A work plan identifies the work that will take place within each stage. It outlines who will do the work and when the work will be completed. A work plan helps everyone stay on track so the team accomplishes everything it sets out to do.
Develop a work plan at the beginning of every stage (spring, summer, autumn, winter). Regularly refer to and update the work plan throughout the stage. Work plans are intended to be flexible, living documents. They may need to be changed or adjusted as the stage progresses.
To create a work plan, look at the key tasks for each stage. From there, break down each task into smaller activities and decide when each activity will be completed. The Work Plan Example and Work Plan Template below may be helpful for this process.
Developing a Work Plan with Your Team
Planning team members may feel more accountable and committed to a work plan they help develop. Encourage the whole team to work together to decide who will take on each task and activity.
Steps in creating a work plan may include the following:
- As a team, review the outcomes of the stage. If there is an outcome that people are not clear on, read over its section in the toolkit.
- Once everyone in the team has a clear understanding of the outcomes for the stage, input the outcomes into the work plan. Brainstorm the specific activities that you will do to complete each outcome. For example, the outcomes may require research, community engagement, interviews with specific people, analyzing engagement data and creating a poster.
- Once all the outcomes and activities have been outlined, designate a team member to complete each outcome. Give each outcome a specific time frame.
Remember, the work plan can always be revised as the team moves through the outcomes and activities in each stage.