Plan of Action and Milestones
Objective
Track action plan, assignments, and resource allocations when creating comprehensive solution statement.
What is a POA&M?
A Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) is a tool used to identify and track tasks, responsibilities, and progress to ensure a project is completed on time and with all requirements fulfilled. The POA&M outlines tasks, stakeholder responsibilities, and timelines for completing all aspects of a project. This tool is a comprehensive and methodical approach that provides accountability for all stakeholders, helping to resolve alignment issues and identify potential barriers to project completion.
How do I apply a POA&M?
- Once improvement opportunities have been identified, identify a stakeholder who will be responsible for updating the POA&M.
- Assign each improvement opportunity a stakeholder who is accountable for the task’s completion.
- For each task, work with stakeholders to determine when task activities should begin and end based on policy, resourcing, and other factors.
- Create a timeline that maps initiation and completion of each task.
- Monitor and frequently update the POA&M to reflect the status of tasks.
- Develop cadence for meeting with POA&M task stakeholders to identify barriers to progress and completion and determine methods of mitigation or resolution.