What are the most effective program documentation timeline strategies?

2 Use a project management tool

A project management tool can help you organize and coordinate your program documentation tasks, assign roles and responsibilities, set deadlines and reminders, and track your progress and status. You can use a project management tool to create a program documentation timeline that outlines the steps, deliverables, and dependencies of each documentation activity. You can also use a project management tool to communicate and collaborate with your team members, stakeholders, and funders, and to share feedback and revisions. Some examples of project management tools that you can use are Asana, Trello, Basecamp, and Smartsheet.

3 Establish standards and templates

Establishing standards and templates for your program documentation can help you ensure quality, consistency, and efficiency across your programs. Standards are the guidelines and criteria that define the purpose, scope, format, and quality of your program documentation. Templates are the pre-formatted documents that provide the structure, layout, and content of your program documentation. By using standards and templates, you can save time and resources, avoid duplication and confusion, and maintain a professional and credible image. You can create your own standards and templates, or adapt them from existing sources, such as the Program Evaluation Standards or the CDC Evaluation Report Template.

4 Review and update your documentation regularly

Reviewing and updating your program documentation regularly can help you keep your documentation accurate, relevant, and useful. Reviewing your documentation means checking your documentation for completeness, accuracy, clarity, and validity, and identifying any gaps, errors, or inconsistencies. Updating your documentation means making any necessary changes or additions to your documentation based on new data, information, or feedback. You should review and update your documentation at least once a year, or more frequently if your program changes significantly or if you receive new requirements or requests from your funders or stakeholders.

5 Seek feedback and input

Seeking feedback and input from your team members, stakeholders, and funders can help you improve your program documentation and increase its value and impact. Feedback and input can help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your program documentation, and provide suggestions and recommendations for improvement. Feedback and input can also help you ensure that your program documentation meets the needs and expectations of your intended audience, and that it communicates your program goals, outcomes, and impact effectively. You can seek feedback and input through various methods, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, or peer reviews.

6 Learn and share best practices

Learning and sharing best practices from other non-profit organizations or experts can help you enhance your program documentation skills and competencies. Best practices are the proven methods, techniques, or processes that have been shown to produce positive results in program documentation. By learning and sharing best practices, you can discover new ideas, insights, and solutions for your program documentation challenges, and adopt or adapt them to suit your context and needs. You can learn and share best practices through various channels, such as online courses, webinars, podcasts, blogs, newsletters, or networks.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?