Individual Development Plan (IDP) Template
A skills-based IDP that sets target levels with evidence and ties them to a real internal move. Write the plan once, then track whether the skill actually moved.
Reviewed by Pradeep Arora, Chief Strategy Officer
- Skill-level goals with a current level, a target level and the evidence that proves it
- Actions mapped to the 70-20-10 model, so growth is mostly on the job
- Each plan tied to a named internal-mobility move or next role
- An IDP progress matrix that shows movement per person across development areas
What is inside
- A five-section IDP template: development goals, current versus target level, 70-20-10 actions, timeline and review, and the internal-mobility move each plan unlocks.
- A current-versus-target layout that sets a proficiency level per skill and names the evidence that proves the target is reached.
- A 70-20-10 action planner that splits growth into on-the-job work, coaching and formal learning.
- An IDP progress matrix that scores each person across their development areas and shows where movement has and has not happened.
Who it is for
Anyone who has to plan what people learn, and answer for whether it landed.
- L&D and training teams
- People managers and team leads
- Heads of function and department
- HR business partners
- Compliance and risk teams
- Onboarding and enablement teams
- Operations and delivery leads
- COOs and HR directors
How to use this template in 4 steps
- Pick your format. Download the PDF to share, the Word file to edit, or the Excel file to work in live. All three are free.
- Make it yours. Adapt the sections, fields and wording to your team, roles and process so it fits how you actually work.
- Put it to work. Fill it in, circulate it to stakeholders for sign-off, or roll it out to your team.
- Track and improve. Review it on a set cadence and refine it as your goals, roles and priorities change.
What is inside
- A five-section IDP template: development goals, current versus target level, 70-20-10 actions, timeline and review, and the internal-mobility move each plan unlocks.
- A current-versus-target layout that sets a proficiency level per skill and names the evidence that proves the target is reached.
- A 70-20-10 action planner that splits growth into on-the-job work, coaching and formal learning.
- An IDP progress matrix that scores each person across their development areas and shows where movement has and has not happened.
Adapt the skills, proficiency scale and mobility moves to your own roles and competency framework. This is a starting structure to shape around your organisation, not HR, legal or promotion-policy advice, so align it with your own talent and performance process.
The IDP template structure
Five sections make up each plan. Every IDP you write in the template captures all of them, so a development conversation always ends with a specific, trackable plan rather than a list of courses.
| IDP section | Why it is there | Format | What it captures |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Development goals | Sets the direction | Short list | The two or three skills to grow, chosen from the move the person is working toward. |
| 2. Current vs target level | Makes it measurable | Scored rows | The current proficiency level, the target level, and the evidence that will prove it. |
| 3. Actions (70-20-10) | Makes it happen | Planner | On-the-job stretch work, coaching and feedback, and formal learning, weighted 70-20-10. |
| 4. Timeline and review | Keeps it moving | Calendar | Milestone dates and the review cadence when levels and evidence get updated. |
| 5. Mobility move | Gives it a purpose | One line | The named next role, lateral move or stretch assignment the growth unlocks. |
Because the plan is skills-based, an LMS can assign the on-the-job and formal actions, capture the evidence, and report the level reached per person, so a review is a two-minute export rather than a memory test.
The IDP quality checklist
Ten checks the manager and employee run before an IDP is signed off. Tick items to track your own review, it stays in this browser. The download has the same list with an owner column.
- Plan is anchored to a named next role or movePurposeEvery IDP
- Each goal names a specific skill, not a topicGoalsEvery IDP
- A current level is recorded on the proficiency scaleLevelsEvery IDP
- A target level and target date are setLevelsEvery IDP
- Evidence is defined for each target levelEvidenceEvery IDP
- Most actions sit in the 70 and 20, not just the 10ActionsEvery IDP
- Each action has an owner and a due dateActionsEvery IDP
- Review dates are booked, not left openCadenceEvery IDP
- The employee co-authored and agreed the planOwnershipEvery IDP
- Manager has signed off the planGovernanceEvery IDP
The most common gap is evidence. A target level with no proof attached is a hope, not a plan, and at review nobody can agree whether it was met.
IDP progress at a glance
The checklist tells you if one plan is well built. This matrix tells you whether skills are actually moving. Score each person on their development areas, from no movement to target reached. In Excel the progress and gaps calculate as you type.
| Employee | Move | Core skill | Stretch skill | Leadership | Domain depth | Tools | Ready |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Okafor | Team lead | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| B. Nguyen | Senior IC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 80% |
| C. Alvarez | Specialist | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 50% |
| D. Kapoor | Lateral move | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 50% |
| E. Fischer | New starter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10% |
| Coverage at required | 60% | 20% | 20% | 40% | 60% | 58% |
E. Fischer is the exposure here: no movement on any area yet, so this plan needs actions started now, while A. Okafor has reached every target and is ready for the move.
The IDP review calendar
| Timing | Action | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| At kickoff | Agree goals, set current and target levels, and book every review date. | Manager and employee |
| Monthly | Quick check on the 70 and 20 actions, and unblock anything stalled. | Manager |
| Quarterly | Update levels reached and evidence, and adjust actions that are not working. | Manager and employee |
| On evidence earned | Record the proof, mark the level reached and confirm the target. | Employee |
| Before a mobility move | Confirm the target levels are met and evidenced for the next role. | HR and manager |
| Annual | Full review, close the plan or roll it into the next set of goals. | Manager and employee |
How to use it
- Anchor the plan to a next role or move
Start from where the person wants to go, so the skills you pick are the ones that unlock it.
- Set a current and a target level per skill
Use your proficiency scale, not a vague goal, so progress is measurable from the start.
- Define the evidence for each target
Name what will prove the level is reached: a project, a sign-off, an assessment or a demonstrated behaviour.
- Plan actions across 70-20-10
Weight most actions to on-the-job work and coaching, with formal learning as the smaller share.
- Book the review cadence upfront
Put the check-in dates in now, so the plan is reviewed on a schedule and not forgotten.
- Track level movement, not activity
At each review, update the level reached and the evidence, and adjust the actions that are not working.
Disprz drives up to 50 percent gains in productivity and engagement when development is specific, on the job and tracked, which is exactly what this template is built to make an IDP.
Common mistakes this template prevents
- A plan that lists courses to attend but never names a target skill level.
- Goals with no evidence, so at review nobody can agree whether they were met.
- Every action booked as formal training, ignoring the on-the-job 70 where most growth happens.
- A plan with no link to a real next role, so it never feels worth finishing.
- Review dates left open, so the IDP is written once and never looked at again.
Which format should you use?
| Format | Best for | What is inside | Editable | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharing and print | The full template, formatted to print or circulate | No | 54 KB | |
| Word | Editing the wording | Every section as editable text you can adapt | Yes | 86 KB |
| Excel | Filling it in live | The grid and fields set up as a working spreadsheet | Yes | 65 KB |
Questions people ask
What is an individual development plan (IDP)?
How is an IDP different from an employee development plan?
What is the 70-20-10 model in the actions section?
Can I adapt the template and proficiency scale?
Do I have to fill the form three times?
A development plan is only real if the skill actually moves. That is the part we run.
Bring your IDPs to a 30-minute working session. We will show how Disprz assigns the on-the-job and formal actions, captures the evidence, and rolls skill-level movement up by person and team, so a growth conversation is backed by data, not memory.