Types of Plans

Plans can also be classified by recurrence. A plan for a one-time event (the annual school day) is different from a plan for a recurring process (how to handle late fee payments). Both are needed; neither does the other’s job. Three categories cover the range: single-use, standing, and contingency.

Three categories

Plans are needed to handle three types of situations, generally: one time (not likely to recur), regularly recurring, less likely to recur.

The three categories correspond to three kinds of plans.

A school needs all three types. Different problems require different planning approaches.

Single-use plans

A single-use plan is for something that will not happen again, or at least not happen in the same way.

Specifically prepared to fit a one-time situation. Becomes obsolete when the goal is achieved.

The handout names two common kinds.

Programme

Complex set of interrelated actions aimed at achieving a goal pursued once.

A programme is a large coordinated effort. Examples in a school:

1. A school’s first accreditation push. Many activities over a year or two: curriculum review, documentation, training, mock inspections, the inspection itself.
2. A school’s expansion to a new branch. Land acquisition, building, hiring, marketing, opening.
3. A major curriculum overhaul. Selection of new curriculum, teacher training, materials procurement, rollout, parent communication.

A programme is too large to handle as a single project. It is broken into multiple projects coordinated under a programme manager (often the principal or a designated lead).

Project

Less complex single use plan, narrower in scope than a programme, fewer activities and resources, developed as a sub-unit of a programme.

A project is a defined piece of work with a beginning and an end. Examples:

1. The annual school day. Planning, rehearsals, venue, programme, parent invitations.
2. A new uniform rollout. Design, supplier negotiation, pricing, communication, distribution.
3. A teacher recruitment drive. Job description, advertising, screening, interviews, hiring.

A project typically has a project manager (often a senior teacher or coordinator), a timeline, and a budget. It ends when the goal is achieved.

A school head can recognise projects vs programmes by scale and duration. A six-month effort with one main goal is usually a project. A two-year effort with multiple interconnected goals is a programme.

Standing plans

A standing plan is for situations that come up regularly. Once the plan is set, it is used many times without being recreated each time.

For on-going goals, requiring the same type of situation to be dealt with again and again.

The handout names three kinds, in increasing order of specificity.

Policy

Provides general guidelines, broad boundaries for action for recurring situations. Flexibility.

A policy is the most general standing plan. It states the school’s position on a recurring issue and gives broad guidance, leaving judgement to the people applying it.

Examples in a school:

1. Late fee policy. The school charges a late fee after a grace period. The grace period, the amount, and the appeals process are stated.
2. Leave policy. Staff are entitled to specific kinds of leave. Approval is by section head, who exercises judgement.
3. Discipline policy. Behaviour expectations and consequences. Specific cases are handled by the deputy head with discretion.

Policies are useful because they handle recurring situations consistently while allowing judgement in individual cases. A school without policies handles each case from scratch, which produces inconsistency.

Procedure

Outlines specific steps to be followed in a particular recurring situation. More detailed, allows less latitude. Series of steps, SPOs (Standard Operating Procedures).

A procedure is more specific than a policy. It lays out the steps to follow.

Examples in a school:

1. New student admission procedure. Specific steps: form submission, document verification, entry assessment, fee payment, joining instructions.
2. Examination procedure. Specific steps: invigilation, seating, paper distribution, time keeping, paper collection, packaging.
3. Fee collection procedure. Specific steps: monthly invoice, payment receipt, recording, reconciliation, follow-up.

Procedures reduce errors. When everyone follows the same steps, mistakes are fewer. They also speed up handover when a staff member leaves: the new person follows the documented procedure rather than learning everything from scratch.

Rule

Details specific circumstances under which certain activities are to be performed. The narrowest.

A rule is the most specific standing plan. It states what must or must not be done in a defined circumstance.

Examples in a school:

1. No mobile phones in classrooms. Specific behaviour banned.
2. Lab safety glasses required during chemistry experiments. Specific equipment required.
3. Two staff members must be present when handling cash above a threshold. Specific procedure required for a specific situation.

Rules are useful when judgement should not be exercised. The school does not want to debate every time whether mobile phones are allowed in class. The rule settles it.

Contingency plans

The third category is for events that are unlikely but possible.

Alternative courses of action for unexpected environmental shifts, but still requiring managerial response if objectives are to be achieved. Cover less likely events.

A contingency plan is not used most of the time. It exists for the moment something unexpected happens. The work to create it is up-front; the value comes when the unexpected event arrives.

Examples of contingency plans in a school

1. Fire emergency. What happens if there is a fire. Evacuation routes, assembly points, headcount procedures.
2. Security incident. What happens if there is a serious safety threat. Lockdown procedures, parent communication, follow-up.
3. Major staff loss. What happens if a key teacher resigns suddenly. Coverage plans, recruitment timelines, communication.
4. Major fee shortfall. What happens if a significant percentage of parents do not pay on time. Cash management, expense reduction options.
5. Public health emergency. What happens if the school must close for an extended period. Online teaching, communication, fee adjustments.

A school with contingency plans is calmer in a crisis. The plan exists; it is followed. A school without contingency plans improvises in the moment, which produces worse outcomes.

Why schools often lack contingency plans

Contingency plans take time to make and may never be used. School heads with limited time often deprioritise them. The 2020 pandemic was the most visible illustration that contingency plans matter. Schools with prior thinking about extended closure adapted faster. Schools without had to invent everything in real time.

After 2020, more schools take contingency planning seriously. The lesson should not need to be re-learned.

Choosing the right type

A school head can ask, for any planning need: what type fits this?

1. One-off goal? Single-use plan (programme or project).
2. Recurring situation needing flexibility? Policy.
3. Recurring situation needing consistency? Procedure.
4. Specific narrow circumstance? Rule.
5. Possible but unlikely event? Contingency plan.

Mixing the types is also fine. A school’s discipline approach might have a policy (general statement), several procedures (handling specific kinds of incidents), and some rules (no mobile phones; uniform requirements). Together they form a coherent disciplinary system.

Flashcard

What are the three types of plans by recurrence?

Tap to reveal

Answer

Single-use, Standing, Contingency.

1. Single-use plans. For one-time goals. Programmes (complex, multiple sub-projects) and projects (defined work with start and end).

2. Standing plans. For recurring situations. Policies (general guidelines), Procedures (specific steps), Rules (narrow specific circumstances).

3. Contingency plans. For unlikely but possible events. Fire, security, key staff loss, fee shortfall, public health emergency.

A school needs all three. Single-use plans handle one-off efforts. Standing plans make recurring work consistent. Contingency plans prepare for crises. After 2020, contingency planning is taken more seriously than it used to be.