Your ideal workforce development plan integrates fully with the business or service plans of your organisation.
This stage relates directly to Themes 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 in the Workforce Strategy.

DESIGN in the Workforce Development cycle
In the ASSESS stage you analysed data about staff currently responsible for learning and teaching. You highlighted gaps in skills, knowledge and attitudes and you identified priorities for workforce development. In this stage of the cycle, you design learning and development plans for your organisation, teams or individuals. As you do so, you may be thinking about the short, medium or long term, depending on your priorities; you may also be directed by inspection, legislation or other requirements.

Starting to design your organisation’s workforce development plan
The DESIGN stage helps you to prepare for the next stage, ACTION. Whatever your context, the plan you design will be based on choices about:

• the the whole organisation's plans
• the continuing professional development (CPD) of your current workforce
• recruitment to meet short-term needs and succession planning for your organisation’s future work

Quick tip
Use a template for a learning and development plan.

When you have designed your plan, go to the ACTION stage in the cycle.