12+ Action Plan Templates, Example & How To
Use these action plan templates to record project tasks.
An action plan is the backbone of your project. It keeps the project upright, with each vertebrae a task or step to check off as you work toward accomplishing your project goals. It’s one place where you can source a master task list for easy reference by you and your team.
In any project, big or small, it’s important to keep your knowledge organized in a single reliable destination that stakeholders can easily access. This makes it easier to find information, reduces repeat questions to your team’s subject matter experts, and saves your entire team time by not forcing them to dig through an email slush pile for project updates.
The best way to kick off your action plan is with a template, and we’ve got just the ones for you. Here are action plan template examples to inspire your future project organization.
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What is an action plan?
An action plan template is a concise way to outline tasks and steps necessary for a project’s success. It’s the “to-do” list for your project. You’re effectively building a master list of tasks or steps required for the project to hit its marks by a stated deadline. These tasks can be broken down into subtasks for even more specificity. You can present this document at a project launch to provide stakeholders with a bird’s eye view of the project, so they have clear expectations of what is coming and what is expected of them.
What is the purpose of an action plan?
The action plan aids in the overall organization and communication of your project. You can approach creating an action plan like it’s your project’s table of contents. A TOC outlines the chapters of a book–think of each project task or phase as a chapter. It differs from a project timeline or brief in that it outlines the project based on tasks to complete, instead of dates or benchmarks. While deadlines and benchmarks can be referenced in your action plan, they do not guide it. Having a solid plan in place when you start a project will help the entire thing run smoothly. Here are the benefits of having an action plan:
- Provides clear and concise project direction to stakeholders, showing exactly what needs to happen and when in order to meet defined project goals.
- Keeping record of project goals in a readily accessible place makes it easier to stay focused on the final objective and stay motivated.
- Use the action plan to track project progress and make sure you’re doing everything possible to hit your target goals.
- Having a master list of project tasks can make it easier to prioritize what needs to be done first and what can be “soft launched” to be revisited at a later date.
- Your entire team remains accountable for their responsibilities.
What are the 5 steps of an action plan?
There are five steps to keep in mind as you kick off building your action plan. If you’re in the planning stage of your project, you probably have a goal or objective in mind for what your project is hoping to accomplish. Now, turn these goals into actionable and measurable tasks.
After you’ve finalized a task list, you need to set goal deadlines. Try to give each deadline a little wiggle room if possible. This time accounts for any setbacks or delays that might occur, while still keeping your project on track. At the end of your action plan, provide project stakeholders with a collection of resources to round out their understanding of the project.
Every project is different, but by roughly following these simple steps, you’ll have a solid action plan in no time. Let’s take a closer look at each individual step.
How do I write an action plan?
We get that starting anything from a blank page is daunting. That’s why we opt to kick off our action plans from a template. They include all the sections that you might want in your action plan, with the ability to be fully customized.
1. Set SMART goals
You’ve probably heard “SMART goals” tossed around once or twice throughout your professional career. “SMART” stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based–they are concrete goals that can be easily measured and assessed for success. Kicking off a project with flimsy or loose goals may lead to confusion later on. Clear project communication makes sure everyone is on the same page and boosts team morale.
2. Identify the tasks and actions
Now that you have your SMART goals lined out, let’s dive into the tasks needed to accomplish each goal. Here is where it’s handy to start from the end goal and work backwards. You know what you want to accomplish. Next, ask yourself what needs to happen to get there. Take your team and their specialities into consideration–create and assign tasks based on their strengths. When you have an idea of what tasks need to be completed, create a master list to share with your team.
3. Set the timeline and milestones
With your task list in hand, you know exactly what is needed to finish your project. Step three in assigning a deadline to each of these tasks. You might already have a project timeline template in the works. If so, now is a good time to loop in the work you’ve already done. Space out each task based on how long it might take to complete, while ideally adding a few extra days as buffer just in case. Make sure to check in with your team on the deadlines you set to ensure these tasks fit without each stakeholder’s bandwidth.
4. Identify and utilize resources
The action plan template is a good place for project resources to live. These can include attached documents, links to external references, or visual components to support and inform your team. A general rule of thumb: avoid giving your team too much information at once. Start with the project overview then have them drill down into the sections most relevant to their work. There is no need to force stakeholders into information overload before the project has even begun. Provide your team with the knowledge they need to excel at their tasks.
5. Assess, evaluate, and improve
How are you going to assess and evaluate the project as you go? Regular check-ins with your team and the project’s status can help you make small adjustments during the project to keep it moving forward smoothly. Periodic little changes can have a tremendous impact in the long term project lifecycle. Determine metrics that you’ll use to assess the project’s progress at various benchmarks, then allow yourself to make changes to the project according to your findings.
Action plan examples for Word and Excel
Depending on your team’s mode of work, there is an action plan template that is going to work best for you. Starting with a template will save you time and energy, avoiding the need to design the layout of a blank document. Once you have an action plan template on deck, you can save it for future projects too. Share it across your team or entire organization to help save everyone time.
Kick off you project with our 12+ free action plan templates
There are a lot of action plan templates to choose from. Before you finalize how you want to layout your project information, take a look at these examples and free action plan templates. Each is fully customizable. Simply make a copy of the original template document then start editing. You can export the template as a PowerPoint, PDF, Excel spreadsheet, Google Slide, and more–whatever medium best supports your project needs.
An action plan is the backbone of your project. It keeps the project upright, with each vertebrae a task or step to check off as you work toward accomplishing your project goals. It’s one place where you can source a master task list for easy reference by you and your team.
In any project, big or small, it’s important to keep your knowledge organized in a single reliable destination that stakeholders can easily access. This makes it easier to find information, reduces repeat questions to your team’s subject matter experts, and saves your entire team time by not forcing them to dig through an email slush pile for project updates.
The best way to kick off your action plan is with a template, and we’ve got just the ones for you. Here are action plan template examples to inspire your future project organization.
What is an action plan?
An action plan template is a concise way to outline tasks and steps necessary for a project’s success. It’s the “to-do” list for your project. You’re effectively building a master list of tasks or steps required for the project to hit its marks by a stated deadline. These tasks can be broken down into subtasks for even more specificity. You can present this document at a project launch to provide stakeholders with a bird’s eye view of the project, so they have clear expectations of what is coming and what is expected of them.
What is the purpose of an action plan?
The action plan aids in the overall organization and communication of your project. You can approach creating an action plan like it’s your project’s table of contents. A TOC outlines the chapters of a book–think of each project task or phase as a chapter. It differs from a project timeline or brief in that it outlines the project based on tasks to complete, instead of dates or benchmarks. While deadlines and benchmarks can be referenced in your action plan, they do not guide it. Having a solid plan in place when you start a project will help the entire thing run smoothly. Here are the benefits of having an action plan:
- Provides clear and concise project direction to stakeholders, showing exactly what needs to happen and when in order to meet defined project goals.
- Keeping record of project goals in a readily accessible place makes it easier to stay focused on the final objective and stay motivated.
- Use the action plan to track project progress and make sure you’re doing everything possible to hit your target goals.
- Having a master list of project tasks can make it easier to prioritize what needs to be done first and what can be “soft launched” to be revisited at a later date.
- Your entire team remains accountable for their responsibilities.
What are the 5 steps of an action plan?
There are five steps to keep in mind as you kick off building your action plan. If you’re in the planning stage of your project, you probably have a goal or objective in mind for what your project is hoping to accomplish. Now, turn these goals into actionable and measurable tasks.
After you’ve finalized a task list, you need to set goal deadlines. Try to give each deadline a little wiggle room if possible. This time accounts for any setbacks or delays that might occur, while still keeping your project on track. At the end of your action plan, provide project stakeholders with a collection of resources to round out their understanding of the project.
Every project is different, but by roughly following these simple steps, you’ll have a solid action plan in no time. Let’s take a closer look at each individual step.
How do I write an action plan?
We get that starting anything from a blank page is daunting. That’s why we opt to kick off our action plans from a template. They include all the sections that you might want in your action plan, with the ability to be fully customized.
1. Set SMART goals
You’ve probably heard “SMART goals” tossed around once or twice throughout your professional career. “SMART” stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based–they are concrete goals that can be easily measured and assessed for success. Kicking off a project with flimsy or loose goals may lead to confusion later on. Clear project communication makes sure everyone is on the same page and boosts team morale.
2. Identify the tasks and actions
Now that you have your SMART goals lined out, let’s dive into the tasks needed to accomplish each goal. Here is where it’s handy to start from the end goal and work backwards. You know what you want to accomplish. Next, ask yourself what needs to happen to get there. Take your team and their specialities into consideration–create and assign tasks based on their strengths. When you have an idea of what tasks need to be completed, create a master list to share with your team.
3. Set the timeline and milestones
With your task list in hand, you know exactly what is needed to finish your project. Step three in assigning a deadline to each of these tasks. You might already have a project timeline template in the works. If so, now is a good time to loop in the work you’ve already done. Space out each task based on how long it might take to complete, while ideally adding a few extra days as buffer just in case. Make sure to check in with your team on the deadlines you set to ensure these tasks fit without each stakeholder’s bandwidth.
4. Identify and utilize resources
The action plan template is a good place for project resources to live. These can include attached documents, links to external references, or visual components to support and inform your team. A general rule of thumb: avoid giving your team too much information at once. Start with the project overview then have them drill down into the sections most relevant to their work. There is no need to force stakeholders into information overload before the project has even begun. Provide your team with the knowledge they need to excel at their tasks.
5. Assess, evaluate, and improve
How are you going to assess and evaluate the project as you go? Regular check-ins with your team and the project’s status can help you make small adjustments during the project to keep it moving forward smoothly. Periodic little changes can have a tremendous impact in the long term project lifecycle. Determine metrics that you’ll use to assess the project’s progress at various benchmarks, then allow yourself to make changes to the project according to your findings.
Action plan examples for Word and Excel
Depending on your team’s mode of work, there is an action plan template that is going to work best for you. Starting with a template will save you time and energy, avoiding the need to design the layout of a blank document. Once you have an action plan template on deck, you can save it for future projects too. Share it across your team or entire organization to help save everyone time.
Kick off you project with our 12+ free action plan templates
There are a lot of action plan templates to choose from. Before you finalize how you want to layout your project information, take a look at these examples and free action plan templates. Each is fully customizable. Simply make a copy of the original template document then start editing. You can export the template as a PowerPoint, PDF, Excel spreadsheet, Google Slide, and more–whatever medium best supports your project needs.
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