Project Management

Creating the Plan

There are a number of different approaches to project planning.

Planning Approaches

	Where parts of the project are similar to other previous projects in the organisation, use the experience of those projects to produce a task list. This is the normal method of project planning.
	Where some of the project's outputs are in the form of objects or reports, build phases and tasks from the structure of the objects or reports, so that each set of tasks and outputs delivers a component of the result. This is the PRINCE method method of project planning and is similar to the method used in an engineering environment.
	Where the project output has been expressed in the form of clearly recognisable events, imagine that the events have successfully occurred and ask, “What were the key things we did that led to this successful outcome?” Put these in the plan as milestones, and then for each milestone ask, “How are we going to achieve that?” to drive out tasks. This is usually described as the reverse planning method.

Refining the Plan

	Remove any tasks that do not directly produce a tangible result, e.g. tasks using the verbs “consider”, “review”, “think about”, “report”. These are indications that the plan is more detailed than it needs to be.
	Consider removing any tasks that dictate how the work is to be done where there are likely to be several different successful ways of getting the result. If the plan dictates how tasks are to be done rather than what they are to produce it has become a guidance note and is probably too detailed for a plan. Tasks should describe their outcomes.
	List the milestones and tasks into the project planning tool. Assemble them into sets that can be performed concurrently with minimum interdependence between sets.
	For each task, allocate the resources assigned to carry out the tasks and note the new dependencies over contention for shared resources.
	Add the start and finish dates (see Estimating guideline)
	Check the common sense of the plan.
	Consider any innovative approaches to delivering the results that give a sufficient margin of contingency.
	The plan should be regularly revisited and re-planned in the light of progress and at any “time-out” points.

Project Plan

There are a number of software tools for project management that are designed to help managers to plan and monitor the progress of a project. They all support the planning steps described above.

Here is an example of a Project Plan

Click on the picture above to download a full size version

Click	Refer to -
	Planning Principle

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