Development plans

Training and development are critical to the organisation in a number of ways:  

• they provide employees with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively perform their job role  
• they help keep employees engaged, stimulated and motivated  
• they increase the capacity of the organisation to service its clients.  

A personal development plan focuses on identifying and actioning the short, medium and long-term development requirements that arise from the performance appraisal process. The development requirements centre on the skills, knowledge and capabilities for employees to effectively undertake their job responsibilities now and the future, and to further their career goals.  

When preparing personal development plans, the emphasis should be on employee self-development. Plans should include:  

• Development objectives  
• Learning and development activities that will address the development objectives  
• Steps associated with undertaking any development initiatives  
• Resources required  
• Timetable for development  
• Commitment (financial and non-financial) required by the organisation.  
• Appropriate measurements to determine when/if the development objective has been achieved 

The learning and development activities may include any number of the following:  

• On-the-job training  
• Internal or external training courses  
• Online learning programs  
• Coaching and mentoring  
• Shadowing/understudying  
• Job rotation  
• Job enrichment (more challenging tasks) or job extension (widening the range of tasks and opportunities related to the job)  
• Vocational or tertiary education, e.g. postgraduate study  
• Industry professional accreditation programs  
• Attending conferences and seminars  
• Work-based projects.