Fairfax County Public Schools’ Strategic Plan calls for the development of both return on investment (ROI) and decision-making frameworks. In response to the Strategic Plan, the Office of Research and Strategic Improvement (ORSI) has created a framework known as the FCPS Strategic Decision-Making Cycle for Resource Allocation (SDMC).  The SDMC will guide FCPS’ alignment of resources to division priorities.

SDMC Framework

• ORSI developed the SDMC framework after a review of recommended practices for organizational decision-making and strategic budgeting (e.g., Dickeson, 2010; GFOA, 2011).
• FCPS’ SDMC follows a Plan-Do-Study-Act framework (Deming, 2000) and focuses on a series of systematic steps for deciding how and where to allocate funds and other resources to support the success of strategic goals and actions (see Figure).

Strategic Decision-Making Cycle for Resource Allocation (SDMC)

• The SDMC framework will help staff identify and align the most critical resources to strategic work (Plan); spend and monitor the use of funds for this work (Do); examine the outcomes of the work, including the benefits of the invested resources (Study); and adjust resource allocations for subsequent years based on which work is most effective in helping FCPS meet its strategic goals (Act). ROI analyses, which provide evidence of the relation between funds spent and strategic benefits, support decisions made during the Act stage on whether to continue, modify, or end work.
• During SY 2017-18, the Fairfax County School Board and FCPS Leadership Team has worked on the Plan stage of the cycle, identifying which work should be prioritized for the upcoming several years and agreeing on specific measurable outcomes. The prioritization and measurement of outcomes were developed with input from teachers, principals, students, parents, and the community.
• Over the next two years, FCPS will align its work to the four goals of the strategic plan, dividing dollars spent into strategic and operational categories.
• Ultimately, the SDMC is intended to be used at multiple levels within the school division (e.g., FCPS Leadership Team, schools, departments/offices).
• Updates on progress using the SDMC will be part of FCPS’ annual Resource Stewardship goal reporting to the School Board.

References Cited

Deming, W.E. (2000). The new economics for industry, government, education. Cambridge, MA: MIT-CAES.

Dickeson, R. C. (2010). Prioritizing academic programs and services: Reallocating resources to achieve strategic balance. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Government Finance Officers Association (2014). Anatomy of a priority-driven budget process. Chicago: GFOA.