Department Operational Planning

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UPDATED January 31, 2023

Operational Planning Overview

The purpose of the annual department operational planning and budgeting cycle at MCC is to transparently:

  1. Operationalize MCC’s strategic planning goals at the department level (i.e., align department goals and initiatives to the college strategic plan).
  2. Review department budgets and metrics across evolving annual contexts to ensure effective department operations.
  3. Provide an opportunity for departments to request additional funds related to initiatives algined with the college strategic plan.

At MCC, we operationalize our strategic plan using the Four Disciplines of Execution (4DX) framework, which provides a process and tools to help departments set Wildly Important Goals (WIGs) aligned to college WIGs, identify lead measures to monitor goal progress, track progress on a team scoreboard, and engage individual staff and faculty with weekly commitments related to the team’s WIG.

Operational Planning Process and Timeline

This year, we are still training and rolling out 4DX to departments. Also, due to leadership changes, we were delayed in launching this year’s cycle. The goals of this year’s cycle are to 1) get departments up and running with 4DX and 2) get departments familiar with their budgets. Please follow the directions and prompts in the FY2023-24 Planning and Budgeting template to complete your department’s annual plan. Additional 4DX Resources and Training will be forthcoming in December and January.

November 22, 2022
  • Planning and Budgeting Kickoff Meeting

December through February
  • 4DX training and refreshers (dates TBD)
  • Fiscal office available for meetings re: budgets
  • Departments meet with supervisor to approve WIG and budget

February 24, 2023
  • Department Budgets and requests due to fiscal (this means they have been vetted and approved by the department supervisor)
  • 4DX WIG and lead measures entered into 4DXOS
  • Department (or dept. 4DX teams) have started or have planned a time to start weekly WIG huddles

Week of April 24 or May 1, 2023 (TBD)
  • First annual MCC Planning and 4DX Summit!
  • Departments present to leaders and colleagues about their annual progress towards their WIG, lessons learned, and WIG for next year (template will be provided).

FY2023-24 Cycle Directions

To complete this year's MCC Department Plan and MCC Sub-Department budgets:

  1. Access your MCC Department's planning folder via this link.

    • The document organizes the links to MCC Department Planning folders.

      • It is organized by MCC Department and MCC Sub-Departments with the associated MCCCD’s Financial Management System (FMS) Department Name and #s.

    • Each MCC Department has a single planning folder to access via the links under the “MCC Department” column. Each department folder has sub-folders for each year. Go to the FY2023-24 folder, which contains:

      • MCC Department Planning template

      • Budget template(s), if applicable

    • MCC Departments have a line for each MCC Sub-Department which are identified in the FMS System by FMS Department Name and #.

      • Each MCC Sub-Department budget template can also be accessed via the link under the “Link to Budget” column or in the department's FY2023-24 folder.

  2. Locate the MCC Department Plan Google Doc in the MCC Department folder

    • Follow the directions in the MCC Department Planning template. This includes two sections:

      • 4DX

  • Ensuring your department is ready to continue using 4DX or to start using 4DX by the end of February.

  • Answer the three questions about the department’s use of 4DX.

  • Department Budget(s)

    • Complete a FY2023-24 budget spreadsheet for every MCC Sub-Department with the MCC Department.

      • The MCC Sub-Department budget templates are identified by the FMS Department Name and #.

      • Directions for completing the spreadsheet are located in the FY24 MCC Budget Template: Instructions, Tab Descriptions & Guidelines, and Glossary. This link is also provided in Section 2 in the MCC Department Planning template.

      • For any non-capital budget requests of more than $5,000, provide a justification in the MCC Department Planning template.

This process should include collaboration with your department as well as with your department’s supervisor. We want people to be involved and to know what is going on! Part of 4DX is also about engaging all of our employees in this work.

The deadline to complete the annual planning and budgeting submission is Friday, February 24th at 5 p.m.

Department Planning Resources

MCC Annual Department Planning and Budgeting Shared Google Drive

We have completed two years of annual planning and budgeting work using the college-wide shared Google drive. All department chairs and managers should have access to the shared planning drive. Direct links to department planning folders are provided below. Each department folder contains subfolders for planning years. Department plans and budget requests from prior years are contained in the FY2020-21, FY2021-22, and FY 2022-23 folders. We will add additional folders for future years when templates are available. If folders do not exist or are empty, then we found no prior submissions for last year.

MCC Annual Department Planning and Budgeting Shared Drive Folders by Division

Other Resources

Planning Alignment to College and District Goals

Operational plans, goals, and new initiative proposals should align with MCC’s strategic directions and goals from our current strategic plan: Thunderbirds THRIVE 2020-2025.

The college has three strategic directions for 2020-2025:

  1. MCC Strategic Direction 1: MCC is an Agent for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
  2. MCC Strategic Direction 2: MCC improves student outcomes and experiences through Guided Pathways.
  3. MCC Strategic Direction 3: MCC is a great place to work.

MCC's Wildly Important Goal (WIG) focused on student success is: By 2025, MCC will attain equitable 2-year outcomes for new-to-college students by increasing the two-year success rate for all racial groups to 16%.

These sub-goals support the WIG:

  • Close Opportunity Gaps in Course Success - By Fall 2023, close opportunity gaps in course success across all racial groups while increasing MCC’s overall course success rate from 74% to 80% per semester.
  • Increase first-year college-level English and math completion - By the end of 2023, with equity across racial groups, increase the percentage of new-to-college students who complete college-level English and math in their first year from 27% to 33%.
  • Increase first-year student credit momentum - By the end of 2023, with equity across racial groups, increase the percentage of full-time, new-to-college students who earn 30+ credits in their first year from 12% to 18% and increase the percentage of part-time, new-to-college students who earn 15+ credits in their first year from 18% to 24%.
  • Improve the student experience - By 2025, increase the percentage of students who report that their college experience was better than expected from 54% to 66%.
  • Recruit and Retain a Diverse Workforce - By 2025, increase the diversity of our workforce by 5%.

MCC's WIG and sub-goals support the Maricopa District WIG: Increase equitable two-year completion/transfer rate for students of color from 9.8% to 15% by fall 2023.

Need Help?

For questions related to planning, goal setting, or the shared Google Drive, contact Dennis Mitchell in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness

For questions related to budgeting or funding requests, contact the Fiscal Office.