Summary

In study session II you have learnt

• The aim of presenting planning process in steps is to provide general framework of action to be performed to ensure a systematic approach.
• There are six steps in the operational planning process: these are situational analysis, pproblem identification and prioritization, setting objectives and targets, identifying obstacles and limitations, designing the Strategies and writing the plan.
• Situational analysis is the first stage in the operational planning process that provides a broad basis of understanding of the current situation.
• In situational analysis we should asses population characteristics, review area characteristics and infrastructure, policy and political environment, analyse health needs, health services, resources and review past implementation experience.
• Setting priority is the most critical in competing needs and limited resources and hardest, planning stage.
• The selection criteria for priority setting are:-magnitude of the problem, degree of severity, feasibility, sustainability, community concern, political and social acceptability and consistency
• Goals, aims, objectives and targets are all ways of describing the desired direction of a service. They differ in terms of breadth and detail.
• If the programme is made to have an objective and target, it must be SMART: S - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time specific/Time framed.
• After setting objectives and targets the planner should look for the presence of any obstacles or limitations that may prevent the achievement of each objective and target.
• The limitations/obstacles may be include: shortage of resources, environmental obstacles, climate, technical difficulties or social factors
• Once objectives and targets are set, the planner assesses the different ways or strategies for achieving them. Choosing the best strategy again entails analyzing resources available and needed for each strategy. The potential strategies often include technology to be applied, procedures to be used and defining the role of communities and other sectors.
• The final step in the planning process is writing the plan. An outline of writing the plan may include: summary, a problem statement, objectives and targets, strategies and activities, resources and monitoring and evaluation
• Gantt chart - is a bar graph with time on horizontal axis and the resources/activities to be scheduled on the vertical axis.