Workplans really help your staff get the job done. Job descriptions tend to get slightly forgotten post recruitment, but workplans are living documents giving a timeline for what needs to happen to achieve the mission of your organisation. Workplans are a fairly standard requirement when you’re applying for funding, as they give clear insight into what the post will actually be doing.
If you’re wondering, “How do I create a workplan?”, there isn’t a right or wrong way. There’s no standard format, but dividing the year into quarters is quite common, or you could break it down by month if you wanted further detail.
You need to include:
- Objectives – what needs to be achieved in the time frame set out? Make objectives SMART – specific, measurable, agreed, realistic, and time-bound
- Indicators of success – how do you know the objectives have been met? Finding a way to measure your objectives provides a lot of clarity when planning, as it stops them being vague and aspirational.
- Comments – A space for the post holder to write notes on their progress. This is really useful when it comes to performance management.
I’ve provided a workplan template in MS Word which you can download below.
I’ve also provided one that I’ve partly filled in, with comments added so that you can get an idea of what to include. You can find it below.
If you need support in developing workplans, get in touch here.
Effective Third Sector 