Page 281 - DLIS402_INFORMATION_ANALYSIS_AND_REPACKAGING

Information Analysis and Repackaging

Notes as objectives, indicates the resources needed and constraints to be overcome, outlines a strategy,
and identifies the actions to be taken in order to reach the objectives and complete the outputs. A
proposal does much the same, but for the whole time period of the project, and it is written prior to
project approval as a justification for approval.
In order to obtain the resources, including the finance indicated in the budget, the work plan serves
as justification for the release of funds. When approved, the work plan serves as a guide to actions
to be taken in order to reach the objectives, written so as to be transparent to anyone, inside or
outside the implementing group, in describing those objectives, and outputs, and justifying the
actions to be taken.

A work plan therefore serves the needs of implementers, target groups (beneficiaries),
managers, planners, committees and boards and the donors, not only of projects, but
also of programmes, and organizations that work independently of project documents.

Argument
A work plan is an argument. An argument is a logical order of linked statements, where each one is
logically derived from its previous one. To make the argument simple and easy to read and understand,
only the argument is put into the text of the work plan, and all accompanying details are attached as
appendices at the end of the document.
The work plan, as an argument, can be described as follows: (a) there is a problem, or problems
(selected for logical reasons); (b) they call for a solution; (c) the solution is the work plan which
includes a list of goals, objectives and actions which are part of a strategy; (d) the strategy is based
upon what those problems are to be solved and what resources are available to be converted into
solving the problems and what hindrances are to be overcome. The goals and objectives (when
accomplished) are the output of the project, while the resources (when used) are the inputs of the
project, and the aim of the strategy is to convert inputs into outputs.

Time for a work Plan

The optimum length for a work plan is either six months or twelve months. A three month work plan
is too short, considering the amount of time and effort needed to prepare the plan. A twenty four
month work plan might be too long, because many conditions change during a whole year, and by
the end of the year the objectives and priorities may have all become different. They should follow
annual reviews.
This is not a rule written on stone tablets. Needless to say, there may be specific reasons why a work
plan should be shorter than three months or longer than six months.

Structure and Content of a Work Plan

• Abstract or Executive Summary;
• Introduction and Background (The Problems);
• Goals and Objectives (The Outputs);
• Resources and Constraints (The Inputs);
• Strategy and Actions (from Inputs to Outputs);
• Appendices (Budget, Schedule and Others).

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