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Creating an Effective Documentation Plan

This guide provides detailed steps and strategies for creating and maintaining a clear documentation plan. Learn how to organize tasks, manage resources, and persuade stakeholders effectively. From seeing the big picture to final evaluation, this comprehensive resource covers all planning phases, user analysis, document design, writing phases, and more. Enhance your planning abilities, economic soundness, and dependability in managing documentation projects with practical tips and templates. Maximize efficiency by leveraging solid capabilities and resourcefulness to produce high-quality documentation.

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Creating an Effective Documentation Plan

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  1. Documentation Planning Seeing the Big Picture

  2. Planning Phases User Analysis Task List Document Design Project Plan Writing Phases “Alpha” Draft Reviews and Tests Users Content Experts (SMEs) Revisions Final Draft Field Evaluation The Documentation Cycle

  3. Working in “Drop-Dead” Mode • Write and maintain a clear plan • Keep solid, understandable records of every phases (activities and times) • Create file names and structures that make sense (p. 135) • Use your records to plan future projects

  4. Persuasion (management): Logic of your design Willingness to cooperate Planning ability Economic soundness Solid capabilities Dependability & resourcefulness Management (peers & employees): Scheduling tasks Tracking expenses Tracking documents and files Recording meetings Monitoring progress Persuading and Managing: The Documentation Plan

  5. The Parts of a Plan: Summary • Executive Summary: Bottom line in a page or less • Target users • Major documents • Primary objectives • Schedule • Cost

  6. The Parts of a Plan: Users • User Analysis • Brief summary of salient characteristics • Explanation of how characteristics affect documentation • Details reserved for appendices

  7. The Parts of a Plan: Doc Elements • Documentation Types & Outlines: For each document (and sometimes each chapter), provide: • Title • Type (tutorial, procedural, reference, combo) • Media • Specific Goals (linked to users) (p. 159) • Outline (2-3 levels) • Estimated length

  8. The Parts of a Plan: Layout • Document Layout • Rationale • Specifications • Size & binding • Styles, columns, fonts, cuing, etc. • Writing style guide (new companies) • Samples • In text or in appendix

  9. The Parts of a Plan: Schedule • Project Schedule • Major tasks • Drafts & Revisions • Tests & Reviews • Meetings • Milestones • Record-keeping

  10. The Parts of a Plan: Resources • Required Resources • Personnel – writers, editors, testers, SMEs • Hardware – computer & networking capabilities • Software – word processing/desktop publishing, online help, graphics, etc.

  11. The Parts of a Plan: Time • Time & Page Estimates • Total number of pages/topics • Hours per page/topic • Total time • Total cost

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