Making an implementation plan for your thesis

With an implementation plan, you help your client implement your recommendations or advice. In this plan, you indicate which concrete steps the client needs to take to start applying your recommendations. The idea is that the client can use this implementation plan to solve the problem in question.

In the implementation plan, you make the recommendations concrete. You describe exactly how the client or another organisation can apply them correctly. You take into account the preconditions, such as the available time and budget of the organisation. You break down the recommendations into steps. You also create a complementary schedule and clarify who is responsible for certain tasks.

An implementation plan usually consists of the following components:

• Title page. This is where you put your name, the title of the plan, your study programme, and the name of the client the plan was written for, among other things.

• Management summary. Here, you briefly summarise the implementation plan. Such a summary is not always a compulsory part. Check with your supervisor whether or not you have to include a summary.

• Table of contents. You can have this generated automatically in Word.

• Introduction. In it, describe the problem you studied, the SMART goal, the result. and the preconditions for implementation. Sometimes you also include a risk analysis in the introduction. In this, you describe the risks involved in the implementation and what the client can do to mitigate these risks.

• The implementation steps. How should the client approach the steps? Are there specific methods to adopt or resources to use? Describe each step as concretely as possible, assuming three phases: preparation, realisation, and evaluation. Also, state who is responsible for which activity.

• Communication plan. When you make major changes, it is important that all stakeholders are made aware of them. This requires a proper communication plan. In it, you indicate when the client will communicate and to whom, what the message is, and what means of communication is appropriate. Sometimes the communication plan is part of the management plans. Check with your thesis supervisor where you should place the communication plan.

• Management plans. In this part of your implementation plan, you go into what people are required to do, who does which task, and when they do it.. You discuss the schedule, the division of tasks, and the budget required for the steps. By making all of this concrete, you increase the chances of success of the implementation plan.

• Literature list. This is where you list the sources used. Prepare the bibliography according to the APA style, the Legal Author's Guide or any other style of citation applicable to your programme.

Each study programme may have a slightly different structure for the implementation plan, so check with your supervisor which of these elements should be reflected in your plan.

You draw up an implementation plan if your thesis or report contains recommendations and if your client has indicated that they intend to implement them. Always discuss with your thesis supervisor and client whether an implementation plan is necessary.

Each implementation plan will look different. It depends on your research, the wishes of your client, and the requirements applied by your study programme. Would you like to get an idea of possible implementation plans? In the college knowledge base, you will find several examples of implementation plans. 

Please note that these examples are all written by college students (so they are not university theses) and are made according to the guidelines of specific study programmes. Would you like to have a good example of an implementation plan for your course? Ask your supervisor to show you an example.

Using a professional academic writing style is just as important in your implementation plan as it is in a thesis or essay. Having doubts about your writing style or possible language errors? Have your implementation plan checked by an editor from AthenaCheck. Then you can submit your implementation plan error-free.