Operational plan

Operational Planning What is it? The organisation has an operational plan that clearly states the actions to implementgoalsand strategies identified in the strategic plan. Your organisation has completed the strategic planning process. An operational plan details the actions required to implement each strategy, assigning responsibilities, setting timeframes, identifying resources required and indicating what difference the specific actions will make.

When developing your operational plan, ensure it is clear and able to be understood by all members of your organisationDeveloping the Operational Plan·You will need to have at least one workshop to develop your operational plan with someone who will drive the process. This person is called a facilitator. ·A facilitator is a person who has experience or training in running work groups. He or she guides the operational planning process, ensuring the actions and timeframes are pitched at the appropriate level. Your facilitator could be: (1) an outside specialist facilitator (2) a prominent member from your community who has experience facilitating developing plans in the past, or (3) a member of the Management Committee or staff member to facilitate the process. ·It is very important the facilitator is trusted by the group. Each participant must feel comfortable to express their opinions. The most successful plans are those where all participants feel they have fully participated in the planning sessions and own the actions.

Picking a good facilitator is the first step in successful planning. ·The organisational plan is primarily theresponsibilityof staff, representatives from the Management Committee and community will help ensure it reflects the intent of the Strategic Plan. Goals and strategies from Strategic Plan to action ·Goals and strategies that were identified in the strategic planning process will now be used for the operational or action planning process. Who is going to do what? When will they do it?

What resources will they need and how will you know when the action has been completed successfully? ·The strategic plan provides a framework for the operational planning process, but how do you turn your goals and strategies into actions and then into results to achieve these goals? ·Make sure the actions are realistic. Does the organisation have the resources (personnel, physical facilities, training, equipment, funding, etc. ) required to do this activity? If not, how will we obtain them and if additional resources can’t be obtained, how o we adjust the activity in line with the resources available. ·For each of the actions you need to identify the way to measure its success or otherwise. What differences will you see as a result of these activities? These are sometimes called outcomes or performance measures. These outcomes need to be measurable, preferably by numbers or timelines. ·Finally, you need to have someone to be responsible to ensure the activity occurs and the outcome is achieved. Who will do it? ·A table can be one good way of recording this process.

An example follows: Goal: Healthier people in our communityStrategy| Action/Activity| Who| When| Resources| Community awareness activities relating tohealthpromotion| Open Day held on a quarterly basis to promote health issues| Indigenous Health Project Officer| June 2007|$ advertisingPromotional materials| Children are informed of health issues | Information sessions on health promotion at the local school on a monthly basis| Indigenous Health Worker| July 2007| Resources| ·What has been described is the operational planning process.

The results are made into either a booklet or a poster which is called the operational or action plan. This can then be used by the members of the organisation to follow the goals, strategies and proposed actions outlined in the operational plan. ·It provides the organisation with a guide that can be monitored, reviewed and evaluated at regular intervals to ensure the organisation is implementing its strategic plan. Related Documents Strategic Planning Topic Guide [-> 0]Strategic Plan Template [-> 1]Operational Plan Template -> 2] References Business Plans for Dummies – Paul Tiffany & Steven Peterson IDG Books World Wide Inc 1997 Developing Your Organisation For Queensland Incorporated Associations Queensland University ofTechnology, 2005 Monitoring Performance Improvement – M Tovey Prentice Hall 2001 Strategic Planning the Murri Way Kit – HACC Resource Unit 1997 Websites used for examples of Mission Statements and Goals Ernabella Arts from Powerhouse Museum web site http://www. phm. gov. au/hsc/paperbark/contemporary. htm

Wal-Meta The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Public Sector Employment Development Unit http://www. wal-meta. qld. gov. au/aboutus/mission_statement. htm Batchelor Institute for Indigenous TertiaryEducationhttp://www. batchelor. edu. au/public/documents. html [-> 0] – http://www. qld. gov. au/ngo/documents/VOICE/gov_accountability/topicguide/StrategicPlanning. rtf [-> 1] – http://www. qld. gov. au/ngo/documents/VOICE/gov_accountability/templates_samples/StrategicPlan. rtf [-> 2] – http://www. qld. gov. au/ngo/documents/VOICE/gov_accountability/templates_samples/OperationalPlan. rtf