Course content

This is a Basic level course. It is part of our FIRST STEPS series.

Forward planning is an important skill for anyone who is helping to run a charity or community group. This new course is particularly aimed at anyone who is new to planning and groups who are just starting out. It will explain the basics of planning and give you some models and examples to get you on track. 

The session will cover: 

  • What is a plan and why you need one 
  • Sorting out the who, what and when of your idea 
  • Working together on planning 
  • Setting the right targets 
  • Keeping track of progress across time 


There will be time for you to ask questions and try working  through examples of planning. 

The next course in this series is Operations Planning - watch this space for when this is going to be released.

Learning Joirney

Here are the next courses in this series:

Pricing options

To be eligable for the discounted rate, please sign up as a DCA member above.

Charging policy

To discuss a sponsoring partnership contact [email protected]

We aim to provide as much free, accessible material as possible. DCA offers courses free or at lower cost where we have obtained funding or sponsorship Some resources are offered on a paid-for basis so that we can cover our costs and continue to provide this material to community groups, charities or social companies. We are able to offer a lower price to DCA members because of the membership fees they have paid. (Please do not click on the discounted rate unless you are sure that your organisation is a member.) On average a course costs us about £300 to create and your support is appreciated. You can donate any amount towards our work using the link below or sponsor our work through a partnership agreement which has benefits for both organisations. We are a registered charity and our number is 1060910.
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