UMMC 2025 Strategic Planning Process

Through broad-based involvement across the mission of the institution and a strong commitment to planning and effectiveness, University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) actively engages in a robust planning and evaluation process focusing on institutional quality. The use of a data- informed systematic review of goals and outcomes helps us better evaluate our tripartite mission of the institution: education, research, and health care.

The planning process for the UMMC 2025 strategic plan began in 2019 with interviews of leaders across UMMC's mission areas, organizational units, and physical locations. A smaller strategy core team was formed that: (1) represented all three mission areas, (2) consisted of leaders that had a good understanding of the overall organization, and (3) consisted of leaders that had a willingness to help strategically define UMMC's future.

UMMC strategy leaders used system thinking to define the organization in broad terms and identify the important variables and interrelationships that affect decisions. Such variables and insight are incorporated into near, mid, and long term planning for all of the mission areas.

UMMC's approach was driven by identification and planning around core critical issues facing the organization. During high level retreats, leaders from all mission areas evaluated the external and internal environmental issues, identified key stakeholders, and isolated critical success factors (CSFs). They honed in on UMMC's strengths and weaknesses and the availability of resources. Their insight and recognition became the foundation for the UMMC 2025 institutional strategies, which cascade down to the strategy formation of each mission area.

Integration with the financial planning process ensures adequate funding for the most critical of needs. Strategies are grouped into near, mid, and long term phasing depending on the financial impact and level of incremental investment. The financial office is responsible for reviewing each strategy's operational details, resource/capital requirements, and forecasts to evaluate its 'true' financial performance and impact. The planning, budgeting, and forecasting of the strategy determines resource allocation and targets for the following year to facilitate accountability and execution of the UMMC 2025 plan.