Strategic planning at LSE

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) was established on the belief that society can be improved by studying its structure and dynamics. Its founders believed that it was important to train those who formulate and implement policy to consider 'the causes of things' with intellectual rigour and an independent perspective.

The fundamental purpose of the London School of Economics and Political Science is to increase understanding of a complex and ever-changing world through excellent teaching and research in the social sciences and promoting its work to policy makers and practitioners in the public, private and voluntary sectors. The School's primary objective over the next five years is to enhance its position as the leading academic centre of international excellence in the study and application of the social sciences.

The School’s strategic plan is a sharply focused document concentrating on five core strategic priorities with a number of measures of achievement (identifying what we want to achieve) and supporting performance indicators (identifying how we plan to get there) that enable Council to judge the achievement of our stated objectives.

The five core strategic priorities are:

Maintain excellence in teaching with high quality student support services
Produce research of the highest quality
Engage with the wider community
Formulate and implement a planned programme of expansion to enable the School to maintain its competitive position and facilitate intellectual innovation
Focus resources to deliver priorities

It is crucial to the plan’s success that everyone in the School is aware of these priorities. The clear connection between the strategic plan and departmental/divisional plans and then to individual staff plans (via the performance and development review process) ensure that each and everyone of us can maintain our part in the planning process.

A printed copy of the Strategic Plan 2007-12 will be issued to every member of staff as early in the Michaelmas Term as practicable. Also, the Strategic Plan can be downloaded in PDF format; additional printed copies are also available from the Planning Unit on request (email D.Bennett@lse.ac.uk or call on Ext 5272).