IMPROVEMENT PLAN - the Management System - for SUCCESS

Should you want to become better in what you are doing, you want to make an improvement plan. Once you have that plan, you want to make sure that people, who will have to carry it out, know how to do it and finally do what is needed to be done.

The picture below shows the management system as the improvement plan developed on the basis of the Platform Model.

When making the improvement plan that will bring you to where you want to be, it may help to know where you are before you start. But more important, you must know where you want to go, even if you do not yet have the specific objective(s) in mind.

A broad objective may be good enough when you start with the first plan to make the management system while the objective may become more specific while you are on your way. The broad objective could be "to have less accidents" while a more specific objective later-on may be not to have "accidents over and above a certain risk classification level".

The improvement plan - the Management System

It is not uncommon to consider two kind of plans:

• Standing plans 
• Single-use plans 

The "plan" as part of the Platform Model is the "management system" which will probably be made over a period of time and consisting of a number of consecutive plans.

The improvement plan consists of management activity areas or elements that are relevant tot the overall objective(s) of the management system. The first plan will consist those elements that are considered crucial to reaching those objectives while at the same time allowing visible results within a reasonable period of time. After the experience with the first plan, additional elements may be added is the next plans building the management system providing the overall results wanted.

Standing Plan vs. Single-use Plan

Standing Plans and Single-use Plans may seem to be different from each other but they have a lot more in common.

The main differences between a standing plan and a single-us plan are: 

• a Standing Plan basically will exists "forever", involves the entire organization or part thereof, has a less specific budget and reflects "the way we work". I consider the standing plan to be the same as a management system. Safety management system, Quality management system, etc.
• a Single-use plan is normally there for a limited period of time, involves a limited part of the organization, a department or project group and has a specific (limited) budget 

As far as I can see, those are the only differences, for the rest they are the same, including the process to build them based on the Platform Model Plan-Train-Do.

Plan - Planning and Execution

A plan is only as good if as the planning of activities and the actual execution of those.

The plan needs to include:

• Objective(s) to be obtained, including WHY 
• Determination of (management) activity areas to reach objectives, the WHAT 
• Specific activities to be carried out, including tools and techniques to be used during execution, the WHAT more specifically 
• Training and instruction of people who will be doing the work, WHOM, WHEN and HOW  
• Training and instruction of people responsible for supervising the execution of work, WHOM, WHEN and HOW 
• Training and instruction of people to evaluate the execution of work and the results obtained, WHOM, WHEN and HOW 

The plan or “management system” needs to have a particular structure to stimulate implementation as well as the periodic evaluation of work done and the objectives reached. The way such plan is developed is critical if it is to be supported and carried out by people in the organization. Participation in plan development and execution is important to provide the “emotional ownership” that is necessary to allow people to see the plan as their plan, not just a plan made by management or staff.

The 17–step process that is described in more detail in my book allows inclusion of all necessary elements when building a plan that will work. It does not matter whether we are considering a single- use plan or a standing plan; the process will still be the same.