Writing the Plan, Highlighting the New Activities - Southern Ontario ...

Creating the Future You’ve Imagined: A Guide to Essential Planning
8. WRITING THE PLAN, HIGHLIGHTING THE NEW ACTIVITIES
An essential plan is the written outcome of the planning process. It needs to capture the
strategic thinking that emerged throughout the process, and convey the decisions that
were made as a result. It needs to be written in such a way that it will be useful as a
ready reference tool for all decision-makers, and will not be left to sit on a shelf to gather
dust. A good starting point in writing the planning document is to pull together, from the
notes of the various sessions, the library’s mission and values, vision, strategic
directions, objectives, and tasks, agreed upon. The next order of business is to arrive at
final wording for each.
When finalizing the language to be used for the plan, it is important to choose active
verbs that convey the new directions identified for the library. While Essential Planning
is not about changing everything you do, the services you will continue to offer in much
the same way as they are currently being offered are not named as strategic directions,
objectives or tasks. That is, they may be referred to in a brief description of current
programs and services, or as examples of successful library activities, but they are not,
by their very nature, strategic. Verbs such as ‘continue’ or ‘maintain’ have no place in a
planning document. The verbs in Appendix 16 connote activity that is new and/or
different.
There must be a commitment to improve or change something about a current activity
before it would be considered strategic. To continue to offer readers’ advisory service,
for example, is not strategic. To improve readers’ advisory service by training staff and
building a collection of readers’ advisory tools is a strategic undertaking, as is a
concerted effort to publicize or promote the library’s readers’ advisory service.
Once the language has been finalized for the body of the plan, there needs to be a
discussion on how the board and staff intend to use the written plan. Will it be used
primarily as an internal document? Will it be presented to Council? Will it be a publicity
tool? The answers to these questions indicate what additional context or information
might need to be included in the plan.
8.1 Matching Content to Audience
If the plan is to be widely distributed as a public document and a promotional tool, it
might need:
• a brief overview of current programs and services
• a summary of some of the issues and trends facing public libraries
• the planning process used
• the highlights of any user feedback solicited.
If the plan is to be used primarily with Municipal Council, it should include language
that ties it directly to Council’s strategic agenda, and should highlight where the
library’s plan is intended to respond to pressing local issues and/or community
characteristics. This is an opportunity to clearly illustrate to Council that the library
is committed to helping Council be successful.
The Library Development Guide Series
© Southern Ontario Library Service

Creating the Future You’ve Imagined: A Guide to Essential Planning
A planning document that is intended to be used internally need not have these
additional sections, but may, on the other hand, have more detailed descriptions of
the tasks related to each objective, including responsibility, timeline, and even
budget ramifications. These details are necessary, regardless, but whether or not
they appear in the planning document itself depends on the intended audience for
the plan. A number of libraries end up deciding to have two versions of the plan: a
glossy, succinct version as a promotional tool, and a lengthier, more detailed
version for internal use and accountability. Other libraries have chosen to endorse
one plan that meets the needs of internal and external readers. Staff and board, in
this case, are also given access to an accompanying document that provides the
more operational details necessary for implementation of the plan.
8.2 Making the Plan a Useful Document
Whether or not the plan will be distributed as a promotional tool, it needs to exist in
a form that lends itself to serving as a ready reference tool for board and staff. This
means that the plan is written in a style and produced in a format that makes it easy
to digest, easy to find things, and easy to see how everything fits together. If it is
not easy to use, it will not be widely used.
When a plan is well written, it contributes to effective implementation, resulting in
real change in improved service and/or increased capacity to deliver service.
Effective plans are developed and written in a manner that is:
• Futuristic: responsive to emerging trends and indications of the future reality
• Desirable: appealing and worth aspiring to
• Imaginable: conveying a picture of the desired future
• Practical: full of concrete tasks with timelines and responsibility assigned
• Achievable: realistic; do-able and affordable
• Defensible: responsive to service demands and external influences, (ie) the
plan makes sense, given the circumstances
• Measurable: objective language defines success through the use of
milestones and quantitative indicators
• Memorable: concise and relevant; easy to apply
• Flexible: adaptable to new ideas and/or changing circumstances.
It can be a worthwhile exercise for the board to collectively apply these principles to
the written document, before finalizing it, assessing it for overall clarity, alignment,
and effectiveness. See Appendix 17 for a checklist version of the above list.
The Library Development Guide Series
© Southern Ontario Library Service