ABSTRACT
Planning often appears more difficult than it really needs to be. Decision making is another management activity closely allied with planning. Decision making is one management activity closely allied with planning. Planning is intended to inform the decision-making process and improve its quality. The goal of the instructional advocate in a planning activity is to bring the importance of instructional computing to the attention of decision makers and to convince them that an investment in computing is worth the cost. A plan may be imposed on an organization by direct authority; it may be based on formal procedures and analyses. Planning is a strategy for building a coalition and orchestrating a consensus. People are assembled who are seen to represent sufficient technical skills, pedagogical insight, and awareness of institutional goals to be able to speak for the institution and to issue an authoritative statement. When forecasting and decision making come together, planning is possible.
