Fact sheet: Planning Session 2

Related sections: Planning ahead

This fact sheet provides an outline of what the second planning session should cover – focusing particularly on methods and specific actions.

Structure of the Session

At this stage it is best to return to the outcomes, indicators and evidence identified in Session 1. This can be done in small groups working on activities and actions relating to different outcomes, as long as there is a chance for everyone to contribute as the action plan is finalised. For each outcome you should focus on 3 key questions:

What actions will we take, and when will they take place?

These are the specific detailed actions and timescales that need to be put in place to achieve your outcomes.

How will these actions help us to achieve our agreed outcomes?

There is no point in deciding on actions if they are not going to help you make the changes that you are aiming for.

How will we record the actions and what kind of evidence can we produce to show success?

This is important as it has bearing on how you monitor progress towards agreed outcomes and how you can demonstrate this to key partners and the wider community.

Once activities and actions are agreed, along with appropriate timescales, the whole group can work together to allocate tasks (either to individuals, subgroups or partners). The main aspect of this is that every action should have someone with overall responsibility for doing something about it.

This should then be recorded on the overall action plan and you are now ready to put together the complete draft plan.