A process of organizing decisions and actions to achieve particular ends, within guidelines set by policy.
World Health Organization. European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. Glossary. 2009.
Planning usually includes the production of written plans that identify the aims, objectives, and mechanisms for making decisions and taking action; resources to be committed; participants and partners in the process; criteria for judging results; a timeline for implementation; management arrangements; and reporting and contracting procedures to be adopted.