008
Depends …

No, this is not a cop-out …

WARP Fall Conference November 2008

 Depends…
◦ Type of scan (Ad hoc, Periodic, Continuous)
◦ Your institution’s relationship to its service area
◦ How the scan information will be used

 Things to consider including:

◦ Customer analyses
 Current and potential students
 Current and potential students’ parents
 Current and potential employers
 Other institutions of higher education (for transfer students)

WARP Fall Conference November 2008

 Community relations ◦ Socio-Cultural (continued)
◦ Community satisfaction  Attitudes about higher education
◦ Community needs assessment  Cultural shifts
◦ Technological
 Competitors  New products and services 
◦ Other public and private CCs, training opportunities
universities, and technical colleges  New manufacturing processes
 Infrastructure changes
 Campus (& District) Climate ◦ Economic
◦ Students  Industry/career demand and decline
◦ Staff  Unemployment
◦ Faculty  Inflation
◦ Administration ◦ Environmental/Ecological
 New industry opportunities
 Macroenvironment: STEEP ◦ Political
◦ Socio-cultural  Political climate/stability
 Demographics  State budget deficit or surplus
 population size and distribution  Changes in legislation
 age distribution
 education levels
 income levels
 race and ethnicity

WARP Fall Conference November 2008

 Rate factors on two dimensions:
◦ Potential impact on your institution
◦ Probability of occurrence
 Look for changes in current trends
 Look for potential interaction effects between

factors.

WARP Fall Conference November 2008

WARP Fall Conference November 2008
 Don’t try to do this alone!
◦ Assemble a research team
◦ Divide the workload

 Allow your team ample time to do the work*

* Then give yourself even more time!

WARP Fall Conference November 2008

 Use an editor to create a common voice in the
text.
 Consider your audience.
 Present your data so that it tells a story, then

actually tell that story. Because…

 The reader must be able to envision the

future and engage in “future-thinking.”

WARP Fall Conference November 2008

 Again, consider your audience.
 Use charts and graphs to clearly present past and future trends.
 Refer to The Visual Display of Quantitative Information by Edward
Tufte for guidance of best practices.
 Use color in charts and graphs to draw readers attention to
important factors, and avoid “chart clutter.”
◦ But, make sure they are still readable if photocopied or printed in
grayscale.
Don’t do what we did! (And we even knew better)

WARP Fall Conference November 2008

 Plan on producing both printed and electronic
(PDF) versions.

 Plan for limited color printing (for key stake-

holders), with additional copies in black and
white for general distribution.

 Documents that stakeholders are

proud of will be more widely
distributed and more widely used.

WARP Fall Conference November 2008

A small sampling…

WARP Fall Conference November 2008

 These data sources were found to be very helpful in preparing the CCS
environmental scan, and would be useful for any college in WA.

Free Sources
US Census Bureau www.census.gov and
factfinder.census.gov
US Dept of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Capital Professional Services www.bls.gov
State Board for Community & Technical College inflationdata.com
Washington Office of Financial Management www.sbctc.ctc.edu
Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
www.ofm.wa.gov
Washington Workforce Explorer
www.k12.wa.us
www.workforceexplorer.com
Subscription Sources
National Student Clearinghouse www.studentclearinghouse.org
Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. www.economicmodeling.com

WARP Fall Conference November 2008

 Morrison, J. L. (1992). Environmental scanning. In M.
A. Whitely, J. D. Porter, and R. H. Fenske (Eds.), A
primer for new institutional researchers (pp. 86-99).
Tallahassee, Florida: The Association for Institutional
Research. Out of publication, but still available on
the web:
http://horizon.unc.edu/courses/papers/enviroscan/

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_scanning

 Tufte, E. R. 2001. The Visual Display of Quantitative

Information. Cheshire, Connecticut: Graphics Press
LLC.

WARP Fall Conference November 2008

 Share Tips or Advice ?
 Share Data Sources ?
 Share Resources ?

PowerPoint slides and PDF of CCS Environmental Scan

available upon request:

A. Mark Macias
Spokane Community College
mmacias@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-8871

WARP Fall Conference November 2008