The project manager must have a project plan in order to successfully deliver a project. A project plan is similar to having a plan, budget, and map for a trip. This may be sufficient for a small trip or project like going to the corner shop. For commercial projects, however, a written document is necessary for efficient project delivery. The details of a project plan will vary depending on the project’s complexity and budget, but a minimum amount should be included:
Background / context, Ai this describes any important project work that has already been completed, the reasons for the project, and what policy, program, etc. Even though you will be the project manager, you should know the background of a project. This section is important for communication and to show continuity or reason for a project.
The objectives, Ai bullet points that outline what you want to achieve through the project. It is important that you remember that objectives and deliverables are different. Deliverables could include a report or a building being built. One objective might be to “design an air-conditioning unit for a building”, “construct a new 100-bed medical facility” or “understand the effect of X on our company”.
The key milestones and tasks. While the project plan doesn’t need to include a detailed Gantt Chart (which will be discussed in a subsequent post), it is important that the key milestones are clearly identified in the project plan. A Gantt Chart may be added as an attachment if necessary. Reduce your project to a smaller size so that there are fewer than 12 tasks for your project plan. A task could be “Preparation and delivery of draft reports to clients,Ai April & Ai May 2014”.
Resource allocation/responsibility ,Ai clearly state who is doing what and who is responsible for different tasks so this is agreed at the start of the project. This is not a fixed arrangement and could change as the project progresses. The task level must include the resource responsible for the task and the resource responsible for overseeing it. You will most likely be the project manager and be responsible for overseeing all tasks at a high-level. However, you may also have supervisors who will oversee the resource.
Budget,Ai is a high-level budget that shows the total dollars and how much will be spent on each task. The project plan is not the place you would normally track your budget. It does not need to be broken down into forecast monthly spend as suggested for a project tracker.
You may feel that the above documentation is unnecessary for your project. However, the project plan is an important document. The project plan should be completed and signed by all key stakeholders. This will establish a common framework for the project. The project plan allows you to review your project more thoroughly and identify potential problems early.
Software for Project Management
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