5 Step Approach to Managing Projects - Task and Finish Groups

Sep 11, 2026

Uploaded by Sage

Guide for workforce planning teams to set up and run a workforce planning project and/or task and finish groups using a structured five-step approach. Covers how to distinguish a project from a task and finish group, identify roles and participants, prepare key documents such as a project plan and terms of reference, establish governance and reporting, and define completion and closure procedures. Includes templates and appendices like project initiation, roles and responsibilities, progress reporting, and outcome/closure reporting.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time6 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Managing a Project/Task and Finish Group

Step 1- Establish if it is a project or a task and finish group

Step 2- Identify who should be involved

Step 3- Prepare relevant documents

Step 4- Establish governance and reporting arrangements

Step 5- Define completion/closure procedures

Templates

Appendix 1- Project Initiation Document

Appendix 2- Terms of Reference

Appendix 3- Project Planner

Appendix 4- Progress Report

Appendix 5- Outcome/Closure Report

Appendix 6- Roles and Responsibilities

5 Step Approach to Managing Projects / Task and Finish Groups to Support Workforce Planning Contents 1. Introduction 2. Managing a Project/Task and Finish Group Step 1-Establish if it is a project or a task and finish group Step 2- Identify who should be involved Step 3-Prepare relevant documents (e.g. project plan) Step 4-Establish governance and reporting arrangements Step 5 – Define the procedures for completion/closure (e.g. implementation of your workforce plan) 3. Templates Appendix 1-Project Initiation Document Appendix 2-Terms of Reference Appendix 3-Project Planner (Includes risk, issues and assumptions log) Appendix 4-Progress Report Appendix 5-Outcome/Closure Report Appendix 6 – Roles and Responsibilities 1. Introduction This guide has been developed to support the workforce planning toolkit , you may find it useful if your organisation does not have in place a structured approach to planning and project management. The guide has been designed to help specifically with setting up and managing your workforce planning project and/or task and finish groups. Key considerations for your workforce planning project:- • It is important that all project and task and finish group activity is driven by your project plan , and all activity should have a clear link to your project plan objectives, this link will help you when you chart your progress. • You will need to establish your organisations approval and reporting processes to ensure your project is approved, this will be important for ensuring your workforce plan is properly supported during implementation. The five step guide has been developed to provide both the guidance and useful template documents to support you in managing your workforce plan project and/or task and finish groups. The useful documents can all be found in the Appendix. The five step approach:- Step 1-Establish if it is a project or a task and finish group Step 2- Identify who should be involved Step 3-Prepare relevant documents as required (e.g. project plan and terms of reference) Step 4-Establish governance and reporting arrangements Step 5-Define the procedures for completion/closure (e.g. implementation of your workforce plan) 2. Running a Project/Task and Finish Group Step 1-Establishing if it is a project or a task and finish group For the purposes of this guide definitions are:- A Project requires some effort in terms of planning and implementation and usually results in something new or different e.g. developing a strategic workforce plan to support service changes. A Task and Finish Group usually focuses on an existing operation, routine or apiece of work within a project , e.g. a review of an existing practice for a service improvement. The main reason we need to define what the activity is, is to ensure that you are utilising resources in the most efficient way, for example in a task and finish group it is unlikely there would be a formal plan in terms of managing the work or a requirement to provide a formal/written update on progress. It is more likely that activities would be allocated to individuals e.g. undertaking research or gathering information and then the group would come together on a few occasions to discuss findings, draft recommendations and prepare a report on what action may need to be taken, this would generally be accomplished over a short period of time, maybe just a few weeks or months. Whereas a project will usually require a project initiation document (a PID) and a project plan with detailed activity, timescales and project deliverables/outputs with regular project update reports. You will find some templates for a Project Initiation Document (PID) and project plan that you may find useful to support your workforce planning project in Appendix 1. Both projects and groups may require a Terms of Reference to define the work the group is required to complete, there is a template for a Terms of Reference y

FAQs

How do you decide whether the activity is a project or a task and finish group?

The guide defines a project as effortful planning and implementation that usually produces something new or different, while a task and finish group focuses on an existing operation or routine work within a project. Defining the activity helps use resources efficiently and set expectations for planning and reporting.

Which roles are typically involved in projects and task and finish groups?

A lead is needed in both cases, and projects usually also have a nominated project manager. Common additional roles include a project manager, subject matter expert (SME), and representatives such as HR, finance, IT/digital, partnerships, stakeholders, or service user groups.

What steps are used to manage the work from start to closure?

The five steps are: establish whether it is a project or a task and finish group, identify who should be involved, prepare relevant documents (for example a project plan and terms of reference), set governance and reporting arrangements, and define procedures for completion and closure such as implementing the workforce plan.

Sep 11, 2026

Uploaded by Sage