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Learn how to make your vision concrete by describing the strategies that your organization will use to meet its goals and objectives. |
Developing an action plan can help changemakers turn their visions into reality, and increase efficiency and accountability within an organization. An action plan describes the way your organization will meet its objectives through detailed action steps that describe how and when these steps will be taken. This section provides a guide for developing and utilizing your group's action plan.
In some ways, an action plan is a "heroic" act: it helps us turn our dreams into a reality. An action plan is a way to make sure your organization's vision is made concrete. It describes the way your group will use its strategies to meet its objectives. An action plan consists of a number of action steps or changes to be brought about in your community.
Each action step or change to be sought should include the following information:
The action plan for your initiative should meet several criteria.
Is the action plan:
There is an inspirational adage that says, "People don't plan to fail. Instead they fail to plan." Because you certainly don't want to fail, it makes sense to take all of the steps necessary to ensure success, including developing an action plan.
There are lots of good reasons to work out the details of your organization's work in an action plan, including:
Ideally, an action plan should be developed within the first six months to one year of the start of an organization. It is developed after you have determined the vision, mission, objectives, and strategies of your group. If you develop an action plan when you are ready to start getting things done, it will give you a blueprint for running your organization or initiative.
Remember, though, that an action plan is always a work in progress. It is not something you can write, lock in your file drawers, and forget about. Keep it visible. Display it prominently. As your organization changes and grows, you will want to continually (usually monthly) revise your action plan to fit the changing needs of your group and community.
Determine what people and sectors of the community should be changed and involved in finding solutions.
If you have been using the VMOSA (Vision, Mission, Objectives, Strategies, Action Plans) model, you might have already done this, when you were deciding upon your group's objectives. Again, try to be inclusive. Most of the health and development issues that community partnerships deal with are community-wide, and thus need a community-wide solution. Possible sectors include the media, the business community, religious organizations, schools, youth organizations, social service organizations, health organizations, and others.
Some members of the community you might consider asking to join the action planning group include:
Let's consider some of the people who were involved with the planning group for the fictional Reducing the Risks (RTR) Coalition that hopes to reduce the rate of teen pregnancy. Some of the members of this planning group included teachers at the local high school, local teenagers and their parents, members of the clergy, counselors and school nurses, staff of the county health department, and members of youth organizations, service agencies, and other organizations that focus on youth issues.
Convene a planning group in your community to design your action plan . This might be the same group of people who worked with you to decide your group's strategies and objectives. If you are organizing a new group of people, try to make your planning committee as diverse and inclusive as possible. Your group should look like the people most affected by the problem or issue.
Once everyone is present, go over your organization's:
Develop an action plan composed of action steps that address all proposed changes. The plan should be complete, clear, and current. Additionally, the action plan should include information and ideas you have already gathered while brainstorming about your objectives and your strategies. What are the steps you must take to carry out your objectives while still fulfilling your vision and mission? Now it's time for all of the VMOSA components to come together. While the plan might address general goals you want to see accomplished, the action steps will help you determine the specific actions you will take to help make your vision a reality. Here are some guidelines to follow to write action steps.
Members of the community initiative will want to determine:
Example: RTR Coalition's Action Step (a sample) One community change sought by this coalition to prevent teen pregnancy was to increase publicity about contraception and unwanted pregnancy at the local high school. What action or change will occur: Hanging posters, displays, and other information about contraception and the facts about unwanted pregnancy in the hallways of the local high school. The posters and other information will become a permanent part of the high school. Posters and information will be regularly changed as new materials become available. Who will carry it out: A sub-committee comprised of parents and guardians, teachers, students, and coalition members will be responsible for maintaining the displays. The coalition as a whole will work towards finding funding to purchase the materials. Maria and Alex of the schools action group will be responsible for researching and ordering the materials. By when will it take place, and for how long: The coalition will try to have posters hanging and displays visible within six weeks of deciding on the action step (2/19/2013). What resources are needed to carry out the step: The coalition will approach the school district to request funding for the project. Otherwise, the group will seek funding from other sources such as foundations and local businesses to finance the program. Communication about the action step. The school principal and leadership of the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) should be given information about this planned change.
Things to note about this portion of the RTR action plan:
Review your completed action plan carefully to check for completeness. Make sure that each proposed change will help accomplish your group's mission. Also, be sure that the action plan taken as a whole will help you complete your mission; that is, make sure you aren't leaving anything out.
Follow through. One hard part (figuring out what to do) is finished. Now take your plan and run with it! Remember the 80-20 rule: successful efforts are 80% follow through on planned actions and 20% planning for success.
Keep everyone informed about what's going on. Communicate to everyone involved how his or her input was incorporated. No one likes to feel like her wit and wisdom has been ignored.
Keep track of what (and how well) you've done. Always keep track of what the group has actually done. If the community change (a new program or policy) took significant time or resources, it's also a good idea to evaluate what you have done, either formally or informally.
Keep several questions in mind for both yourself and others:
You can address these questions informally (ask yourself, chat with friends and other people), as well as formally, through surveys and other evaluation methods.
Celebrate a job well done! Celebrate your accomplishments; you and those you work with deserve it. Celebration helps keep everyone excited and interested in the work they are doing.
Every community organization has undoubtedly had this happen: you plan and you assign tasks to get everything you've planned to do accomplished. Everyone agrees (maybe they even offer) to do certain tasks, and you all leave with a great feeling of accomplishment. The problem? At the next meeting, nothing has been done. Besides tearing out your hair, what can you do?
Fortunately, there are several things you can try. It's particularly tricky in the case of volunteers, because you don't want to lean too hard on someone who is donating their time and energy to begin with. Still, you can make it easier for members to get things done (and harder to avoid work) without acting like the mean neighbor down the street. Some of these gentle reminders include:
Follow up on the action plan regularly. You are asking members to be accountable, and to get things done on a regular basis. If they have agreed, you should help them fulfill their commitment as best you can.
Online Resources
The Ruckus Society offers an Action Planning Manual that discusses strategies for nonviolent direct action.
Preventing Adolescent Substance Abuse: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives
Preventing Youth Violence: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives
Preventing Adolescent Pregnancy: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives
Promoting Child Well-Being: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives
Promoting Urban Neighborhood Development: An Action Planning Guide for Improving Housing, Jobs, Education, Safety and Health
Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect : An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives
Reducing Risk for Chronic Disease: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives
Print Resources
Barry, B. (1984). Strategic planning workbook for nonprofit organizations . St. Paul: MN: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.
Berkowitz, W. (1982). Community impact: creating grassroots change in hard times . Cambridge, MA: Schenkman Publishing.
Bryson, J. (1988). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Fawcett, S., Paine, A., Francisco, V., Richter, K., Lewis, R., Williams, E., Harris, K., Winter, K., in collaboration with Bradley, B. & Copple, J. (1992). Preventing adolescent substance abuse: an action planning guide for community-based initiatives . Lawrence, KS: Work Group on Health Promotion and Community Development, University of Kansas.
Fawcett, S., Claassen, L., Thurman, T., Whitney, H., & Cheng, H. (1996). Preventing child abuse and neglect: an action planning guide for building a caring community . Lawrence, KS: Work Group on Health Promotion and Community Development, University of Kansas.
Kansas Health Foundation. VMOSA: An approach to strategic planning . Wichita, KS: Kansas Health Foundation.
Lord, R. (1989). The nonprofit problem solver . New York, NY: Praeger.
Olenick, A. & Olenick, P. (1991). A nonprofit organization manual . New York, NY: The Foundation Center.
Unterman, I., & Davis, R. (1984). Strategic management of not-for-profit organizations . New York, NY: CBS Educational and Professional Publishing.
Wolf, T. (1990). Managing a nonprofit organization . New York, NY: Prentice Hall.
Watson-Thompson, J., Fawcett, S., & Schultz, J. (2008). Differential effects of strategic planning on community change in two urban neighborhood coalitions. American Journal of Community Psychology, 42, 25-38.
May 3, 2024 - 10 min read
An action plan is a definitive checklist of tasks and resources needed to complete a project or achieve a goal. You can think of it as a visual countdown to the project delivery or a breakdown of the list of tasks needed to achieve desired results.
Now you may be thinking, “What is the purpose of an action plan vs. a to-do list ?”
The most significant difference between action plans and to-do lists is that action plans focus on achieving a specific goal . In contrast, to-do lists are ongoing and include tasks for different goals and projects.
Understanding this distinction, it becomes clear that action plans are powerful tools for goal setting and project execution. They help teams manage necessary resources, adhere to schedules, and track progress toward specific goals and project initiatives.
In this article, we’ll go through the purposes of action plans, the key steps usually included in them, how you can use action plans to help your project management, and step-by-step instructions on how to put one together yourself.
And, as a bonus, we’ll also give you information on Wrike’s prebuilt action plan template , which can jump-start your action plan process.
An action plan , also sometimes referred to as a plan of action , helps order project tasks in a sequential and timely manner to achieve a goal. Project managers and individuals can use action plans to achieve their work and personal project goals.
Developing an action plan clarifies the goals to be achieved, the teams and service providers to involve, and the tasks, dependencies, milestones, and resources needed to complete the project.
Working with an action plan ensures you complete every task and requirement to meet the expected standards of a project. As you develop an action plan, you identify any critical paths and dependencies.
Keep in mind that a developed action plan isn’t set in stone, because the environment in which projects operate is often subject to change . External factors such as market conditions, economic influences, technology advancements or failures, regulatory requirements, and unexpected events can impact the execution of any plan. A dynamic document allows for flexibility and adaptability so you can adjust your strategies in response to evolving circumstances.
An action plan in project management is a quick and easy way to keep projects on track. Creating an action plan means you can quickly map out the resources and requirements you need and sketch a timeline to complete tasks.
Here are several benefits of using a strategic action plan in project management:
Action plans should not be confused with project plans . Both list the tasks, resources, and timelines required to achieve a desired goal, but project plans go deeper, including details such as contingency plan action steps, risk mitigation strategies, quality assessment criteria, and stakeholder communication schedules. In contrast, action plans simply list the tasks, resources, and timelines needed to achieve a goal.
Think of it this way: For big, complex, or long-term projects, you create a project plan first. Once your project plan is in place, an action plan helps you detail the steps and flow for allocating resources, sharing and executing tasks, and setting deadlines.
In summary, action plans and project plans differ in the following ways:
Let’s take a look at the essential components of an action plan:
The main point of a plan of action is to ensure you don’t overlook critical tasks and milestones of your project. In its simplest form, developing an effective action plan entails listing tasks you need to complete and prioritizing them.
As you develop your action plan, you decide which tasks you can delegate, outsource, or delay. The steps below map out how to write a sound action plan to increase your chance of success.
Get clear on what you want to achieve with your project. Define the action plan in terms of where you are and where you want to be. If you have alternative methods to achieve your goal, assess your situation and decide the best chances of success depending on your resources.
Once you have your goal, list the tasks and activities you must complete to achieve it. Then order them sequentially by adding key dates and deadlines. This should include a time frame with start and end dates for each task.
Are there any specific steps that must be completed before others can start? These are critical time-bound tasks with dependencies. Prioritize these tasks and set realistic deadlines. If you plan to assign them to team members, be sure to let them know the dependencies and allow enough time to deliver them.
Now that the project is broken down, you can start assigning tasks. Will you be handling some yourself in addition to managing the project? Make sure you allocate time and human resources carefully — you may choose to delegate or outsource specific tasks.
At the end of each project, assess performance, analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics, and learn from mistakes or missteps to improve your action planning and project execution. If you work with a team, collect feedback and improvement suggestions from team members for better performance in the future.
Following these best practices will mean you ’ re more likely to succeed:
Action plans aren’t just for project managers — they’re handy for all sorts of professionals and individuals tackling personal or business projects. Action plans can also be used alone or with a team. When working with a team, the leader puts together the action plan with everyone’s input.
Developing an action plan helps individuals, managers, and organizations finish their projects more successfully. They’re great for getting started, keeping track of what needs to be done, and maintaining progress on any project. Remember to check off tasks as they are done, update the plans, and communicate with your team as your project progresses.
A variation of a traditional action plan is a corrective action plan. Project managers and individuals use corrective action plans when they need to fix recurring problems or deviations in a project, process, or organization, so they don’t happen again in the future.
Action plans are quick and easy to create. It’s all about putting down what you need to accomplish your goal or project.
Here’s a simple action plan example for a marketing team working on a new campaign:
Action plan objective: Increase brand awareness and boost product sales by 30% by the end of Q4 2023 through a localized multimedia marketing campaign.
| Jun 1, 2024 | Jun 15, 2024 | ||||
| Jun 16, 2024 | Jul 15, 2024 | ||||
| Jul 16, 2024 | Jul 31, 2024 | ||||
| Aug 1, 2024 | Dec 31, 2024 | ||||
| Jan 1, 2025 | Jan 15, 2025 |
Other action plan examples in project management include:
A project action plan template is a preformatted document providing a framework to outline, execute, and track the tasks and specific actions needed to accomplish your larger goal. It streamlines the action planning process by providing a ready-to-use format you can quickly fill out to create a robust action plan. This way, you don’t waste time making one from scratch using Excel, Google Docs, or Microsoft Word.
Wrike’s simple action plan template manages projects and goals with an intuitive interface designed to help plan and launch projects with teams of any size. This template’s features enable real-time collaboration, easy task assignments, time tracking, and reporting.
Common issues like a lack of visibility on remote workers’ assignments and confusing project priorities are mitigated with functionalities such as:
Using project management tools helps to organize your business action plan visually and make it feel more achievable. With project management software like Wrike , you get a free action plan template included with your subscription — so you can easily input your project resources, requirements, and timelines, and track your progress throughout the project.
As outlined above, the best way to jump-start your action plan is to use our prebuilt plan of action and milestones template . It helps you take control of your task management by providing sample folders to organize tasks, a calendar for project scheduling, and prebuilt dashboards for monitoring progress. All you have to do is add your tasks and due dates to get a complete overview of all project work.
Our template works for all different types of action plans. You can use it as:
If you’re ready to develop action plans and track your progress while better managing your projects, you need Wrike. We make it easy to plan, execute, and ensure success, even when you’re on the go.
Click here to start your free two-week trial and kick off your action plan today.
Kelechi is a freelance writer and founder of Week of Saturdays, a platform for digital freelancers and remote workers living in Africa.
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Methodology
Published on May 8, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on November 20, 2023.
A case study is a detailed study of a specific subject, such as a person, group, place, event, organization, or phenomenon. Case studies are commonly used in social, educational, clinical, and business research.
A case study research design usually involves qualitative methods , but quantitative methods are sometimes also used. Case studies are good for describing , comparing, evaluating and understanding different aspects of a research problem .
When to do a case study, step 1: select a case, step 2: build a theoretical framework, step 3: collect your data, step 4: describe and analyze the case, other interesting articles.
A case study is an appropriate research design when you want to gain concrete, contextual, in-depth knowledge about a specific real-world subject. It allows you to explore the key characteristics, meanings, and implications of the case.
Case studies are often a good choice in a thesis or dissertation . They keep your project focused and manageable when you don’t have the time or resources to do large-scale research.
You might use just one complex case study where you explore a single subject in depth, or conduct multiple case studies to compare and illuminate different aspects of your research problem.
Research question | Case study |
---|---|
What are the ecological effects of wolf reintroduction? | Case study of wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park |
How do populist politicians use narratives about history to gain support? | Case studies of Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán and US president Donald Trump |
How can teachers implement active learning strategies in mixed-level classrooms? | Case study of a local school that promotes active learning |
What are the main advantages and disadvantages of wind farms for rural communities? | Case studies of three rural wind farm development projects in different parts of the country |
How are viral marketing strategies changing the relationship between companies and consumers? | Case study of the iPhone X marketing campaign |
How do experiences of work in the gig economy differ by gender, race and age? | Case studies of Deliveroo and Uber drivers in London |
Once you have developed your problem statement and research questions , you should be ready to choose the specific case that you want to focus on. A good case study should have the potential to:
TipIf your research is more practical in nature and aims to simultaneously investigate an issue as you solve it, consider conducting action research instead.
Unlike quantitative or experimental research , a strong case study does not require a random or representative sample. In fact, case studies often deliberately focus on unusual, neglected, or outlying cases which may shed new light on the research problem.
Example of an outlying case studyIn the 1960s the town of Roseto, Pennsylvania was discovered to have extremely low rates of heart disease compared to the US average. It became an important case study for understanding previously neglected causes of heart disease.
However, you can also choose a more common or representative case to exemplify a particular category, experience or phenomenon.
Example of a representative case studyIn the 1920s, two sociologists used Muncie, Indiana as a case study of a typical American city that supposedly exemplified the changing culture of the US at the time.
While case studies focus more on concrete details than general theories, they should usually have some connection with theory in the field. This way the case study is not just an isolated description, but is integrated into existing knowledge about the topic. It might aim to:
To ensure that your analysis of the case has a solid academic grounding, you should conduct a literature review of sources related to the topic and develop a theoretical framework . This means identifying key concepts and theories to guide your analysis and interpretation.
There are many different research methods you can use to collect data on your subject. Case studies tend to focus on qualitative data using methods such as interviews , observations , and analysis of primary and secondary sources (e.g., newspaper articles, photographs, official records). Sometimes a case study will also collect quantitative data.
Example of a mixed methods case studyFor a case study of a wind farm development in a rural area, you could collect quantitative data on employment rates and business revenue, collect qualitative data on local people’s perceptions and experiences, and analyze local and national media coverage of the development.
The aim is to gain as thorough an understanding as possible of the case and its context.
In writing up the case study, you need to bring together all the relevant aspects to give as complete a picture as possible of the subject.
How you report your findings depends on the type of research you are doing. Some case studies are structured like a standard scientific paper or thesis , with separate sections or chapters for the methods , results and discussion .
Others are written in a more narrative style, aiming to explore the case from various angles and analyze its meanings and implications (for example, by using textual analysis or discourse analysis ).
In all cases, though, make sure to give contextual details about the case, connect it back to the literature and theory, and discuss how it fits into wider patterns or debates.
If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
Research bias
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Conservation planning.
The guidance supporting Conservation Action Planning provides you generic how-to information to guide you through the process of completing and iterating a conservation plan. However, that is not the whole story. Here you will find detailed stories about how a team tackled a step or steps in the process for their project.
To view all CAP related case studies, in the Find Resources box to the left, choose Case Study from the Resource Type drop-down menu and click Submit.
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The ultimate goal of creating a case study is to develop a feasible action that can solve the problem it raised.
One way to achieve this is by enumerating all the possible solutions for your case study’s subject. The portion of the case study where you perform this is called ACA or Alternative Courses of Action.
Are you struggling with writing your case study’s ACA? Do not worry; we have provided you with the most detailed guide on writing the Alternative Courses of Action (ACA) of a case study.
What are alternative courses of action (aca) in a case study.
Alternative Courses of Action (ACA) are the possible actions a firm or organization can implement to address the problem indicated in the case study. These are suggested actions that a firm can consider to arrive at the most feasible and effective solution to the problem.
This portion doesn’t provide the actual and optimal solution yet. Instead, it contains proposed alternatives that will still undergo an evaluation of their respective advantages and disadvantages to help you come up with the best solution.
The ACA you will offer and indicate will be based on your case study’s SWOT analysis in the “ Areas of Consideration ” portion. Thus, a SWOT analysis is performed first before writing the ACA.
Given the financial, logistical, and operational limitations, developing solutions that the firm can perform can be challenging. By enumerating and evaluating the ACA of your case study, you can filter out the alternatives that can be a potential solution to the problem, given the business’s constraints 1 . This makes your proposed solutions feasible and more meaningful.
Here are the steps on how to write the Alternative Courses of Action for your case study:
Using the SWOT analysis, consider how the firm can use its strengths and opportunities to address its weaknesses, mitigate threats, and eventually solve the case study’s problem.
Suppose that the case study’s problem is declining monthly sales, and the SWOT analysis showed the following:
Then, you may include an ACA about developing the digital marketing arm of the firm to attract more customers and boost monthly sales. This can also address one of the possible threats the firm faces, which is increasing direct marketing costs.
Once you have reviewed your SWOT analysis and come up with possible solutions, it’s time to write them formally in your manuscript. Each solution does not have to be too detailed and wordy. State the specific action that the firm must perform concisely.
Going back to our previous example in Step 1, here is one of the possible ACA that can be included:
ACA #1: Utilize digital platforms such as web pages and social media sites as an alternative marketing platform to reach a wider potential customer base. Digital marketing, together with the traditional direct marketing strategy currently employed, maximizes the business’ market presence, attracting more customers, and potentially driving revenues upward.
In our example above, there is a clear statement of the firm’s action: to use web pages and social media sites to reach more potential customers and increase market presence. Notice how the ACA above provides only an overview of “what to do” and not a complete elaboration on “how to do it.”
After specifying the ACA, you must evaluate them by stating their respective advantages (pros) and disadvantages (cons). In other words, you must state how your ACA favors the firm (advantages) and its downsides and limitations (disadvantages).
Again, your evaluation does not have to be too detailed but make sure that it is relevant to the ACA that it pertains to.
Let’s return to the ACA we developed from step 2, utilizing digital platforms (e.g., social media sites) to reach more potential customers. What do you think will be the pros and cons of this ACA?
Let’s start with its potential benefits (advantages). Using digital platforms is cheaper than using print ads or direct marketing. So, this will save some funds for the firm. In short, it is cost-effective.
Second, digital platforms offer analytical tools to measure your ads’ reach, making it easier to evaluate people’s perceptions of your offering.
Third, using social media sites makes communicating with any potential customer easier. You can quickly respond to their queries, especially if they are interested in your product.
Lastly, you can reach as many types of people as possible by taking advantage of the internet algorithm.
Now, let us consider its disadvantages 2 . First, using digital marketing takes time and effort to learn, and you must be able to adapt quickly to the changes in trends and new strategies to keep up with the competition.
Second, you must deal with the increasing market competition, as many businesses already use digital platforms.
Third, you have to deal with negative feedback from your customers that are visible to the public and may affect their perception of your brand.
After pondering over the pros and cons of your ACA, it’s time to write them concisely in your manuscript. You can present it in two ways: by tabulating it or by simply listing them.
Example in Table Form:
| – Cost-effective – Provide analytical tools to evaluate ad reach and performance – A more accessible and more convenient platform to communicate with potential customers and address their queries and concerns – Maximize reach to potential customers anywhere – Time-consuming and challenging to learn due to changes in trends and strategies – Increasing market competition as many businesses also use digital platforms. – Negative feedback reflected in the digital platform could affect people’s perception of the firm |
Case Study Problem: Xenon Pastries faces a problem handling larger orders as Christmas Day approaches. With an estimated 15% increase in customer demand, this is the most significant increase in their daily orders since 2012. The management aims to maximize profit opportunities given the rise in customer demand.
ACA #1: Hire part-time workers to increase staff numbers and meet the overwhelming seasonal increase in customer orders. Currently, Xenon Pastries has a total of 9 workers who are responsible for the accommodation of orders, preparation, and delivery of products, and addressing customers’ inquiries and complaints. Hiring 2 – 3 part-time workers can increase productivity and meet the daily order volume.
Disadvantages
ACA #2: Increase the prices of Xenon pastries’ products to increase revenues . This option can maximize Xenon Pastries’ profit even if not all customers’ orders are accommodated.
Case Study Problem: Delta Motors has been manufacturing motorcycles for ten years. Recently, the business suffered a gradual shrink in its quarterly revenues due to the increasing popularity of traditional and newly-developed electric bikes. Delta Motors seeks a long-term strategy to attract potential customers to bounce back sales.
ACA #1: Develop a “regular installment payment” scheme to attract customers who wish to purchase motorcycles but have insufficient lump-sum money to acquire one. This payment scheme allows customers to pay an initial deposit and the remaining amount through smaller monthly payments.
ACA #2: Introduce new motorcycle models that can entice different types of customers. These models will feature popular designs and more efficient engines.
1. how many alternative courses of action (aca) can a case study have.
Sometimes your instructor or teacher will tell you the required number of ACA that must be included in your case study . However, there’s no “standard” limit to how many ACA you can indicate.
As mentioned earlier, the case study’s ACA aims to enumerate all possible solutions to the problem. It is not the stage where you state the “final” action you deem most appropriate to address the issue. The case study portion where you explicitly mention your “best” alternative is called the “Recommendation.”
To help you understand the point above, let’s return to our Delta Motors example. In our previous section, we have provided two ACA that can solve the problem, namely (1) developing a regular installment payment plan and (2) introducing a new motorcycle model.
Suppose that upon careful analysis and evaluation of these ACA, you came up with ACA #2 as the more fitting solution to the problem. When you write your case study’s recommendation, you must indicate the ACA you chose and your reasons for selecting it.
Here’s an example of the Recommendation of the case study:
Recommendation
Introducing new motorcycle models that feature popular designs and more efficient engines to entice different types of customers is the most promising alternative course of action that Delta Motors can implement to bounce back its quarterly revenues and keep up with the competitive market. This creates a strong impression on the public of the company’s dedication to promoting high-quality motorcycles that can withstand changes in consumer preferences and market trends. Furthermore, this action proves that the company is continuously evolving to offer a variety of alternative models to suit everyone’s tastes. With proper promotion, these models can rekindle the company’s popularity in the automotive and motorcycle industry.
Written by Jewel Kyle Fabula
in Career and Education , Juander How
Jewel Kyle Fabula is a Bachelor of Science in Economics student at the University of the Philippines Diliman. His passion for learning mathematics developed as he competed in some mathematics competitions during his Junior High School years. He loves cats, playing video games, and listening to music.
Browse all articles written by Jewel Kyle Fabula
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COMMENTS
An action plan is a detailed outline that breaks down the steps necessary to achieve a specific goal. Here are the typical components of an action plan. 1. Objective or Goal. The cornerstone of your action plan is the objective or goal. This should be a clear and concise statement outlining the desired outcome or result.
Example Action Plan. Goal: Increase sales by 20% within the next 6 months (By January 1st, 2025) Actions: 1. Improve online presence a) Revamp website design - Due October 15th b) Optimize website for SEO - Due November 1st c) Post regularly on social media (1x/week min) - Ongoing. 2.
To ensure you're making the most of your case studies, we've put together 15 real-life case study examples to inspire you. These examples span a variety of industries and formats. We've also included best practices, design tips and templates to inspire you. Let's dive in!
The fundamentals to getting an action plan together for any project follow these four project planning basic steps: 1. Define Your Project Goals. There's a difference between project goals and project objectives. Project goals refer to the high-level goals that the project will achieve.
TOOL 11: SAMPLE CASE STUDIES & ACTION PLANST. S & ACTION PLANS Case Study 1 - Salem Selam is a 17 years old wom. n living in rented accommodation in Beirut. She lives with her moth. r, father, five sisters and three brothers. Salem is unable to spe. k and needs assistance with her daily care. Her mother, Amani, and her two younger sisters ass.
The five case studies listed below are well-written, well-designed, and incorporate a time-tested structure. 1. Lane Terralever and Pinnacle at Promontory. This case study example from Lane Terralever incorporates images to support the content and effectively uses subheadings to make the piece scannable. 2.
An action plan is a specific list of tasks in order to achieve a particular goal. It can be regarded as a proposed strategy to execute a specific project to achieve a specific or general goal effectively and efficiently. It outlines steps to take and helps stay focused and organized, whether it's personal or work-related.
Pick a Template. Visme offers a wide range of professionally designed action plan templates for various business types and use cases. Choose a template from the library that suits your needs or that you can easily customize a little to create your very own action plan. Input Your Text and Data.
2. Determine the case study's objective. All business case studies are designed to demonstrate the value of your services, but they can focus on several different client objectives. Your first step when writing a case study is to determine the objective or goal of the subject you're featuring.
Create an action plan template Action plan vs. plan B vs. project plan vs. to-do list. So how exactly does an action plan differ from all these other plans and lists? ... s because of an internal issue or an external factor—having a plan B is a great way to be prepared for the worst case scenario. Read: 8 steps to create a contingency plan to ...
Case study examples. While templates are helpful, seeing a case study in action can also be a great way to learn. Here are some examples of how Adobe customers have experienced success. Juniper Networks. One example is the Adobe and Juniper Networks case study, which puts the reader in the customer's shoes.
Define and prioritize action items 🚨 4. Establish roles and allocate responsibilities 👥 5. Identify resources ⚒️ 6. Fix a timeline ⏳ 7. Create an action plan template 🔥 8. Monitor and revise the plan 🗣️ Best practices to create a successful action plan 💯 Action plan examples 🤩 Example 1: Increasing a brand's social ...
1. Setting A Goal. The first step for writing an action plan is to set a goal. When you discover the goal of the whole operation, you can then draw up an action plan to achieve it. The purpose of this is to create or have a picture of what the goal is going to be about. This ensures that you set a realistic goal.
Get the template <<< 3. Study Action Plan. This Study Action Plan is designed to empower you with effective strategies for structured learning, ensuring that you make the most of your reading endeavors. With this plan, you'll set clear goals, develop a productive study routine, and maximize your understanding and retention of the material you ...
An action plan is a guiding document and work breakdown structure that outlines all the tasks that need to be completed so you can achieve your product goals. An action plan is like a music sheet: if you have a defined set of notes, you know exactly what the music is going to sound like.
4 Examples of an Action Plan. An action plan is a plan that contains enough detail to achieve an objective or goal. This typically includes an outline of goals, objectives, measurements, action steps and responsibilities for each step. In some cases, dates and budget are also included. In this way, an action plan resembles a small scale project ...
Develop an action plan composed of action steps that address all proposed changes. The plan should be complete, clear, and current. ... Example: RTR Coalition's Action Step (a sample) ... It's particularly tricky in the case of volunteers, because you don't want to lean too hard on someone who is donating their time and energy to begin with ...
An action plan, also sometimes referred to as a plan of action, helps order project tasks in a sequential and timely manner to achieve a goal. Project managers and individuals can use action plans to achieve their work and personal project goals. Developing an action plan clarifies the goals to be achieved, the teams and service providers to ...
A case study is a detailed study of a specific subject, such as a person, group, place, event, organization, or phenomenon. Case studies are commonly used in social, educational, clinical, and business research. A case study research design usually involves qualitative methods, but quantitative methods are sometimes also used.
Action Items. Continue face-to-face marketing effort as capacity for growth allows. Hire new personnel as required by growth demands. Transfer all day-to-day activity management to new managers. Establish Executive Reporting structure and regular meeting agenda. Critical Success Factors: Management Team Development. Succession Plan.
How to write an action plan in 5 easy steps. While action plans may differ in terms of tasks and timelines, they generally conform to the following steps: 1. Set SMART goals. Image description. Before you start writing your action plan, consider using the SMART method. Your goal should be:
Marketing, Conservation, and Science have partnered on a plan to rebuild the Gateway into the organization's enterprise content management system (AEM), with a planned launch of a minimal viable product in late 2024. If you're interested in learning more about the project, reach out to [email protected] for more info!
Here are the steps on how to write the Alternative Courses of Action for your case study: 1. Analyze the Results of Your SWOT Analysis. Using the SWOT analysis, consider how the firm can use its strengths and opportunities to address its weaknesses, mitigate threats, and eventually solve the case study's problem.