1. A school’s goals and needs are generally identified through strategic planning processes.
Effective strategic planning enables schools and school systems to allocate resources in ways
that provide the best educational outcomes for students.
It is good practice for schools to develop and regularly update their ICT strategic plans—
sometimes known as e-learning plans—to support their broader strategic plans.
Useful tools
Many government and non-government school authorities provide advice, tools and templates to
assist with ICT strategic planning. Schools should use those resources to meet the strategic
priorities and policies of their school systems.
ICT planning frameworks, such as those developed by the MCEETYA ICT in Schools
Taskforce and some school systems and sectors are very valuable. They explain the different
elements that need to be planned for and help schools evaluate their levels of readiness. For each
element, schools are then able to:
• assess their current level of readiness
• establish their target readiness for the next year (or other time period)
• identify what needs to be done to reach that target level.
See also: Effective use and management of ICT
Preparing the school ICT plan
Schools preparing an ICT plan need to understand:
• their overall strategic plan, including its vision, objectives and priorities for teaching and
learning
• their administrative needs
• the opportunities offered by ICT for supporting and improving teaching, learning and
school administration
• the strategic priorities and policies of the school system or sector to which they belong
• their current level of readiness against the appropriate ICT planning framework
• the financial, human and other resources available to them.
Developing the plan
Planning is more than the production of a document. The process of planning develops and
articulates a shared vision for ICT in teaching, learning and administration across the school
community. It is an opportunity for self-review and evaluation, and is crucial to understanding
and managing change well.
Leadership and participation

2. Good planning blends active leadership with broad participation across the school community.
Good practices include:
• ICT planning that is driven by school leaders—see the MCEETYA ICT Taskforce’s
Leadership strategy: learning in an online world
• the integration of ICT planning with other aspects of school planning
• the use of appropriate expertise and advice, particularly that provided by the school
system or sector to which the school belongs
• early assessment of the school’s current level of readiness
• endorsement of plans through clear governance processes and by relevant school
governing bodies, such as school councils.
When to plan
Planning is a cyclical process. ICT strategic planning should be undertaken regularly—generally
annually—and it should be aligned with other school planning processes, including:
• overall school strategic planning
• curriculum planning
• planning for professional learning
• school budgeting
• building and facilities planning
• ICT infrastructure planning.
Documenting the plan
ICT strategic plans are generally presented as consolidated documents. They are provided to key
stakeholders in the school community, including staff, parents and governing bodies. Where
required, the school’s ICT strategic plan should utilise the school system’s templates and advice.
Vision and goals
ICT strategic plans need to describe the school’s vision and high-level goals and should support
the school’s overall strategic plan. Plans usually outline:
• the teaching and learning practices to be supported through ICT
• the administrative practices to be supported through ICT
• the ways that ICT supports the use of learning spaces throughout the school
• areas of change in the school in which ICT will have an important enabling role.
Strategies
The school’s ICT strategic plan should set out the strategies for achieving goals according to the
elements of the relevant ICT planning framework. An example is included in Digital education -
making change happen, which describes 10 elements and associated strategies where ICT can
contribute:

3. • personalising and extending student learning
• enabling leadership
• supporting professional learning
• connecting learning beyond the school
• improving student assessment and reporting
• developing measuring and monitoring student ICT capabilities
• accessing and utilising student information
• providing, accessing and managing teaching and learning processes
• automating business processes
• providing reliable infrastructure.
Outcomes
Each strategy should describe:
• intended outcomes, including the target level of readiness against the ICT planning
framework
• measures of achievement
• evaluation processes.
Implementation
Each strategy should describe how it will be implemented. The details may be set out in related
plans such as a professional learning plan or an ICT infrastructure plan. Implementation details
should include:
• activities and their interrelationships
• time frames
• roles and responsibilities
• resources required and where they will be sourced
• the decision making process for purchasing ICT
• communication arrangements
• training and support requirements
• measures of success.