Fiscal Planning and Management

Professor:

The Planning Process

G. Implementation

What is an Implementation Plan?

The implementation plan facilitates the execution of a plan, idea, model, design, specification,
standard, algorithm, or policy by presenting clear implementation steps that need to follow.
Thus, an implementation plan is the documented steps you need to take to successfully achieve
your implementation pursuits.

Implementation plans are usually made to support the strategic plan created by an
organization. Now, what is a strategic plan you ask? Well, a strategic plan is a document
defining the strategy by which your team will accomplish certain goals or make
decisions. Strategic plans are made to guide a business decision, a new business venture, or an
upcoming project or initiative.

Once an organization has mapped out its strategic plan, an implementation plan is made to
map out how to bring the strategic plan to life. The implementation plan then breaks down
tasks into identifiable steps, assigns tasks and responsibilities to the people involved, and
creates a definitive timeline for the entire project.

Therefore, the goal of the implementation plan is to effectively implement company strategy
and lay down the step-by-step process of bringing the project to success.

What are the Benefits of an Implementation Plan?

An implementation plan puts organizational resources to use and develops a tactical plan to
execute the strategic initiative. It thus plays a huge role in the success of your overall strategic
plan. Even if you have the greatest, iron-clad plan or strategy, it’s totally pointless if you don’t
put the plan into action. Here are some of the many benefits of an implementation plan:

1. Provides Clarity

1
Writing an implementation plan gives you better clarity of thought and improves your own
understanding of the project. When you are forced to think things through, you are better able
to document as well as communicate the plan to team members, upper management, and get
everyone on board.

2. Keeps Everyone on Track

Your implementation plan lays down exactly what tasks need to be done, how to do them, who
needs to do them, keeping everyone on board, and removing any sort of confusion or doubts.
When everyone knows what their roles and responsibilities are, it’s easier to stay on track and
keep everyone accountable.

3. Improved Cooperation

Working on projects requires the cooperation and collaboration of many employees. The better
the cooperation amongst team members, the better the synergy and the overall execution.

By creating and communicating your implementation plan, you can not only assign
responsibilities to team members but can also educate them about how their work affects the
work of their peers and how it all fits in the broader organizational vision. 

4. Increased Buy-In

When you have a solid implementation plan that is well researched, documented, and
presented, you ensure buy-in from all key stakeholders of your organization. When upper
management is on board, it’s easier to get resources allocated to your project and ensure
smooth project execution.

6 Key Components of an Implementation Plan

Every implementation plan comprises of some key components that need to be analyzed and
thought-through before communicating the plan with your team:

1. Outline Goals/Objectives: Start with defining the goals and objectives of the implementation
plan. What do you want to accomplish? What is the project scope? Why are these goals
important? How do these goals fit into the overall organizational vision and mission?

2. Assign Responsibilities: Assigning roles and responsibilities provides a clear picture of what

needs to be done and by whom. The clearer you define these responsibilities, the easier it will
be to keep people accountable.

3. Implementation Schedule: Schedules help track, communicate, and keep an eye on progress

for your project, keeping all stakeholders in the loop with what’s going on.

4. Resource Allocation: One of the main purposes of an implementation plan is to make sure

that your team has access to enough resources in order to execute the plan effectively and

2
without any hiccups. Make sure you know exactly what you need, how much you already have,
and how you will procure what’s needed.

5. Define Metrics: How will you determine project success? Every implementation plan must
identify KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to establish how it will measure success and failure.
This also allows you to measure progress and celebrate milestones to keep the team excited.

6. Contingency Plan: Planning for challenges is as important as planning for success. Make a

plan for how your team will navigate rough waters in case you go over budget, don’t have
enough resources, or are approaching deadlines. This way you won’t get off-track when
challenges arise, and you will be able to steer clear of them easily.

Now that you know the key components of an implementation plan, it’s time to put this
knowledge to use and learn how to write an implementation plan for yourself…

How to Write an Implementation Plan? Follow these Steps and Processes:

Okay Folks, it’s time to get into the ‘how’ of the implementation plan and create a solid
document. When creating such a document, you need to be more detailed and thorough,
explaining everything clearly to all team members who will be viewing this document.

Make sure you include the following steps in your implementation plan:

Step 1. Introduction

Kickoff your implementation plan with a brief introduction, outlining the vision, mission, and
purpose of your project or initiative. You can additionally include how this project ties up with
the overall organizational mission and lay down all the assumptions or limitations of your
project.

Step 2. Team Members Involved

In this segment, you can describe the team involved in the implementation of the project.
Include the names, roles, and responsibilities of key project stakeholders, and key points of
contact.

Step 3. Tasks

This is an important area in your implementation plan as here you need to describe the key
tasks and steps involved in the implementation of the strategy. If you have already begun with
a task, note down the status and progress of the task in this section.

Step 4. Implementation Schedule

3
An implementation schedule outlines project timeframes and milestones. Schedules keep
everyone on track with task progress and help to keep everything on time and under budget.

Step 5. Resource Management

Describe the resources needed (people, time, money, equipment, software, departmental help,
etc.) to support successful implementation. Think through this section thoroughly to ensure
smooth project implementation, and support fair asset allocation.

Step 6. Additional Documentation

In this segment, you can attach any other documentation that supports your implementation
plan. This could include proof of successful past project executions or a PDF of your strategic
plan.

Step 7. Define Metrics

Without specifying success metrics, you will never know if you are on the right track or are even
executing the right strategy. Define the metrics you will use to measure success and how and
when will you review your progress.

Step 8. Project Approval

If you need upper management’s approval before kicking off implementation, add some space
for a formal signoff.