Kigali International Community School (KICS)

Situation

Kigali International Community School (KICS) was the first internationally accredited K-12 school in Rwanda. Since then, a number of other international schools have sprung up and improved in support of Kigali’s growth and development. An international school is an important part of the development of a country, and KICS was intent to continue to support the development goals of the country, and support the growing diversity of families in Rwanda, without being perceived as a school for the elite. This Strategic Business Plan came at an ideal time, as the leadership of the school was trying to navigate the challenges of a global pandemic and put plans in place for expansion to a new 8.8 hectare campus in a neighborhood nearby.

Karisimbi Partners’ Approach

Karisimbi Partners had recently completed a Strategic Business Plan for Green Hills Academy (GHA), so we were already well informed regarding the Kigali context for internationally accredited schools. Since many of the children of Karisimbi Partners employees had attended KICS, we also had a strong understanding of the changing demographics and shifting trends in education over the past decade. Together with administration, faculty and staff, we were able to craft a strategy for the school that could accommodate continued growth of the student body while accelerating an individualized path toward academic excellence and expanded infrastructure and extracurricular programming. Recommendations called for including teachers and staff in more of the decision-making and positioning of the school and to galvanize its leadership position among faith-based international schools.

Results

As the global pandemic disrupted the local economy and education in unexpected ways, Karisimbi Partners was forced to modify our projections for market growth and financial returns to address unexpected fluctuations. Thankfully, these modifications made expansion plans more realistic. The resulting strategy and plan was appreciated by the Board of Directors and leadership team as they sought greater analytical rigor and unity to guide the decisions they faced the coming years.

Karisimbi Partners is a highly professional, committed, customer-oriented service firm. They can access expertise from around the world while providing key insights for on-the-ground realities to move your organization forward.

– Ben Thomas, Director, Kigali International Community School (KICS)

KICS continues to lead, providing international excellence and a caring community for families participating in nation-building and the development of emerging markets.

More Info about KICS.