Purpose:

Just creating a strategic plan is not enough. The changes indicated by the adopted strategies must be incorporated throughout the system for them to be brought to life and for real value to be created for the organization and its stakeholders. A separate step is often required to ensure that relevant groups and organizations do the action planning necessary for implementation success. 
 
 

Approaches:

Action plans should detail the following:

1. Implementation roles and responsibilities of oversight bodies, organizational teams, and individuals.
2. Specific objectives and expected results and milestones.
3. Specific action steps and relevant details
4. Schedules
5. Resource requirements and sources
6. A communication process
7. Review, monitoring, and midcourse correction procedures
8. Accountability procedures
 
 

John M. Bryson, Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations:  A Guide to Strengthening and Sustaining Organizational Achievement, rev. ed. (San Francisco:  Jossey-Bass, 1995), 36-37.