--- title: Create a Development Plan description: Step-by-step instructions for creating, naming and publishing a development plan in Acorn, with or without Capabilities. image: https://help.acorn.works/hubfs/acorn-meta-preview.png --- [Skip to content](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre/create-a-development-plan#main-content) English - Australia Show submenu for translations [Contact Us](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre/kb-tickets/new?hsLang=en-au) [Customer Portal](https://support.acorn.works/tickets?hsLang=en-au) [![AcornLogo\_Horizontal\_FullColourWhite\_1000px](https://help.acorn.works/hs-fs/hubfs/AcornLogo_Horizontal_FullColourWhite_1000px.png?width=200&height=45&name=AcornLogo_Horizontal_FullColourWhite_1000px.png)](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre?hsLang=en-au) - [Help Articles](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre/help-articles) - [Patch Notes](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre/patch-notes) - [Status](https://status.acorn.works/) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Help Articles](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre/help-articles) - [Patch Notes](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre/patch-notes) - [Status](https://status.acorn.works/) - English - Australia Show submenu for translations - [Contact Us](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre/kb-tickets/new) - [Customer Portal](https://support.acorn.works/tickets) Welcome to the Help Centre - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Acorn Help Centre](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre?hsLang=en-au) 2. [Help Articles](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre/help-articles?hsLang=en-au) 3. [Development Plans](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre/help-articles?hsLang=en-au#development-plans) 8 October 2026 # Create a Development Plan ## Set a goal, describe what success looks like, add Work, People and Learning steps, and publish your plan for your supervisor. **Development Plans series: Part 2 of 5** 1. [Development Plans Overview](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre/development-plans-overview?hsLang=en-au) 2. **Create a Development Plan** (you are here) 3. [Track and Complete Your Development Plan](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre/track-and-complete-your-development-plan?hsLang=en-au) 4. [Support Your Team's Development Plans (Supervisors)](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre/support-your-teams-development-plans?hsLang=en-au) 5. [Development Plans FAQ](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre/faq/development-plans?hsLang=en-au) This article walks you through creating a development plan, from setting a goal to publishing it for your supervisor. New to Development Plans? Start with [Development Plans Overview](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre/development-plans-overview?hsLang=en-au). ### Prepare first **Tip:** Take 30 minutes on your own first. Look back over your recent work and any assessment results, and jot down one to five things you'd like to get better at. If you haven't had an assessment, ask yourself what went well this year, what felt hard and what you want to be trusted with next. ### If your organisation uses Capabilities: start from your assessment 1. Go to **My Learning** \> **My Capability** \> **Capability Assessment**. The **My Rating** chart shows three dots per capability: **Self** (your rating), **Supervisor** (your supervisor's) and **Assigned** (the level set for you). Hover over a capability to see levels and dates. ![e2-01](https://help.acorn.works/hs-fs/hubfs/e2-01.png?width=666&height=416&name=e2-01.png) 2. Look for where your ratings differ, and where what you want to grow overlaps with what your organisation needs this year. Haven't been assessed yet? Select **Start Self Reflection** on the same tab. ### Create your plan 1. Go to **My Learning** \> **My Development Plans** and select **Create a development plan**. If you don't have a plan yet, you'll see **Start your first development plan**. ![e1-01](https://help.acorn.works/hs-fs/hubfs/e1-01.png?width=670&height=419&name=e1-01.png) 2. **With Capabilities only:** on **Which capability do you want to grow?**, choose a capability from **Assigned to you** or **Your interests**. - **Now** is your most recent assessed level. If your supervisor has assessed you, it uses their rating. - Under **How far do you want to grow it?**, choose your target. You can only pick a level above **now**. - If your goal is broader than one capability, choose **Not tied to a specific capability**. ![e2-02](https://help.acorn.works/hs-fs/hubfs/e2-02.png?width=592&height=370&name=e2-02.png) ![e2-03](https://help.acorn.works/hs-fs/hubfs/e2-03.png?width=670&height=419&name=e2-03.png) 3. On **What do you want to get better at?**, describe your goal in your own words. To set a date, select **Add target date (optional)**. Then select **Continue**. ![e1-03](https://help.acorn.works/hs-fs/hubfs/e1-03.png?width=670&height=419&name=e1-03.png) **Tip:** Keep it to one to three goals. Start with one and add more as you go. 4. On **What will success look like?**, describe what would be different once you've got there. Then select **Continue**. ![e1-04](https://help.acorn.works/hs-fs/hubfs/e1-04.png?width=670&height=419&name=e1-04.png) **Tip:** Describe success as something others would notice. For example: "I run the kick-off, plan and weekly check-ins without needing the engagement lead in the room." 5. On **How will you get there?**, select **Add your first step**. In the **Add your own step** panel: - Choose a category under **How will you develop this?**. - Pick a **Format** and fill in **Name this step**. - Optionally, use **Add a description (optional)** to say how you'll do it, and add a target date. - Select **Add step**. ![e1-05](https://help.acorn.works/hs-fs/hubfs/e1-05.png?width=670&height=605&name=e1-05.png) **Tip:** Keep the step name short, and use the description for the two or three things you'll actually do and what "done" looks like. 6. **With Capabilities only:** this screen can also suggest up to five pieces of learning content tagged to your capability at the level assigned to you. Select **+** on a suggestion to add it. Suggested steps keep their catalogue title and are added without a description. ![e2-05b](https://help.acorn.works/hs-fs/hubfs/e2-05b.png?width=670&height=419&name=e2-05b.png) 7. Select **Continue**. Acorn saves your plan as a **Private draft** that only you can see, named with today's date (for example, 20261001). Select the pencil (**Edit Name**) to give it a meaningful name. ![e1-06](https://help.acorn.works/hs-fs/hubfs/e1-06.png?width=670&height=660&name=e1-06.png) **Please note:** Your plan is only saved when you select **Continue** on **How will you get there?**. If you leave before then, you'll start again next time. It takes about five minutes, so it's worth finishing in one sitting. ### Step categories | Category | What it covers | | --- | --- | | **Work** | Learning on the job, such as a project, stretch assignment, secondment, or leading or presenting something | | **People** | Learning from others, such as mentoring, coaching, job shadowing or a community of practice | | **Learning** | Courses and other content. Choose **Search the full catalogue**, or **Add one yourself** for anything outside it, such as an external course, a book or a podcast | **Tip:** Mix Work, People and Learning. Most people learn on the job, so aim for mostly Work, some People and a smaller share of Learning. ### Add more goals and steps - Select **Add another goal**. A panel opens where you describe the goal and what success looks like. With Capabilities, each goal can grow a different capability. ![e2-10](https://help.acorn.works/hs-fs/hubfs/e2-10.png?width=670&height=419&name=e2-10.png) - Select **Add your own step** to add more steps, giving each one a description. ![e1-07](https://help.acorn.works/hs-fs/hubfs/e1-07.png?width=670&height=419&name=e1-07.png) - To add or change a description later, select the step's **...** menu, then **Edit step**, then **Add a description (optional)**. ![e2-09a](https://help.acorn.works/hs-fs/hubfs/e2-09a.png?width=670&height=419&name=e2-09a.png) With Capabilities, **My Development Plans** also shows **Capabilities you're developing** (across your active plans) and **Capabilities you could grow next** (mapped to your role but not in a plan yet). ### Publish your plan 1. When you're ready for your supervisor to see your plan, select **Publish**, then confirm in the **Publish plan?** dialog. ![e2-09a](https://help.acorn.works/hs-fs/hubfs/e2-09a.png?width=670&height=419&name=e2-09a.png) 2. A **You're published** banner appears, and **Private draft** changes to **Visible to** followed by your supervisor's name. ![e1-09b](https://help.acorn.works/hs-fs/hubfs/e1-09b.png?width=670&height=854&name=e1-09b.png) Don't see a **Publish** button? You need a supervisor set up in Acorn. See [Development Plans FAQ](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre/faq/development-plans?hsLang=en-au). --- **Next: [Track and Complete Your Development Plan](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre/track-and-complete-your-development-plan?hsLang=en-au)** Once your plan is published, here's how to keep it moving. Previous: [Development Plans Overview](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre/development-plans-overview?hsLang=en-au) **Development Plans series: part 2 of 5** 1. [Development Plans Overview](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre/development-plans-overview?hsLang=en-au) 2. **Create a Development Plan** (you are here) 3. [Track and Complete Your Development Plan](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre/track-and-complete-your-development-plan?hsLang=en-au) 4. [Support Your Team's Development Plans (Supervisors)](https://help.acorn.works/help-centre/support-your-teams-development-plans?hsLang=en-au) 5. 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