What is it?
An action plan is an outline of who will do what, when, and how to achieve a specific objective, it forms a basis to 'get it right first time'.
When to use it
An action plan indicates 'what needs to be done' and in particular it can be used to:
- co-ordinate the communication of a key message or implementation plan.
- Plan the implementation of a project
- Plan the implementation of a problem solution
- Co-ordinate an activity such as data collection
What does it achieve?
Assembling together the action requirements, in terms of: people involvement, resources needed and any special dependencies into an easily understood plan will help you to:
- Decide on priorities
- Establish any inter-relationships
- Assign responsibilities
- Establish 'required by' dates
- Review and monitor progress
By communicating the plan, everyone involved will know what is required of them, and when.
Key steps
- Involve those who are likely to be affected
- Ensure understanding
- Establish what needs to be done when and then collate
- Determine dependencies
- Communicate information
- Monitor and review
Typical Action Plan
