As a third critical step, the guidance recommended engaging senior managers through structured interviews or meetings, at every stage of developing the plan because they are most knowledgeable about agency business and mission challenges.
A fourth step for the project team is to collaborate to identify challenges and develop solutions, pulling together a wide range of inputs including quantitative data, qualitative information and models for successful strategic human capital plans and management initiatives.
The goal in the fourth stage is to refine data into five areas: a few of the most critical human capital challenges facing the organization; the mission impact if those challenges go unaddressed; the actions already underway to address these challenges; actions that the organization can take in the future to address these challenges; and, resource requirements to carry out those actions.
Examining these areas should produce some critical information, such as common themes emerging from management interviews, and help to identify human capital challenges the agency faces that have a direct impact on short and long-term strategic goals as well as define what success would look like and how to measure success against the goals set out in the plan.
The final step is to draft the plan written clearly enough so that someone without prior knowledge of the organization can understand it.
The guide includes a sample implementation plan, and can be found at OutPublicService.org.