BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management – 2.

Plan of Operations 1

2. Plan of Operations

2.1 What to expect in this chapter? An overview of topics

This chapter gets down to the nitty-gritty of:
• detailing activities
• scheduling activities/ work plan
• distributing responsibilities
• budgeting and financial planning
• devising a procurement plan for required equipment and materials
It offers a tool to draw all these elements together and relate them in one
document.
The “management software” gives hints on running a meeting: the form at
which such operational planning is likely to take place.

2.2 Core issues: what details go into an operational plan?

The implementation of a project can be compared with the functioning of a big machine.
All its parts must be functioning, wheels need to be greased, there must be fuel,
everybody operating it must know what to do, and then it works through one thing after
the other. Only if all the components or parts of the machine itself, the useable
materials, and the human factors, work together, then the whole functions.

What are the important components for implementing a project?

If we assume that we know what we want to achieve (= objectives are fairly
clear, perhaps they were in a LogFrame format), then it may be useful to
think about
A. Which activities (in detail) are we carrying out? What are the steps in
implementation? Do we need to specify (quality) standards for an
activity?
B. What comes first? What comes next? What step needs to be done
before we can start with the next activity?
C. Who is involved? Who is really doing the work? Who co-ordinates
and supervises?
D. Which materials must be there for each step? When must we
procure them? When must they be there? How do they get
where we need them?
BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management – 2. Plan of Operations 2

E. Which funds do we need for each step? When do we need

the funds?
F. What knowledge or other inputs to we need in each
step? How do we make sure we have it at the time
required?
G. What else could but must not happen in a work step?
Is there anything we need for successfully
implementing a step that we cannot control?
H. Does everything fit together?

Let us take an example:

A group of women wants to open a bakery. One of their objectives should be to establish the
bakery (building, equipment) itself. (Another one could be to bake bread, then to sell the bread,
yet another one to deal with the income generated.) Let us see what planning the operations
for establishing the bakery (only) could mean.
A. Activities in detail could be: to find a site (plot or premises) for the bakery, to get or build an
oven, to get other implements and construct the work place (for preparing the dough, for
preparing the bread loaves, for putting the baked loaves).
B. Activities may be scheduled in the following sequence: Finding the site - by when?
Establishing the oven – by when? Ordering and getting other implements delivered – by
when? Constructing the workplace – by when?
C. Who decides on the site? Who decides on the technology of the oven? Who is
responsible for building or supervising the building? Who is contracted to do the
building construction? Who from the women’s group works on the construction
site? Who orders and checks the implements? Who organises the workplace?
D. What materials are required for establishing each part of the bakery? When to
procure them?
E. Costs and funding the premises? For the oven? For implements? For other
requirements (tables, plastering/painting/tiling the walls, floor, etc.)
F. Is any training required for the construction phase? For construction
tasks or their management?
G. What could go wrong in each area (e.g. implements not available,
not delivered in time, craftsmen do not finish their job as required,
…) and what would the women do then?
H. Do all the components for establishing the bakery fit with one
another? Is anything / any step missing?

All this seems a lot to plan. But many of the activities, time schedules,
responsibilities are quite easy to determine. What is important is that they
are clear and known to all parties involved.
BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management – 2. Plan of Operations 3

Not everything needs to be written down and documented. If the spirit in a

project is constructive and supportive, if there is enough energy, then
people will help one another and many things will be done spontaneously. If
people want a more formal interaction, written orientations are more
welcome.

2. 3 Tools
Now let us look into some tools that may help
to specify activities (section 2.3.1),
to come to time frames and co-ordinate activities (section 2.3.2),
to determine who does what and when (section 2.3.3),
to organise purchase of materials (section 2.3.4),
to clarify funds required (section 2.3.5),
to decide on other requirements (section 2.3.6),
to assess risks (section 2.3.7), and
to check in how far all the components fit
with one another (section 2.3.8).

2.3.1 Specifying activities

a) Identify a certain step in the activities foreseen, e.g. organise
premises for bakery.
b) Ask: what is involved (in detail) until the premises for the bakery
are organised? This may involve:
• Scanning possible options for premises (sites, costs,...)
• Getting the point of view of authorities (e.g. village headman,
…)
• Making a decision on which site to chose
• Purchasing the site
• Contacting a lawyer to get the premises officially registered
• Constructing or renovating a building (which would have other
detailed activities in consequence)
• …
BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management – 2. Plan of Operations 4

This procedure can be done for all steps of activities in as much detail
as the case requires.

2.3.2 Coming to time frames and co-ordinating activities

Sequencing of activities will give time co-ordination for all actors
involved. An easy tool to use is a calendar, in which activities are
entered according to the week (or sometimes the month) in which they
need to be executed and finished. The calendar then looks like a table,
the headline consisting of the weeks, the column of the activities. The
degree of detail may vary in each case. It is important to indicate
clearly the crucial deadlines that, if not met, would cause delay in the
following activities.
A format can look like this:

Weeks1) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 … …
Activity: Premises for bakery
organised

Detailed Activities: --- ---

Scanning possible options for
-- --
premises
Getting the point of view of
--
authorities
--
Making a decision on which site
X
to chose
Purchasing the site
---
-x
Get the premise officially
X
registered

Activity: Constructing or renovating

the building

Detailed Activities:
…
…
1)
(or months, or a combination of both)

Such a table is called a “bar-chart”, as one puts bars to indicate when an

activity will happen. Various signs show that there are ongoing activities (--
----), or activities that only happen at one point in time (e.g. X for a
meeting in which a decision is made), or other activities that last over a
BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management – 2. Plan of Operations 5

period of time but may not be continuously ongoing (e.g. checking on the
quality of a building at various stages of construction).

2.3.3 Determining who does what and when

Clear responsibilities are another key to smooth implementation.
There are two questions involved:
a) who is responsible for organising or supervising that an activity is
done in time (and to the required standards), and
b) who actually does the work.
That means, for all the key activities and detailed activities in a project
the ‘responsibility’ and the ‘execution’ should be clarified.
Related to this is the question of standards. It makes a difference
whether the users of a product or a service can use it practically and easily
and are satisfied, or not (e.g. the bread oven in a bakery needs to function
for the bakers without major hassles, hence it should be clear what
features it should have, how big it should be and where in the bakery it
should be situated). It is therefore useful for some activities to clarify the
standards. This may entail quite detailed descriptions (e.g. for buildings,
for implements, but also for the bookkeeping system, etc.).
Practically this task may be clarified by taking the list of activities and
detailed activities, and adding the ‘standards’ (where useful), the
‘responsibilities’ and ‘executed by …’. It can then look as follows:

Activity: Premises for bakery organised

Detailed Standards Responsible Executed by

activities
Scanning possible …etc. Chairperson of Elected committee
options for premises group of 3 group
members

Getting the point of Ask traditional and …etc. …etc.

view of authorities modern authorities

Making a decision on 2/3 majority …etc. ….etc.

which one to chose decision of all
women in group
Purchasing the site Chairperson of Chairperson of
group group

Get the premise …etc. …etc. Contracted lawyer

officially registered
BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management – 2. Plan of Operations 6

The distribution of responsibilities is better done in consultation with the

persons involved, in order to avoid over demanding or overcharging staff.

2.3.4 Organising purchase of materials

For each detailed activity, special materials may be required, that are
either purchased by the project implementers or by those
subcontracted to execute an activity. Materials can be equipment,
which is in some cases used beyond the special activity for which it is
first required (e.g. office equipment), or usable (e.g. office materials).
Hence one can make up two categories of materials and equipment: those
for general use, and those specifically required for a detailed activity.
The equipment and materials for general use need to be listed and
calculated.
Practically, materials allocation can be planned using the same approach as
above: make a table with activities in the first column and then the
materials in the rows.
In all cases, you can include ‘cost’ and ‘date of requirement’ in the plan.

Activity: Renovating the building:

Detailed Equipment “Use-ables” Cost Date when

activities required
• 1 ladder • 3 boxes of
Replace missing roof .... ....
roof tiles
tiles
• plastic
sheets....

• 1 ladder • Ceiling board

Install new ceiling .... ....
• White paint

• Bricks
Build chimney for oven .... ....
• Cement
• Sand

• Sink ...
Install new plumbing and ... ....
• pipes
sink .
… .... .... .... ....
BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management – 2. Plan of Operations 7

2.3.5 Deciding on other requirements

Sometimes it is necessary not only to attend to physical structures but also
to the human or institutional aspects of a project.
Two examples:

! Members of a CBO have a good and feasible idea of a project, they have the
energy to undertake it, but they do not have the experience or the technical
knowledge required. This they are willing to acquire through training or in
practicals. These need in this case to be included in the Plan of Operations as an
activity.

! In infrastructure projects, co-ordination with the respective department (e.g.

government ministry) for staffing, equipping and running it are usually necessary.
What would a school building be without teachers, a clinic without doctors and
nurses, and a water supply without maintenance? The involvement of government
departments can vary widely, but it needs to be clarified before infrastructure is
built.

There is not a single tool for dealing with the additional requirements,
as they vary from project to project. What is important is to ask the
questions and find answers, thus checking that everything necessary
for the project to be successful/ functional/ completed is specified
and listed.

2.3.6 Assessing risks

Each project has risks. They are either related to frame conditions, which
one may have hoped to change (e.g. if a CBO erects a school the education
department must be prepared to provide equipment and teachers), or they
are related to the ongoing activities (e.g. that all craftsmen do their job
according to schedule in a building construction). How can we check those
risks systematically and react to them before it is too late?

One can try to think of risks related to each activity or detailed activity.
It is helpful to distinguish between:
a) risks related to preconditions and
b) risks related to consequences.

It is helpful to formulate them positively, as assumptions, again in table

format:
BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management – 2. Plan of Operations 8

Activity: Premises for bakery organised

Detailed activities Assumptions Assumptions Conclusions for

related to related to the project
preconditions consequences
Scanning possible There are suitable The prices for Do a pre-scan
options for premises premises available possible premises
Act carefully in
do not go up
order not to raise
beyond
price expectations
affordability

Getting the point of … … …

view of authorities

Making a decision on
which site to chose
Purchasing the site

Get the premise

officially registered

2.3.7 Checking in how far all the components fit with one another
Most of the above information can be put together in a big tabular
overview that helps to steer implementation of a project. It is a
combined activities, standards, schedules, responsibilities, purchasing
and assumptions table: the Plan of Operations.
Here is an example of (one output/result and its related activities of) a
transport facilities initiative in a rural area (see below).

Rules:
• Be pragmatic, practical, make it useful, useable, user friendly!
• Do the Plan of Operations according to the specific needs of your project.
• Check, whether all elements fit one another.
BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management – 2. Plan of Operations 9

The Plan of Operations: a basic outline

Activities Who does When Materials Assessing

what risks

On the next page our example...

BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management – 2. Plan of Operations 10

Project: Rural Bus System

Planning Period: 2003 – 2005 Date of Issue: 2002
Result No.: 2) Standard training courses for bus drivers executed
Activities Who does Timing Materials Risks
what?
Output Mile-stone a)Assigned to '03 '03 '03 '03 2004 2005 Assumptions and
indicator Remarks

Maintenance &
Requirements
b)

Equipment /
Responsible I II III IV I II

Materials
Training

Building

Repair
Misc.
Cost

Cost

Cost

Cost

Cost
Activity 2.1 Check 70% of bus Operations --- computer - - - Travel Employment records
knowledge drivers manager (= - - allowances up to date: official
and deficits tested by op.ma)/ - paper for tests 2,000 examiner cooperates
of drivers 200x 1
official --- 0
examiner
Detailed 2.1.1
activities Devise test multiple op.ma/ --- - - computer - - for
choice test examiners 50
agreed on official
by ...200x examiner ---
2.1.2
Sample variations op.ma/ --- - - computer - - for
testing in test examiners 50
results are official
significant examiner
2.1.3
Compreh- test results op.ma/ --- - - paper for 1 - - for drivers
ensive available as test print- 0 1,750
testing per official outs for
schedule examiner --- examiners
150

2.1.4 deficits are op.ma/ --- - - - - - - -

Analyse clear
deficits official
examiner
BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management – 2. Plan of Operations 11

2.4 Other aspects, getting input from specialists

There may be aspects of doing a Plan of Operations that cannot be
done at project level. For example:
# Technical and organisational plans / advice may require specialists.
# Feasibility studies (e.g. are prices of village bakery bread viable in
comparison to commercial bread ?) may be beyond local expertise.
# Bank loans may require special conditions and formats for which one
needs support.
# Applications for project support (e.g. donor funding for bakery
construction and equipment) may require complex fixed formats.
In these types of cases it is useful to look for support from experts
consulting in these fields.

2.5 A piece of “management software”

A Plan of Operations is usually the product of meetings among and
between project management, project staff and support persons. In a
large project there may be meetings at project department level and
among various committees for certain aspects, with information from
these all being fed up to the management committee/ level. In any
event many meetings, decisions, discussion and piece of information are
required.
Here are some tips to make this process easier.

How to hold better meetings

Before the Meeting (Preparation)
If you are to conduct a meeting
• clarify the purpose / expected result(s) of the meeting
• draw up a provisional agenda and time schedule
• prepare all material and information that could possibly be required
• anticipate possible conflicts and tactics
BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management – 2. Plan of Operations 12

If you are attending a meeting

• clarify your expectations
• prepare all possible information to share, contribute and discuss
• anticipate conflicts and tasks
• think of items you want to raise, to be placed on the agenda

During the Meeting

If you chair a meeting
• agree on the agenda (probably make your own proposals, give others the
opportunity to bring up the points they would like covered)
• agree on the time schedule of the agenda
• ensure that minutes are taken and that assignments and deadlines are
recorded
• visualise major statements and discussions in an appropriate manner (or
have them visualised)
• apply good communication (see chapter 1)
• bring every point on the agenda to an appropriate end before the next
one is taken up
• record the decisions taken in such a way that they are known to all
members

If you are a participant in the meeting

• make sure all your concerns are tabled and dealt with and minuted
• take your own notes to report back to your department if applicable

After the meeting

• make sure the minutes are circulated

Formulating a Plan of Operations involves intensive interaction between

individuals and groups/ teams, in order to determine the tasks of each
over a period of time. With the allocation of tasks goes pressures of
time, workload, often scarce resources; so the process involves some
bargaining and discussion where the stakes may be high and conflict
possible. The rules of good communication (see chapter 1) apply here,
but it is especially important to be clear and honest with others about
BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management – 2. Plan of Operations 13

your position and requirements and to hear them clearly in return.

Useful in this instance is the ability to give feedback.
BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management – 2. Plan of Operations 14

Feed-back during the process of implementation

Giving feedback involves telling others ones own views on an issue and sharing
perceptions about the other.
Feedback is the crucial tool to keep a team and its work going. It needs to be
formally arranged periodically, but it can also be woven into daily interaction,
making for a culture of openness and directness.
A first step toward giving feedback is acknowledging. This means signalling
that one has listened to somebody else attentively and has received and
understood the other – without prematurely judging.
Acknowledgement is not an answer or a response.
Neither does acknowledgement indicate that the receiver agrees with a
message.
Making the effort to acknowledge what somebody has said is one of the
crucial secrets of good communication. It requires:
• listening patiently until the sender has finished his/her message and
until it has been fully received;
• asking questions of clarification if the receiver has been unable to
duplicate and understand a message.

# Following active acknowledgement comes feedback.

This involves bringing oneself into the discussion by telling the other how
one experiences a given situation or how one perceives the other person.
Such feedback is indispensable in cases of any misunderstanding or conflict.
The feedback may concern
• one's own understanding of the other’s statements,
• one's own mood and feelings.
• or it may be a direct appeal to the other.
BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management – 2. Plan of Operations 15

Feedback
• describes facts rather than puts values on the other person’s
statement;
• is formulated as a personal or "I..." -message rather than as a general
statement;
• is made on a common basis, i.e. that a person in a subordinate position
has the same right to talk freely as his/her superior;
• reflects one's own proposals and wishes (e.g. concerning what is
specifically being asked to be changed).

Some helpful hints:

$ explicitly state "I..." (e.g. "I am annoyed if you are always late for
our meetings", or: "I do not dare to approach somebody else in
this matter", etc.);
$ refrain from "you" - formulations ( do not say: "obviously you can
never be punctual!")
$ refrain from "one" - formulations (do not say: "In such a matter
one cannot see somebody else!")
$ directly express wishes or observations (not: "I could imagine you
doing this job", but: "I would like you to do it").
$ be courageous enough to make personal statements, and possibly
also…
$ voice controversial positions, e.g. concerning assessments of
someone (one should not attempt to hide behind people of higher
authority)
$ attempt to sense at which moment he/she is required (or finds it
necessary) to state his/her own opinion, and when not;
$ present his/her aims and objectives as early and as clearly as
possible;
$ keep potential differences in opinion and / or conflicts of
interests in mind and address them frankly.
 BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management – 2. Plan of Operations 16

2.6 Closure of the chapter

After working through this chapter you can expect to have learned:
♦ how to identify all the key activities and detailed activities
required to achieve a project output,
♦ how to detail who is to carry these out, when and with what
equipment and materials,
♦ how to stipulate costs of all this,
♦ how to take note of any related risks in order to manage
them,
♦ how to practically list all these aspects in a table which
shows their interrelation and interaction,
that human interaction in meetings generates the information in a Plan of
Operations, and that this needs to be structured and constructive.