Knowing what to do is half the plan. Knowing when to do it, and in what order, is the other half. Coordinator and assistant adverts ask for scheduling, timelines and activity plans, and many donors want a timeline with every proposal and report.
Dependencies
Some tasks cannot start until another finishes. You cannot print handouts before the content is agreed. You cannot pay a deposit before you have chosen a venue. These links are called dependencies. Mark them clearly, because a delay in one task pushes back every task that depends on it.
A milestone is an important point with no length of its own, such as "venue booked" or "first meal served". Milestones help everyone see progress at a glance.
Estimating time honestly
For each task, estimate how long it will really take, not how long it would take if everything went perfectly. Then think about the local calendar:
- Public and religious holidays, when offices close and people travel.
- Market days, when traders and many community members are busy.
- The rainy season, when some roads become hard to use.
- Farming seasons, when farmers have little time for meetings.
- School terms and exams, for anything involving schools.
Add some buffer time before important milestones. Things will slip; buffer protects the final date.