Joint work plans with implementing partners

What is a joint work plan?

A joint work plan turns a partnership into specific work. It says what each organisation will do, where, by when and with what money. Without it, partners work from different assumptions. One thinks the training is in March, the other plans April. One expects a monthly report, the other sends one every quarter.

The UNHCR Programme Handbook for Partners gives a clear example. It explains that a project workplan sets out the responsibilities, obligations and accountabilities of the parties for specific activities and outlines the outputs to be achieved. Each workplan includes three mandatory components: a financial plan, a results plan and a risk register. Your organisation does not have to use the UNHCR format, but these three parts are a good minimum for any joint plan.

What should a joint work plan include?

Add short notes on safeguarding, data protection and complaints handling if your agreement requires them. If your project is a consortium, see how to work well in a consortium.

How do you build the plan together?

1. Start from the approved proposal. Copy the relevant outputs, indicators and budget lines. Do not rewrite the project.
2. Meet the partner. Walk through the results and ask what is realistic. They know access, timing and community conditions better than you do.
3. Involve communities. UNHCR guidance says the workplan is developed through joint consultations that actively involve the target population, so approaches are culturally relevant and address protection risks. Where you cannot consult directly, use existing feedback and partner knowledge.
4. List activities with dates and owners. Use a simple table, not a long narrative. Our guide to building a work plan and Gantt chart shows a format.
5. Build the budget together. Show how each line links to an activity. Agree on how cost changes will be handled.
6. Agree risks and controls. Include access, security, procurement delays and staff changes. Name an owner for each.
7. Set reporting dates. Give partners earlier internal dates than the donor date.
8. Sign before work starts. UNHCR stresses that signing ahead of the start date is critical, and that exceptions should be documented. Late signature leaves both sides exposed.

How do you make the plan fair for local partners?

Power is often uneven between the lead and the implementing partner. A joint plan is a chance to share it:

• Ask partners to propose their own activity dates and methods.
• Check that budgets include real costs, such as staff time, transport and overhead.
• Make reporting demands proportionate. If you ask for many reports, make sure someone reads them. Our article on reducing the reporting burden on local partners gives ideas.
• Agree how you will handle payment delays, because late funds stop work.

In Myanmar, partners may face access limits, changes to travel rules and unstable communications. Build in flexibility: alternative locations, remote monitoring options and a simple way to propose changes.

How do you review and change the plan?

Plans change. What matters is that changes are visible and agreed.

1. Review monthly or quarterly. Compare planned and actual progress and spending.
2. Update the tracker. Record changes, decisions and reasons.
3. Use a change note. One page: what changes, why, effect on budget, results and dates, and who approved it.
4. Check donor rules. Some changes need donor approval first. Read your grant agreement or ask a qualified adviser.
5. Re-sign when needed. If the change is large, sign an amendment.

What mistakes should you avoid?

• Sending a finished plan for signature. Partners will sign but may not own it.
• Leaving risks out. If it is not written, nobody manages it.
• No review dates. The plan becomes outdated within weeks.
• Verbal changes. Memories differ. Write it down.
• Different formats for every partner. Use one template so you can compare progress.

How EMPO can help

EMPO is a reliable, trusted training and consultancy provider and one of Myanmar's leading names in practical NGO training, with 1,200+ people trained and 15 partner organisations. We are based in Yangon and work in English and Burmese, online and in person across Myanmar. Our project management training includes planning with partners, and we can design a commissioned programme for your team. See our training services or contact us.

Sources

• GET - Section 2: Establishment of Projects — UNHCR Programme Handbook for Partners, 2025