Is an OPM Right for You? How Can You Tell?

Is an OPM partnership right for your institution?

The answer is rarely a simple yes or no.

The decision to work with an Online Program Manager (OPM) is complex—shaped by factors like institutional readiness, cultural alignment, operational needs, staff expertise and financial considerations.

Some universities thrive with deep OPM partnerships, others prefer independence, and many find themselves experimenting with hybrid models. Many schools are currently engaged with OPMs and trying to decide whether those relationships should continue. Some institutions also engage an OPM on a short-term basis as they develop expertise in-house. What matters most is knowing where your institution stands today—and whether an OPM can help you get where you want to go.

Making the right decision involves asking the right questions. Does an OPM offer opportunities that align with your organizational objectives, or does it create frustrating complexities? Does it offer the expertise and scalability you need, or is it clashing with your institution’s culture and long-term vision? The answers lie in carefully examining what your institution is ready for—and what it truly requires.

1. Institutional Readiness: Are You Set Up for a Productive Partnership?

When hiring freezes or budget restrictions prevent institutions from adding internal staff, external partnerships can be an attractive option. An OPM can bring valuable expertise, but the partnership works best when your institution already has a solid foundation.

Institutions need clear goals, tracking systems, and leadership buy-in to make the most of the relationship. The partnership must be well-managed, with the right processes in place to track performance, build mutual trust and demonstrate impact.

Questions to consider:

• Do we have clear objectives that align with what an OPM can deliver?
• Is leadership committed to supporting and sustaining an OPM partnership?
• Are we prepared to work with external vendors if hiring restrictions limit our ability to build internal capacity?
• Can we track key metrics and systems to measure progress and performance?
• Are we prepared to work closely with an OPM team to align expectations and timelines?

The most effective partnerships occur when institutions know what they want to achieve and can demonstrate measurable progress to maintain leadership support and funding. Many institutions don’t have the technology infrastructure to track and monitor progress on their own. Without the information provided by an OPM or another external partner, they may lack the ability to make data-informed decisions. On the other hand, every school should be pursuing methods to link data from marketing and enrollment campaigns to their overall goals and objectives.

2. Cultural Alignment: Will an OPM Fit Your Institution’s Values?

Culture plays a pivotal role in determining whether an OPM partnership will succeed. Some institutions embrace the expertise and efficiency an OPM provides. Others struggle with the shift in control or outsourcing certain operations.

Questions to consider:

• Will faculty and staff support the idea of working with an external partner?
• Does our institution’s culture encourage collaboration with vendors and third-party providers?
• Can we align the OPM’s role with our broader mission and values?
• How will we handle potential resistance from stakeholders?

Without cultural alignment and appreciation of what strengths the OPM brings, even the most promising partnerships can face roadblocks and hurdles, despite a positive enrollment picture. It’s essential to foster buy-in and create a shared vision to succeed—and if those things can’t be obtained, then the OPM partnership may not be the right solution.

3. Operational Needs: Will an OPM Fill Key Gaps?

OPMs can bring valuable resources to institutions, especially in areas like marketing, enrollment management, and instructional design. For institutions dealing with hiring freezes, OPMs can provide essential services without increasing headcount. However, the success of the partnership depends on seamless collaboration between internal institutional teams and external partners. Successful collaboration includes effective, meaningful and consistent communication between both parties, as well as transparency of results and processes.

Questions to consider:

• Are there operational gaps—like marketing or instructional design—that we can’t fill internally?
• Can an OPM provide specialized expertise we don’t currently have?
• Will the OPM’s systems integrate smoothly with our existing tools and platforms?
• How will we ensure ongoing collaboration between internal teams and the OPM?
• Are there operational gaps that we would like to build over time where we can learn from an OPM?

While OPMs can solve many operational challenges, institutions must be prepared to manage the partnership effectively. Without clear processes and integration, operational gaps can persist, undermining even the most well-intentioned efforts.

4. Financial Considerations: Can an OPM Help Us Scale Sustainably?

OPMs offer different financial models—historically, revenue sharing, and, more recently, fee-for-service—that can be attractive to institutions. However, understanding the institution’s longer-term plans and craft an appropriate financial model is essential to ensure the partnership meets both immediate needs and long-term goals.

Questions to consider:

• Do we fully understand the financial structure and responsibilities of the partnership, including revenue sharing or fee-for-service models; agreed deliverables and responsibilities, and revenue optimization versus risk avoidance?
• Can we manage the budget impact of the OPM’s services?
• Will we have access to performance data to ensure the investment is delivering results with required or reasonable timeframes?
• Are we prepared to navigate leadership transitions that might shift priorities and disrupt ongoing funding for the OPM partnership?

The financial model for an OPM partnership requires careful planning. Institutions must align their budget with both immediate needs/capabilities and future scalability. While an institution may have a current need that the OPM can meet, it may also have plans to build internal capability. Therefore, structuring that transition plan in to the agreement is important.

Choosing the Right Path: Dependent, Independent, or Hybrid?

Every institution has three basic options when it comes to OPMs: go all-in, go independent, or take a hybrid approach. Each model has its benefits and trade-offs. The key is understanding what’s right for your institution and planning accordingly.

OPM-dependent: a deep partnership
In this model, institutions rely heavily on the OPM for multiple services, such as enrollment management, marketing, instructional design and support, new program identification and program delivery. This approach offers comprehensive support but requires maximum transparency and clear communication.

Best Practice: Build trust by ensuring shared performance metrics and ongoing dialogue with your OPM partner.

Fully independent: managing everything in-house
Some institutions prefer complete control and opt to bring all functions in-house. While this approach offers maximum flexibility, it also requires significant investment in talent and infrastructure.

How to Prepare: Ensure you have the capacity to manage all key functions without external support—and create contingency plans to avoid disruptions.

Unbundled OPM: a flexible approach
This model offers the best of both worlds—retaining control over some areas while outsourcing specific functions to external providers. Institutions might work with an OPM for marketing but keep instructional design or enrollment management in-house.

If you choose this option, your consideration set can extend well beyond OPMs. There are many external partners who provide a specialized set of services and can engage in a fee-for-service model.

Considerations: Identify operational gaps and bring in specialized partners where needed. Focus on gradually building internal capabilities to reduce reliance on the OPM over time.

Does an OPM Make Sense for Your Institution?

An OPM can unlock new opportunities, but a successful partnership requires careful alignment with your institution’s goals, culture, and operational and financial needs. Whether you choose to continue with full partnership, move toward complete independence, or split the difference with a hybrid model, the key is making informed decisions based on what will serve your institution best. By asking the right questions upfront and evaluating your options thoughtfully, you can determine the model that will set you up for success.

Lee Maxey is Founder and CEO of MindMax. Lee has led MindMax since its founding in 2009, providing technology-enabled marketing solutions to accelerate enrollments for universities. Lee takes pride in building long-lasting relationships with MindMax’s university partners and building a culture focused on results aligned with client specific needs. MindMax provides strategic guidance, proven processes, and the latest digital tools to optimize online marketing and enrollment operations for university-affiliated continuing and professional education organizations. We are a trusted advisor to many of the nation’s top universities, and have transformed hundreds of online programs, impacting over 1 million students.

Jim Fong is UPCEA’s Chief Research Officer, and the founding director of UPCEA Research and Consulting. In his role, Jim has analyzed demographic, occupational, technological and societal trends and data to help the higher education community better serve the adult and corporate learner. Prior to joining UPCEA, Jim worked as a higher education strategic marketing and CRM consultant and researcher for two firms and prior to that was the Director of Marketing, Research and Planning for Penn State Outreach. Jim holds an M.B.A., an M.S. in Applied Statistics and a B.S. in Mathematics, all from The University of Vermont.