Today is the first work day of the new Fiscal Year for 2017! In many ways the start of a new fiscal year is a fresh start and an opportunity for new beginnings. Many contracts start and the budget allocation for the new year is now available. Even if budgets and contracts aren’t something that are a part of your job, the new fiscal year is still an opportunity to start anew. It’s an opportunity to start new projects, processes, and policies. It’s also an opportunity to stop doing things that aren’t working for you. For me, it is the start of my 90-day planning cycle.

Let me explain.

I’ve recently begun listening to podcasts. One that has really stuck with me is by The Productivity Show on planning in 90 day cycles. It resonated with me as I was already thinking about what new initiatives I planned to start with the new fiscal year. In listening to the podcast I realized that 90 days from the new fiscal year is the new calendar year.

What a perfect, naturally occurring 90-day planning cycle!

As an opportunity to share what I do in my day-job and as an opportunity for accountability, I will share my 90 day cycle goals and strategy.

I plan to implement a new evaluation process for the training programs I oversee.

Goal 1: Demonstrate a return on investment

Goal 2: Demonstrate an impact on agency mission

My 90-day Planning cycle strategy

As someone who likes to put together project plans, I thought it would be helpful to break out my 90-day planning cycle into 30 day increments.

First 30 days

Step 1: Identify an evaluation strategy. Luckily I’ve already been taking a class that’s requiring me to create an evaluation strategy. My first draft of my strategy is due later this week.

Step 2: Gain buy-in from my leadership. Last week I started this ground work for the need for more evaluation. However, I will need to continue to socialize the plan as it becomes clearer.

Second 30 days

Step 3: Develop and implement evaluation tools.

Step 4: Collect evaluation data.

Third (and final) 30 days

Step 5: Analysis. This will be tough to wait as I love to peek at data early!

Step 6: Report on results of evaluation.

So now that I’ve shared my 90-day planning cycle strategy, what’s your new fiscal year goals? What steps are you going to take over the next 90 days?