at includes dependencies, milestones, and deadlines to ensure timely output delivery.
- Milestones: Track project progress by identifying key milestones.
- Success criteria: Collaborate with stakeholders to determine which criteria you’ll use to determine the project’s success or failure.
- Metrics: Choose key performance indicators (KPIs), objectives and key results (OKRs), or other measures to gauge success.
- Resource plan: List the assets required to complete the project, including human resources, equipment, and materials.
- Risk analysis: Outline potential threats to project delivery using a risk assessment tool like a SWOT analysis or RAID log.
How to create an implementation plan: 7 steps
Writing an implementation plan can feel intense the first time, as there are many moving parts. But with the following seven-step guide in hand and while working with fellow leadership professionals, you’re well-equipped to create an effective guide.
1. Define goals
Start by thoroughly understanding your project’s goals, asking your team and important external stakeholders the following questions:
- What does the organization hope to achieve with this project?
- What deliverables must the project produce?
- Who’s this initiative’s target audience?
Consult fellow leadership teammates and important external stakeholders to determine the following details:
3. Identify risks
Brainstorm with your team to determine all potential risks facing the project. You might complete a SWOT analysis to identify weaknesses and threats and a risk register to prioritize risks and establish who manages them.
Keep an open mind, working flexibility and contingency plans into your document to respect inevitable upcoming adjustments due to roadblocks and delays.
4. Establish milestones
Create a visual roadmap that captures the project’s schedule, milestones, and dependencies so the team can plan their workflows accordingly. Be sure to include some wriggle room in case work estimates require adjustment or something goes wrong. You can also use milestones as success metrics — especially for long-term projects — to keep everyone motivated by measuring how much work they’ve accomplished versus what’s left.
5. Assign work
Create a RACI chart or leverage project management software to delegate roles and responsibilities and clarify assignment expectations. Use whichever method you choose as an assessment tool to monitor progress and performance.
Be sure to explain your assignment choices and use this decision-making process to profile the team’s strengths and abilities.
6. Allocate resources
Allocate and delegate resources, including:
Then, determine project resourcing based on:
- Task priority
- Staffing requirements
- Available funds and tools
- Additional resource requirements
7. Share broadly
Once fellow project leaders approve, save and share this document in a centrally-located workspace every teammate can access. Reflect on this plan often to better understand how reality differs from initial planning and make adjustments when necessary.
An implementation plan example
To further illustrate how to fill out this plan type, here’s an implementation example for a team that’s making website updates.
Project goal: Updating website.
Project objectives: Update website to incorporate responsive design, include the latest user experience best practices, and refresh the look.
Success criteria: New website delivered in 12 weeks. Increase average time spent on site by 20% and revenue by 30%. Decrease bounce rate by 10%.
Scope statement: The website update project will require wireframes to outline updated navigation architecture and layout. The graphic design team will generate new visual assets to reflect current branding. The team will reuse existing website copy and functionality in this project.
- An internal team of graphic designers, UX specialists, and web developers
- Space on the preview server for testing
- Stock imagery for updated graphics
- Volunteers to conduct end-user testing and generate feedback
Risk analysis: Graphic designers and website develop