What is the place of organizational analysis in my career development and how can it help progression toward becoming an APP (Value Chain)?

Michael Porter (1985) pioneered the Value Chain model of organizational analysis. The model suggests grouping the activities of an organization into primary activities and support activities.

In educational terms the primary activity is that of teaching and learning within the school. There is though cause for debate in the contemporary educational climate that much of the work done by schools focuses on social education. For instance, inner city London schools may look to develop students from low socio-economic backgrounds with support units within the school. Support activities can include pastoral care, extra-curricular activities offered and the work of the school in the community.

Porter (1985) identifies this analysis as being able to identify which activities should be undertaken internally and which should be outsourced. Effectively what an APP must do is identify which activities are of upmost importance to career development along or the school’s development and which are superfluous to either or both. If one can identify an activity as being of the latter variety, one must then make a considered decision as to whether it is beneficial in other aspects of student development or whether it is nonsensical to continue with it.