Strategic Planning / Consulting for GSAH

Background
The Department of Administration, on behalf of the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts & Humanities (GSAH), seeks a qualified strategic planning professional or agency to lead the creation of a comprehensive five-year plan. The mission of GSAH is to serve artistically talented high school students in South Carolina through programs of preprofessional instruction in an environment of artistic and academic excellence. The goal of this contract is to develop a strategic plan that aligns with the school’s mission and addresses its long-term needs.

Work Details
The contractor will engage leadership, employees, parents, alumni, and the Board through surveys, focus groups, and discovery sessions. They will identify strategic priorities, challenges, and opportunities; develop measurable goals and timelines aligned with the school’s mission; and deliver a complete strategic plan that includes priorities, strategies, objectives, and an evaluation framework.

The proposal must include:
1) Development of a plan to evaluate and validate the school’s needs;
2) A relevant course of action for long-term planning;
3) A work plan with measurable outcomes and timelines;
4) A written strategic planning document that includes identification of strategic issues, statement of strategic direction, prioritized goals, strategies to accomplish goals, measurable objectives, and an assessment plan.

An additional option may be included for benchmarking best practices against state and national standards.

Period of Performance
The contract is expected to start on November 11, 2025, and end on January 30, 2026.

Place of Performance
All services will be provided at the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities located at 15 University Street, Greenville, SC 29601.

Bidder Requirements
Offerors must have experience in long-range planning for educational or public institutions. They should demonstrate skills in SWOT analysis, stakeholder engagement, goal setting, developing strategic plans for schools or districts, conducting environmental scans or situational analyses, facilitating focus groups, and working with boards of directors. Additionally, offerors must provide evidence of their qualifications including references and previous work experience related to strategic planning.