Plans

• Plans are documents that outline how goals are going to be met. They usually include resource
• allocations, schedules, and other necessary actions to accomplish the goals.
• Are the following types:

i) Strategic plans are plans that apply to the entire organization or program and establish the organization’s or program’s overall goals.

ii) Operational plans that encompass a particular operational area of the organization or program are called operational plans. These two types of plans differ because strategic plans are broad while operational plans are narrow.

iii) Long-term plans we define as those with a time frame beyond three years.

iv) Short-term plans cover one year or less. Any period in between would be an intermediate plan. Although these time classifications are fairly common, an organization can use any planning time frame it wants.

v) Specific plans are clearly defined and leave no room for interpretation. A specific plan states its objectives in a way that eliminates ambiguity and problems with misunderstanding.

vi) Directional plans are flexible plans that set out general guidelines. However, when uncertainty is high and managers must be flexible to respond to unexpected changes, directional plans are preferable.