Action Planning

Some SMART objectives clearly define everything that needs to be done to achieve desired results. Others may be more complex, requiring completion of an action plan, project schedule or some other document that sets out a series of steps to be completed over a period of time.

A SMART Action Plan identifies:

• The steps required to achieve an objective, including training, completion of related tasks, and other activities. These should, like SMART objectives, describe the observable action to be taken.
• The people who need to be involved in the plan, to help achieve the objective. Be sure to check with others who will be involved in the plan to ensure they are able and willing to participate.
• Timeframes for completion of each step. Clearly define dates or frequencies - "weekly" rather than "ongoing" or "TBD (to be decided)".
• Support and resources required to facilitate completion of each step. Any resources identified must be available when needed.
• Follow-up needed to ensure the plan is progressing as required.