A guide for effective action planning

Further Education, Work-based Learning, European Social Fund Projects

Part of a series of documents linked to supporting the effective use of the Inspection and Self-Evaluation Framework (ISEF)

January 2019

Introduction

This guidance document is designed to support the process of effective action planning for improvement, particularly at course team level in organisations (in work-based learning, for example, a course team could comprise a co-ordinator and the tutor(s) from a professional and technical area or the essential skills. In an ESF project, a team could comprise a co-ordinated group of employment engagement, family liaison officers or trainers). Inspection evidence shows variation in the quality and effectiveness of the action planning process at this level. This invariably leads to a reduction and an inconsistency in the organisation’s overall capacity to sustain improvement. Hence, the purpose of this document is to provide course teams with stimuli and indicative content that is intended to promote greater reflection and a more systematic approach in the development and use of action planning to bring about sustained improvement.

What is an action plan?

Typically, an action plan will come about as a result of the following:

• the team’s annual self-evaluation process and resulting summary of key findings;
• an external evaluation activity (e.g. inspection, awarding body audit ); and/or
• an internal evaluation activity (e.g. quality and performance review)

The action plan should build upon existing strengths to ensure they are sustained (organisations may have different titles for this, for example, a development plan etc).

Key features of action planning include:

• Action planning is not an annual standalone event, but rather a continuous, dynamic process.
• An action plan is a working document, belonging to and involving all members of the team.
• Action planning flows directly from the self-evaluation process, along with any feedback from external evaluation, and is linked closely to the resulting summary of key findings and their prioritisation.
• The action plan is subject to ongoing, regular and robust review and evaluation. It should be a standing item on the agenda of team meetings.
• The effectiveness and impact of the action plan should be subject to monitoring by more senior managers.

Where does action planning fit in Quality Improvement Planning?

• Action planning is an integral part of the quality improvement planning cycle, as illustrated below.
• Actions plans are contingent on robust self-evaluation.
• A course team action plan will link clearly to action plans at higher levels, such as a department action plan and whole-organisation quality improvement plan (QIP). Higher level action plans will implement improvements appropriate to that management level.
• Action plans will not have a finite life-span, for as some actions are completed, others will continue or commence, in order to sustain continual improvement.

The quality improvement planning cycle

• Ongoing self-evaluation process - team reflection on the impact of our course(s).
• Identify what is going well (strengths) and what is not good enough (areas for improvement).
• Identification and prioritisation of the key actions to bring about improvement.
• Develop/review action plan.
• Monitoring and evaluating impact of actions.

What makes action plans more successful?

• A key risk with most action planning processes is that teams are not rigorous enough in their evaluation of the impact/outworking of the action plan, particularly on the learners, their experiences and the outcomes they attain. Consequently, actions are ticked off in a ‘checklist’ approach, thereby creating an illusion that everything is progressing well. In effect, the process of completing individual actions becomes the success criteria, rather than consideration and evaluation of the impact of the improvement actions.
• Action plans are primarily for use by the course team but also by senior managers across the whole-organisation to promote improvement for the learners; they are for the organisation itself and not merely for inspection or other contractual, regulatory purposes.

What does an effective action plan look like?

The following is an example of a suitable action plan (please note that for illustrative purposes, the formatting is truncated and the content is indicative, and not prescriptive).

Exemplar:

• The outworking of internal and external evaluations (illustrated in diagram below) showed the following areas for improvement needed to be addressed:

       -  overly variable quality of learning, teaching and training which doesn’t promote
          effective learning;

       - narrow curriculum experiences including too few work-experience placement   

         opportunities for the trainees; and

       - low rates of retention, achievement and progression.

Internal self-evaluation

Summary of key findings

Organisation/Project:

Funded programmes internally evaluated:

Internally self-evaluated overall effectiveness and performance levels

Overall effectiveness outcome - OE

Outcomes for learners - PL

Quality of provision - PL

Leadership and management - PL

Key findings

The organisation has the following strengths:

To improve further the xxxxx provision, the organization needs to:

• improve the overly variable quality of learning, teaching and training which doesn’t promote effective learning;
• review the narrow curriculum experiences including too few work-experience placement opportunities for the trainees; and
• improve the low rates of retention, achievement and progression.

Inspection

Inspection of

Professional and technical area

Programmes inspected:

Key findings

In xxxxx, the quality of the education and training provided by xxxxx is xxxxx.

The provision has the following strengths:

To improve further the xxxxx probision, the organisation needs to:

• improve the overly variable quality of learning, teaching and training which doesn’t promote effective learning;
• review the narrow curriculum experiences including too few work-experience placement opportunities for the trainees; and
• improve the low rates of retention, achievement and progression.

Areas for improvement generate and action plan.

Action plan

Area for improvement

What do we do?

To what extent has it made a difference (impact)?

Exemplar | Action planning for improvement:

Area for improvement and contributing baseline (evidence of where we are now) evaluations:

Overly variable quality of learning, teaching and training which doesn’t promote effective learning

{Supporting ISEF sections: Outcomes for Learners; Quality of Provision; and Leadership and Management}

• 70% of the sessions observed by ETI were good or better, with only 10% being very good or better.
• ETI reported the strengths to be:
  • the well-structured practical sessions, providing sound opportunities for the learners to develop their occupational skills
  • the positive relationships between the tutors and the learners
  • the mostly good standards of vocational work, especially in practical sessions, where the learning is linked well to the workplace
• ETI report the areas for improvement to be:
  • the theory sessions were too long, leading to learners’ loss of engagement and motivation
  • too many passive learners due to insufficient use of active learning strategies
  • the lack of planning for differentiation, limited stretch and challenge to meet the needs of more able learners
  • the underuse of ILT to support learning, including only limited use of the VLE by learners and staff
  • the monitoring of the quality of learning and teaching by middle and senior managers lacked rigour
  • the insufficient monitoring of the quality of the work of part-time staff.
• Peer observations show insufficient planning for differentiation to meet changing profile of the learners.
  • of the 12 peer observations, the areas for improvement were more effective questioning, active learning, and better use of ILT
  • most of the areas for development from the previous year had been addressed.
• Trainee feedback shows: theory sessions too long and insufficient engagement in practical activities.
  • 70% of trainees report that they don’t enjoy the theory sessions, they find them boring and lacking in relevance
• Average attendance at theory sessions is too low, at 64%.
• Tutor feedback shows: lack of CPD on pedagogy, including effective planning to promote more active learning.

Only 50% of staff and 40% of learners make use of the VLE over the period of an average week (more than one hour).

Roles and responsibilities of staff effecting improvement:

The course team leader/co-ordinator will:

• Monitor and record progress against milestones/targets, collate and analyse relevant data.
• Ensure key actions are being addressed in a timely and impactful manner.
• Arrange, chair and minute progress/team meetings to review progress and action/address gaps.
• Keep senior managers informed and involved, ensure articulation with whole-organisation QIP.
• Arrange support and development as necessary.
• Collate feedback from key stakeholders (learners, employers, parents/carers, external support agencies etc).

Team members (full-time and part-time staff):

• Engage constructively with the improvement process, attend and contribute to team meetings, take ownership of specific actions.
• Participate in staff development, to address self-identified development needs.
• Work to improve planning, differentiation, active learning and better timetabling.
• Provide feedback and data as appropriate (attendance, retention, standards of work, peer observation).

Quality Manager (Next level manager):

• Provide detailed feedback (support and challenge) on draft action plan.
• Provide constructive feedback (support and challenge, affirm) on progress against milestones, check collated data, benchmark internally.
• Attend team review meetings regularly.
• Ensure consistency with other teams/sites, liaise with whole-organisation quality unit.
• Facilitate and resource team capacity-building (staff development, sharing of good practice, links with other providers, links with Associate Assessors etc).

Update senior management, including management committee.

Improvement milestones and timeframes:

Longer-term (3 years)

• 100% of the learning and teaching is at least effective.
• At least one-third of the learning and teaching is very effective.
• All staff are observed at least once, with constructive feedback to promote continuous improvement.
• Over 95% of the learners feedback positively on their learning experiences, sustained consistently over the period.
• External evaluations affirm improvement and highlight good practice in learning and teaching.
• Improved outcomes for learners (retention, achievement, progression) in line with or above targets.
• A VLE presence for all modules/key course components, with usage tracked and recorded by staff, high levels of beneficial usage.

Short-Term (within the next year) [Medium term targets are not illustrated in this exemplar]

Milestone 1 (within next 3 months)

• Review and address timetabling to improve attendance, learner engagement and motivation.
• Identify and arrange relevant professional development of staff to improve the quality of learning and teaching.
• Establish and agree arrangements for observations of learning and teaching and sharing of best practice.
• Initial monitoring and recording of progress.
• Initial feedback from and to senior managers.
• Staff commence in-depth review of planning for learning.
• Update action plan accordingly (as per outworking of milestone 1).

Milestone 2 (within 6 months)

• Evidence of improved planning for learning by all team members; lessons will have a wider range of active learning activities.
• Feedback from focus groups shows positive progress, over 80% will report positively on their learning experiences.
• VLE usage shows significant increase; over 75% of staff and 80% of learners will make use of the VLE on a regular (weekly) basis
• Evidence of impact of staff development will extend the range of learning strategies used competently.
• Update action plan accordingly (as per outworking of milestone 2).

Milestone 3 (within 12 months)

• 90% of the learning and teaching observed will be effective.
• At least one-quarter of the learning and teaching observed will be very effective.
• A majority of staff will be observed at least once, with constructive feedback and tailored support provided
• Over 90% of the learners will feedback positively on their learning experiences.
• Internal and external evaluations (if relevant) will affirm improvement and identify areas for continuing focus.
• Evidence of improving outcomes for learners (retention, achievement, progression) in line with or above targets set.
• Improving VLE presence for all modules/key course components, with usage tracked and analysed by staff.
• Update action plan accordingly (as per outworking of milestone 3).

Actions to effect improvement and evaluation of impact

Feedback from senior managers:

First review (milestone 1):

• Timetabling matter: process underway to recruit an additional part-time member of staff to facilitate movement to 3 one-hour theory sessions.
• Two CPD sessions on effective questioning and active learning facilitated and resourced; further CPD on differentiation planned.
• Process, guidance and documentation for the consistent observation of learning and teaching devised and agreed.
• Observations of learning and teaching have commenced.
• Training in use of mobile tablet technology in the classroom sourced and provided.
• Facilitation of workshops for sharing of best practice.
• Monthly minuted feedback meetings with course team leader have taken place and are ongoing.
• Attended the team workshop on good practice in the use of VLE.
• Fed impact of actions back to whole-organisation QIP monitoring process.

Second review (milestone 2):

Third review (milestone 3):

In this exemplar review details are not provided for milestones 2 and 3.