Writing a Plan E-9

A long journey consists of many short steps.

Before you are ready to write a plan for your group, organization or community, you must complete the other steps of the program planning process (modules E-4, E-5, E-6, E-7 and E-8).

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE

When you finish with this module you should be able to:

1. Write a plan which will tell your group what needs to be done, by whom, and by what date.

 EXERCISE:

You should now be ready to organize activities which meet each objective written earlier (module E-7). Sometimes one activity will fulfill several objectives. Other times, several activities will be needed to accomplish one objective.

Use the "planning worksheet" (next page) to begin a plan of work. Write down the activities (events, actions) that are needed to complete the objectives. If you need more pages, keep going.

Discuss your plan with colleagues and refine it until it appears to be complete, specific and pertinent to your objectives.

 PLANNING WORKSHEET

Objective(s):

WHO?                                               DOES WHAT?                               BY WHEN?

Responsibility                       -                     Agenda, Activities or Comments   -   Resources Needed

How will this objective be evaluated? When? By whom?

COMPLETING THE PLAN OF WORK

By now you realize, if you didn't already, that writing plans of work is time-consuming. You can't do it in one sitting. To write a plan of work for an organization, you must allow plenty of time and involve many people. Go back to your group's priorities for the coming year (see module E-6) and assign one priority to a committee. Ask each committee to restate its priority as a goal then write from 1 to 3 objectives using the "checklist to evaluate objectives." Then decide if you want the committee to fill out a "planning worksheet" for its objectives. You may decide to do the

planning worksheet yourself or delegate the planning of all objectives to yet another committee.

Review each planning worksheet using the following criteria:

1. Is it clear (impossible to misunderstand)?
2. Are activities in a logical sequence?
3. Can the responsibilities assigned be done by the individual assigned?
4. Is the plan complete (no steps are left out - nothing is assumed to happen without being written down)?
5. Are the time lines reasonable?

NEXT STEPS

Bring the completed plan before the officers then the general membership for their approval. Allow time for debate and be willing to accept useful amendments. Then provide a copy of the final plan to each member and to other groups or individuals who are affected by the plan.

Refer to the written plan throughout the year to keep everyone working on the same priorities. Some flexibility is necessary to take care of problems and opportunities which arise after the plan is written. One purpose of the plan is to keep individuals from forgetting about the group's goals before they are accomplished. Without a written plan the group is likely to chase the latest fad or idea-of-the-day until they are exhausted and frustrated. Without a plan which reflects the desires and interests of its members, a group may see its members lose interest and drop out.