Section 1: Conceptual Framework
Leaders: Lisa Ncube & Teresa Gehman
Contributors: Blenda Crawford & James Beebe
Directions to the Reader: The purpose of this Table is to offer an opportunity for leadership program developers to provide a contextual focus tailored to their specific leadership program. This section will provide the reader with two elements, one broad in nature, and one narrow in nature, and make four key points.
- First, the Conceptual Framework Section will provide an overview of the Guidelines Manual in which the authors provide a summary of the material contained in each section of the manual. The sections are meant to be broad in scope, due to the nature of the variety of leadership programs, and to the nature of the topics. While the contributors to each section are focused on particular topics, their intent is to discuss key topics from the theoretical, philosophical, and practical backgrounds of those particular topics. Leadership program developers should select the elements or topics key to their specific vision, mission, and philosophy, which lead to the next focus of this section.
- The second focus of the Conceptual Framework is to provide leadership program developers with a set of questions to ask themselves as they begin to conceptualize their own specific program. In this section, contributors have provided general questions that developers can make specific due to their own program design and need. Generic questions are just that: a guide for thinking through the underlying rationale that would support a particular leadership program.
- While contexts are many and varied with respect to focus and intent of leadership programs, there are five contextual areas that we think capture the majority of leadership programs and intent: Contextual areas of leadership programs can include, but are not limited to: university-based graduate degree programs, university based undergraduate degree or certificate programs, leadership development training or consulting within community settings, leadership development training and consulting in private practice.
- A final important consideration for leadership program developers is to consider the discipline within which the leadership program is being offered. Thus, particular needs of specific disciplines would have to be considered as the philosophy is developed, content is chosen, internships are provided, and outcomes and assessments are chosen.
Conceptual Frameworks for Leadership Programs
The purpose of the Conceptual Framework is to provide leadership program developers with a set of questions to use as they begin to conceptualize their own specific program. In this area, contributors have provided general questions that developers can make specific to their own program design and need. Generic questions are just that: a guide for thinking through the underlying rationale that would support a particular leadership program.
While contexts are many and varied with respect to focus and intent of leadership programs, there are five contextual areas that capture the majority of leadership programs. Contextual areas of leadership programs can include but are not limited to: university-based graduate degree programs, university based undergraduate degree or certificate programs, leadership development training or consulting within the community settings, leadership development training, and consulting in private practice.
A final important consideration for leadership program developers is the discipline(s) within which the leadership program is offered. Thus, particular needs of specific disciplines would have to be considered as the philosophy is developed, content is chosen, internships are provided, and outcomes and assessments are chosen. To this end, the following questions will be addressed in this section:
1. What is the purpose of the conceptual framework?
2. How would a conceptual framework inform leadership practices?
3. What are the theoretical foundations for leadership development programs?
4. What types of experiences are appropriate for and relevant to leadership development programs?
5. What are the conceptual tools for critically analyzing leadership development practices?
The assumptions include:
1. No consensus exists on the definitions of leadership, leadership development, or what constitutes a leadership program.
2. Leadership development is contextual, situational, and temporal.
3. Leadership involves intellectual, inquirer, and professional perspectives.
4. The global context is becoming increasingly important.
In particular, this section addresses how a conceptual framework informs how leadership is viewed. The following topics discuss some, but not all, of the important perspectives of conceptual frameworks to be considered by program developers.
Guiding questions for Leadership Program developers
1. Vision & Mission of the institution and unit
The mission and vision of the leadership education program should align with, or at least be directly related to, the missions and visions of the institution and all units that support the program. This requires a clear, active mission statement of what the leadership program is expected to do and who it is expected to serve. The mission statement of the program expresses the nature of a program which indicates the purposes of the program. The mission should be stated in "hard" factual terms rather than "soft" value terms. How well and in what ways does the program mission statement relate to the institution’s mission statement? How well and in what ways does the program mission statement relate to the mission statements of other units (e.g., college, departments, student affairs, HR department, finance and opreations for non-academic programs, for instance) that support the program? This also requires a clear statement of where the leadership program intends to go and how it intends to develop over time. The vision of the program should be presented as a picture of the program in the future, in three or more years’ time. The vision statement should describe the likely physical appearance, size, and activities, among others of the program. What does the program hope to achieve for the future? What is the ideal program? What does the program hope to achieve and what does it strive for? How does the program engage current and future leadership issues into the curriculum? How does the institution’s vision affect the program’s vision? How the visions of other units that support the program affect the program’s vision?
A.
· What is the program's vision for the future?
· What does the leadership program hope to achieve for the future
· What does the program strive to do?
B. What is the program’s mission?
· What does the program do? (Action statement)
· What is the purpose of the program?
· What is the mission of the institution?
· How do the program and institutional missions relate?
· How does the program engage current and future leadership issues into the curriculum?
2. Unit’s philosophy, purposes, and goals
A. Theoretical Foundations:
What are the theoretical foundations and historical perspective of the leadership program and how should they guide the practice of leadership?
B. Philosophy
What are the program’s overarching guiding principles?
C. Goals and Objectives: Specific statements of how the program will use the philosophy to achieve the mission. Goals are broad aims of a program. They can be interim or ultimate time-based. Objectives should relate to the expectations and requirements of all the major stakeholders and should reflect the underlying reasons for running the program. They should be specific, quantifiable, consistent, realistic, achievable and time-bound.
What are the broad goals, objectives, and outcomes of leadership programs?
· How are these connected to philosophy and mission?
· How are diversity, globalization, technology, and other contextual factors addressed?
D. Values: Statements about the governing of the operation of the program and its conduct or relationships with society at large, customers, staff, local community and other stakeholders.
What are programs values and how do these values impact how the program is conducted?
· How does the program recognize and build upon cultural foundations?
· How does the program recognize the intersection of different cultures, traditions, and values?
· How does the program engage ethical issues?
4. Knowledge bases (theories, research, wisdom of practice and education policies)
What theories, research, and wisdom of practice underpin the program’s belief that its purposes/goals are worthwhile and of value?
· How does the program plan to connect with Communities of Practice or other leadership programs?
5. Outcomes
What are the identified leadership competencies and proficiencies and how do they relate to the program’s philosophical and theoretical perspectives?
What are the identified core knowledge, skills and values that support the greater educational mission and philosophy of the organization/institution?
6. Criteria for excellence
What professional, state, institutional, or other guidelines of excellence are used to develop programs?
7. Practical Experiences of Leadership
What effective instructional strategies/methodologies will meet needs of program?
What are the appropriate materials, media, and technology (including computers and the internet) to engage participants?
8. System of assessment
What assessment system is appropriate for the program?
· How will the impact and effectiveness of the program(s) be determined?
· How are the Criteria for excellence incorporated into assessment?
9. Resources
What resources are available to support the development of the program?
· Glossary
· Frameworks/platforms/manifestos
· Case studies/best practices
· Human resources to assist development/creation/implementation
· ILA consultation (need to have “expert” database available)
Your contact for this particular section:
Lisa B.Ncube
Purdue University
lncube@purdue.edu
765) 494-5616
Guideline Learning Community proposal final.doc
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