Create/Edit Development Plan Template

Use development plan templates to create a predefined development plan, including objectives, training, and action items that a user can access and then modify to match their specific needs. When creating a template, the administrator selects a specific user population that can view and request the template. For example, if an administrator is creating a development plan template for managers, they can configure the availability so that it is only available to managers.

To create a development plan template, go to Admin > Performance > Plan Templates. Then, click the Add New Template button.

To edit a development plan template, go to Admin > Performance > Plan Templates. Next to the plan you are editing, select the Edit icon.

PERMISSION NAME PERMISSION DESCRIPTION CATEGORY
Development Plan Templates - Manage Grants ability to create and edit development plan templates that can be made available for use by end users. This is an administrator permission. Performance - Administration

General Information

Begin defining the development plan template by entering the following basic information about the plan:

  • Template Title - Enter a title for the development plan template. This title appears on the Development Plan Templates page. The character limit for this field is 3,000 characters. This field is required. If multiple languages are enabled for your portal, select the Translate icon to translate the field into other available languages.
  • Category - From the drop-down list, select a category for the development plan template, which is intended to help organize development plans. Selecting a development plan category is optional. Administrators can configure which categories are available to select by configuring the Development Plan Preferences. See Development Plan Preferences .
  • Description - Enter an overview of the development plan template, including its purpose or focus. This field can be formatted using the text formatting options. The character limit for this field is 3,000 characters. If multiple languages are enabled for your portal, select the Translate icon to translate the field into other available languages.

Custom Fields

Custom fields can be added to a template by selecting the Add Custom Field button. The selected custom fields are included in any development plan created using this template. The fields must be created first from the Custom Fields area of the system. See Custom Field Admin - Development Plans.

Objectives

Development plans are creating by adding development objectives to outline what you are trying to achieve in your development plan. Objectives are the target areas of the plan. For example, if you are creating a development plan to improve your communication skills, you may create an objective to improve your writing skills. This objective should contain all of the training and actions you need to complete in order to achieve the objective, such as completing writing classes or shadowing a writer at your organization.

To add an objective to the development plan template, select the Add Objective button. This opens the Add Development Objective page where you can define the objective. Begin by providing an overview of the objective:

  • Objective Title - Enter a title for the development plan. This title appears on your Snapshot: Development Plans page as well as anywhere else your plan is visible. The character limit for this field is 3,000 characters. For portals with multiple languages enabled, use the Translate icon to localize the title. This field is required.
  • Category - From the drop-down list, select a category for the objective, which is intended to help organize development plan objectives. Selecting an objective category is optional. If there no categories available, then this drop-down is hidden. Administrators can configure which categories are available to select by configuring the Development Plan Preferences. See Development Plan Preferences .
  • Learning and Development - This section provides different ways for you to add learning and development actions to your plan. The following options may be available:
    • Search for Learning - Select this option to search for learning opportunities that may support your development objective. See the Add Objective - Search for Learning section below for additional information.
    • Add Development Action - Select this option to add an action step that is required to achieve the development objective. See the Add Objective - Add Development Action section below for additional information.

After defining the objective, select one of the following options:

  • Save and Return to Plan - Select this button to save the objective and return to the Create a Plan page.
  • Save and Add Another - Select this button to save the objective and begin adding another objective to the plan.

The Search for Learning option is only available to organizations using the Learning functionality. Select this option to search for learning opportunities that may support your development objective. For example, if you are creating an objective to improve your writing skills, you may search for online classes related to writing. The following learning types cannot be added to a development plan: Certification, Cohort, and Playlist.

To search for learning items:

  1. In the Learning and Development section, select the Search for Learning button.
  2. From the Add Learning page, select the Add to Objective link for each item you want to add. If a learning item is already in the plan, then "Included in Plan" is displayed.
  3. Select the Return to Objective button to add the selected items to your development plan.
  4. Set a due date for the item by selecting the Due Date field. Administrators can configure the default due date by configuring the Development Plan Preferences. See Development Plan Preferences .
    • Note: The overall due date for a development plan is the latest due date for any objective within the development plan. The due date for an objective is the latest due date for any learning item or action step within the objective.

Select this option to add an action step that is required to achieve the development objective. For example, if you are creating an objective to improve your writing skills, you may add a development action to shadow the Technical Writer in your organization for one hour to learn some of their best practices.

To add a development action:

  1. In the Learning and Development section, select the Add Development Action button.
  2. From the Development Action flyout, enter the following information:
    1. Description - Enter a description of an action that must be completed to achieve the objective. The character limit is 3,000.
    2. Activity Type - From the drop-down menu, select the activity type that corresponds with the action you are adding.
    3. Due Date - Set a due date for the item by selecting the Due Date field. Administrators can configure the default due date by configuring the Development Plan Preferences. See Development Plan Preferences .
      • Note: The overall due date for a development plan is the latest due date for any objective within the development plan. The due date for an objective is the latest due date for any learning item or action step within the objective.
    4. Progress - If there is already progress made on the action step at the time it is added to the plan, you may update the percentage complete at that time. If the step has not been started, enter 0, and if the step is complete, enter 100.
  3. Select the Done button to save the development action.

Availability

This section enables you to determine which users can create a development plan using this template.

Select the Select Users button to open the Select Users flyout. From the drop-down menu, select the user criteria type, such as User, Group, and OU type. You can select any combination of criteria to create the availability, and the selected criteria appear in the Selected tab.

Save Template / Cancel

When you are finished creating the template, select the Save Template button. The template will be available to users who are within the configured availability.

To discard the template or any unsaved changes, select the Cancel button.