Planning the project

The planning of activities that make up the Management Standards approach is an important step that should not be overlooked.

It should also be remembered that the implementation of the approach will not happen in a vacuum there may be other activities happening that need to be considered when preparing a plan. Similarly, there is no requirement to re-invent the wheel or start from scratch, there will be existing policies, procedures and initiatives that can be utilised to achieve the deliverables from some of the steps of the Management Standards approach.

Top tips from users:

• Start small and grow: some large organisations have found it useful to pilot the approach in a section of their organisation so they can learn from experience before rolling it out across the whole organisation.
• Don't use ongoing change as an excuse: change is almost a constant in some sectors, this should not be used as an excuse for not taking action.
• Get the timing right: ensure that key activities such as surveys and focus groups are not scheduled for peak holiday or other busy periods where employees may not be able to participate .
• Planning experience: if available, co-opt someone with project planning experience onto the steering group
• Forward planning: it is important to stop and think about what is involved in each step of the process and plan ahead, this can prevent future delays. You need to break the process down into manageable chunks.
• Resources: the plan needs to be resourced. Failure to adequately resource the plan can result in unnecessary delays and loss of momentum. Ensure there is adequate management and administration resource allocated. Most importantly, ensure interventions are adequately resourced.
• Be realistic: make sure the plan is achievable and that dates for completion and the deliverables, from the activities are realistic. Don't plan to fail!

"More planning at the beginning of the project to fully understand what is required when using the Management Standards approach would have made implementation easier."
Project leader, University