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IV. Planning The Work...Working The Plan
WHEW! It is a big job! Obviously, you cannot do it all by yourself. Organizing a training program is only one part of your responsibility. You have a million other duties that will be competing for your time and your energy. What you need is a plan. And, you need HELP!
Any job is easier if you break it down into smaller tasks. Any plan is better if you break it down into tasks that you can track. The best way to track anything is to put it on paper.
Building A Work Plan
A good work plan allows you to:
TRACK YOUR SUCCESS...
IN ACCOMPLISHING THE NECESSARY TASKS...
TO COMPLETE A JOB...
THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE ON TIME.
In order for a work plan to do all that, there are several features that generally must be present;
 a statement of the objective;
identification of tasks required;
assignment of responsibilities; and
the setting of deadlines
Although these are the most fundamental and most critical elements that should be included in your work plan, other information can also be very helpful such as:
Resources needed;
Sources of logistical support;
Budget allocations;
Quantified details;
Interface with other components;
Interim status reporting,
The more detailed your work plan, the more useful it will be. Imagine a city map without any street names! You might eventually get to your destination, but probably not without a lot of wrong turns along the way!
When it comes to building a work plan for the development of your training program, you may find it beneficial to also prepare mini-work plans related to individual tasks.
You and your colleagues will no doubt find that the very process of creating a work plan will help you see each element of the project more clearly. Once you start putting details in writing, it will force you to;
articulate achievable objectives;
identify those tasks which are absolutely mandatory;
recognize practical constraints in terms of budget, resources, manpower and time; and,
make decisions and choices between those things you wish you could do, and those that you can actually accomplish.
(The two week training retreat for your Subject Election Commission members in Cypress may just have to go!)
Work plans can be created in many different formats. On the pages that follow are very simple examples of an overall project work plan, as well as a modified version which outlines the work plan for a specific task. They are offered only as a reference point to stimulate your thinking as to how you might create a better format to suit your own circumstances.
Work Plan Outline
Component: Training Of Territorial and Polling Station Election Commissions
TRAINING STRATEGY:
Cascade Model with Small Classroom Style Will Be Utilized as Basis for Training
Two 2-member Teams of SEC members will Train All TEC Members
One 2-member Team from each TEC will train Chair/Vice Chair/& Secretaries of Their PSECs
Chair of each PSEC will train members of their Their own Commission.
PROJECT PROFILE:
30 Territorial Commissions x 12 Members = 360 To Be Trained
30 TEC members  24/session = 15 Sessions 2 Teams = 7(8) per
Each SEC Training Team x 2 Days/Session = 14(16) Days/Team
1200 PSECs (Chair, Vice Chair & Secretaries Will Attend Training)
1200 PSEC x 3 Persons = 36,000 Members to Be Trained by TECs
PSECs x 3 Members = 120 Members 30/session = 4 One-day
Sessions to be conducted by each TEC team.
1200 PSEC x 9 Other Members = 108,000 To Be Trained
9 Members/Session = 1 Session Per each PSEC Chairperson
TASKS
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Deadline for Completion
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Who Responsible
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Date Assigned
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Interim Status
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Status Report Date
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Date Complete
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Revisions Needed
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SEC Approval/ Date
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Select Trainers
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Prepare TEC Training Schedule
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Define Logistic Plan for TEC Training
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Recruit Instructor to Teach Trainers in Presentation Skills
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Conduct Skill Training for SEC/TEC Training Teams
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TEC Training Conducted
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TEC Training Teams Submit Schedule for PSEC Training
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Prepare Manual/Lesson
Plans for Trainers:
Qty: 4 for SEC Trainers
60 for TEC Trainers
1200 for PSEC
ChairmeVi
20 for On-Hand
Supply
TOTAL: 1,284
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Prepare Procedure Manual
for PSEC's
Qty: 2/TEC = 60
20/SEC = 20
1/PSEC =1200
50 Extra = 50
TOTAL: 1330
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Prepare Quick Reference
Guides: Counting Procedures
Qty: 10/Candidate x 30 300
30/Assoc. X 30 900
50/PSECx1200 60000
1000 Extra 1000
TOTAL: 62200
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Work Plan Outline
Component: Taining of Territorial and Polling Station Commissions
Task Profile: Prepare Procedure Manual for PSECs
Qty:
TASKS
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Deadline for Completion
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Who Responsible
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Date Assigned
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Interim Status
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Status Report Date
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Date Complete
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Revisions Needed
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SEC Approval/ Date
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Assign Members to Working Group
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Design Schedule for Working Groups Meetings
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Analyze Law and Regulations for Procedural Content
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Complete Task Analsys
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Prepare Draft
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Recruit PSEC Team to Test Instructions
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Prepare Mock Materials For Test
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Conduct Test of Instructions
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Make Corrections in Manual Based on Test
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Printing
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Distribution
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A Word About Setting Deadlines
One of the most difficult aspects of creating a work plan is setting deadlines which can actually be met. A schedule always looks better on paper than in real time. There are always obstacles, interruptions and catastrophes (and excuses) that can turn the most brilliant time table ever written into refuse for the waste basket. It only gets worse when time is already limited as it is in the case of elections. Election day is an absolute deadline. Even if the dog did eat your homework, when it comes to election day, there is no second chance to turn your work in.
 So, it is always a good idea to build a some leeway into your work plan. Try to leave a little extra time between deadlines so that if one is missed due to an unforseen circumstance, it does not automatically affect all the other deadlines that follow. Leave yourself some time to catch up, if you fall a little behind somewhere along the way.
Another challenge in setting deadlines is ensuring that they are in a logical sequence. When you are creating the work plan for your training program it is sometimes a question of, «which comes first, the chicken or the egg.» For example, which should be completed first: the Procedure Manual for Polling Station Election Commissions, or the Lesson Plan Manual for the Trainers? Careful...the answer may not be as obvious as you think.
It is also difficult because there are so many pieces that have to be linked together. You will more than likely have to coordinate the timing of training exercises with the preparation of any printed materials which will be used for those exercises. Your Subject may have difficult transport and communication issues to deal with. You will probably have different components of your training plan being overseen by different people. You may even have your coordinators scattered in different locations. You'll have to think it through carefully.
Make every effort to provide opportunities for those involved to come together for strategy sessions so that the right hand will know what the left hand is doing.
Once your work plans have been drafted, it is also a good idea to make up a calendar which illustrates all the deadlines established for the various tasks. List them in date order rather than by task order. Once you have included every deadline in a single list, you will be able to see where they get out of sequence, where they overlap, or where they appear to be inachievable. You can then go back to the work plans and make modifications where they may be necessary.
A Word About Assigning Responsibility (and where to get help!)
It has already become obvious that you are going to have to delegate some responsibility and authority for overseeing this major project. Your first resource for manpower is within your own commission. You may also have some staff assigned to work with from the local executive authorities who are your administrative partners. Because training is such an important component of election preparation, it will be critical for you to find the right person for the right job.
Most likely you will want to assign at least one member of the Commission to oversee and coordinate the entire training component. But within the component there are several sub-units that may each require a specialist to take charge. The sub-units might be broken down as follows:
technical and legal research for analytical procedure development and testing;
writing and publication of printed training and instructional materials;
coordination and training of trainers;
logistics coordination for training exercises.
The skills, experience and abilities needed for each sub-unit are markedly different. To meet the demands of these sub-units, it will probably be necessary to establish a working group from within the Commission. Look for ways to expand your manpower resources. For example, check with legal specialists to see if it is permissible to involve deliberative voting members in this kind of a working group.
However, you shouldn't automatically limit yourself from opportunities which may exist beyond the commission itself. It might be beneficial to evaluate other options that may be available to you.
It goes without saying that the commission will always hold authority over policy, and will be ultimately responsible for the final product, no matter what other resources might be tapped for the ground work. However, there will be competing demands on every member's time. Other broad sweeping responsibilities may ultimately short change specific focus on training since it is only one element that will demand their attention. So, you may have to find other ways to ensure that the training component benefits from concentrated focus it deserves. Whether they are utilized for the project as a whole or for incremental sub-units, there are several options that may have some appeal.
Establish a Task Force made up not only of commission members, but also people outside the commission. The view from the war room is always different from the view from the trenches. It would be particularly helpful to involve people who have actually served at polling stations, or been observers. Sometimes they have Invaluable input. They know first-hand what has gone well, and what has not. This is especially true when it is time to TEST the procedures being envisioned by the analytical specialists. The scientist may know why the airplane stays in the air, but he's probably never sat at the controls. It might also be helpful to involve teachers or instructors who have practical experience in designing lesson plans and communicating concepts to students.
Approach a university or special institute to take on the project of developing the written materials as part of an in-class work assignment for senior level students. This approach would benefit from the oversight and technical expertise of members of the commission assigned for coordinating the project, the academic experience of professors in defining a disciplined approach, and the enthusiasm and innovation of the students. It could also become an integral part of the Commission's overall civic education objectives.
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