[Music] an operational plan forms part of the business's strategic plan and is important for effective business it describes how the work will be done the workflow from input to end results including the resources that will be used along the way all of which are required for success strategic planning provides the vision direction and goals for the business operational planning translates that into the everyday workflow of the business that will hopefully produce the outcomes defined by the strategy an operational plan should be prepared by someone involved in the implementation but there is often a need for cross-departmental involvement for issues relating to finance hr and i.t requirements an operational plan addresses the following four questions where are we now where do we want to be how do we get there how do we measure our progress within these four questions bear in mind a number of key components such as the staff and skills required to implement your project the required funding and the sources of these funds the existing risks associated with the project and how they can be addressed and the estimated lifespan of the project including an exit plan [Music] an operational plan is important because it helps your team to be clear about where you will get the necessary resources how to use those resources efficiently how to clearly define the most critical resource requirements how to reduce risks where possible and prepare contingency plans when necessary and to think about the long-term future of the project including its sustainability so essentially a clear and efficient operational plan should have clear objectives activities to be delivered quality standards desired outcomes staffing and resource requirements implementation timetables and a process for monitoring progress you