DEVELOP, IMPLEMENT AND EVALUATE AN OPERATIONAL PLAN

PURPOSE

This operational-plan course is intended for managers in all economic sectors. These managers would typically be second-level managers such as heads of department, section heads or divisional heads, who may have more than one team reporting to them. After attending this course, the learner should be able to develop an operational plan for a unit, implement an operational plan and monitor, measure and evaluate the achievement of goals and objectives.

COURSE CONTENT

Unit 1: Develop operational strategies for a unit

The strategic plan of an entity is examined to determine the purpose of a unit in contributing to the achievement of the entity’s strategy.
Operational strategies for achieving the purpose of a unit are developed and recorded.
The operational strategy of a unit is aligned with the overall strategy of an entity.
A systematic process is followed to develop goals, objectives and performance standards that are clear, concise, measurable and achievable.
Stakeholders are involved in the formulation of the goals, objectives and performance standards of a unit to obtain their commitment.

Unit 2: Develop an operation plan for a unit

The operation plan is developed to transform the goals and objectives into tasks, responsibilities, time frames, performance measures, resource needs and contingencies.
Measurable parameters are validated against customer and unit performance requirements.
Monitoring systems are described in the operational plan to enable the measurement of progress and results against the performance standards.
Feedback on the operational plan is obtained from team members to promote buy-in in the implementation of the plan.

Unit 3: Implement an operational plan

The operational plan is implemented, with amendments where necessary, to meet the specified goals, objectives and performance standards.
Optimal use of available resources is ensured during implementation to promote cost-effectiveness.
The use of control measures by first-line managers is encouraged in the areas of their responsibility.

Unit 4: Monitor, measure and evaluate the achievement of goals and objectives

The performance of the unit is monitored against the goals, objectives and performance standards in the plan using established monitoring systems.
Performance reviews are conducted to measure the inputs and outputs of team members against the operational plan.
Recommendations on corrective action are implemented with the agreement of the responsible first line managers.
Results are evaluated in terms of the teams’ contribution to the performance of a unit