Health and Science Related Organizations, Associations, and Societies

Academic Health Centers’ Clinical Research Forum – Board-Led Strategic Planning
 
Board-led strategic planning for the Clinical Research Forum (Washington, DC), an organization comprised of the nation’s top academic health centers whose goal is to sustain and expand a cadre of talented, well-trained clinical investigators at all stages of career development, and support nurturing environments and comprehensive research capacities within academic institutions. The mission of the Forum is to provide leadership to the national clinical and translational research enterprise and promote understanding and support for clinical research and its impact on health and health care. CCA worked with Forum leaders to assess the environment and plan for the evolution of this relatively new organization.

American Physiological Society (APS) – Strategic Planning
 
The American Physiological Society (Bethesda, MA) is the premier professional organization representing physiologists and is devoted to fostering education, scientific research, and dissemination of information in the physiological sciences. APS retained Cambridge Concord Associates to help develop a strategic plan that would address the needs of the challenging and changing environment facing physiologists today. The Society wanted to include representatives of its diverse constituencies and allow for input from the Council, Sections, Committees, Trainees, and staff. CCA designed and managed a planning process that provided for both significant input and a focused approach to developing the actual plan.

The Endocrine Society – Strategic Planning
 
Consulting and facilitation support to staff leadership and Governing Council of The Endocrine Society (Chevy Chase, MD) as they developed two strategic plans about five years apart. CCA also worked with the Council to redesign the governance structure and systems, which required the engagement of a wide spectrum of volunteer leaders from around the country. The Endocrine Society is an international body with 13,000 members from over 85 countries. The diverse membership represents medicine, molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, physiology, genetics, immunology, education, industry and allied health. The Society publishes four major peer-reviewed journals about endocrinology and metabolism. Scientific meetings are held each year and focus on the most recent developments in all areas of endocrinology.

Partners HealthCare in Conjunction with Harvard Medical School – Comprehensive Planning for the Future of Physician Education and Training
 
Partners HealthCare (Boston, MA) includes Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, as well as community hospitals, specialty hospitals, community health centers, a physician network, and other health-related entities. Planning was led by a Steering Committee made up of the Chief Medical Officer of Partners, the CEOs of the two major hospitals, representatives from Harvard Medical School, and others in leadership positions. Engaged in the process were all MGH and BWH Chiefs and a broad spectrum of junior faculty. Representative groups of residents and fellows informed the process, the first stage of which culminated in a system-wide retreat. All aspects of the planning effort are linked with ongoing efforts at the Harvard Medical School. The project includes the development of a 10-year vision, and a 2-3 year strategic plan and implementation strategy.

Education Related Not-for-Profits

Association of Research Libraries (ARL) – Strategic Planning and Governance Assessment
 
ARL is the premier association representing 123 research libraries at comprehensive, research-extensive institutions in the US and Canada. ARL member libraries make up a large portion of the academic and research library marketplace. CCA worked with ARL to develop a new strategic plan and to recommend changes to its governance structure that would meet the needs of the membership, many of whom were relatively new to their positions. Both aspects of the work required in high involvement and buy-in from the membership, achieved through a series of meetings and input sessions. CCA worked closely with Board and staff leadership in orchestrating these parallel processes. The strategic plan is being implemented and is widely acknowledged to have energized and focused the organization, while governance changes have improved communication, processes, and effectiveness.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Libraries – Ongoing Strategic Planning
 
The MIT Libraries (Cambridge, MA) are acknowledged as leaders among research libraries. The libraries are also a diverse and distributed system, with more than a dozen individual libraries and collections across the campus. For ten years CCA has supported the Libraries in their staff-led strategic planning processes, aimed at planning for the Libraries as a whole system. The work has ranged from soliciting input from library staff to planning and leading large-scale planning retreats. The resulting strategic plans have helped guide the Libraries’ and position them for growth and impact on the campus.

University of California-San Diego Libraries – Strategic Planning

The UCSD Libraries (La Jolla, CA) form an intellectual center for the UCSD campus. The 10 libraries, which together contain more than three million bound volumes and significant additional print, digital, and visual collections, support the research and educational needs of the campus’s many constituencies. The UCSD Libraries have been at the forefront of the digital movement in libraries, providing leadership as this new world of information technology develops. With a staff of more than 350 FTEs, the Libraries are a major force on campus. To have the most impact, the libraries needed a strong, focused plan to guide them forward. CCA worked with the UCSD Libraries on an inclusive process that engaged high-level campus representatives and library staff in scanning the environment and identifying opportunities for the Libraries. A large staff retreat provided the focus for developing the actual plan. The resulting plan positions the libraries to strengthen their role as innovators in digital information; to enhance the user experience and interface; and to maximize the use of library spaces.