Professional Documents
Culture Documents
3.5.1
In all br"rt the srnallest projects the project manager should prepare a fttmral set
<>f
document.s called the project plan. Llsually key members of the prospective proiect
team n'ill help in the preparation. The purpose of this set of docurnents i.s t()
colnmunicate the project manager's intentkrns to its various readcrs.
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As the proiect plan has these three distinct readersl'rips there may be sorne parts of it
n4rich are specific to certain people, such as c<lnficiential secticlns firr managerlent,
but v''e will ignore these minor differences between versions here.
The project plan is usually developed in at least tw() stages and passes througl-r
several drafts as it evolves. Before the project is sancti<tncd by tlte client the plan is
initially required in outline form to gain the sup[)()rt of senior rranagement and tcr
establish the client's confidence. (Initial clrafts rnay be used firr consr-rltation.) \Where
a client invites bids the quality of the plans prcsentecl by bicldcrs will often be an
important factor in the client's decision on whorn to appoint. Afier the project ha.s
been sanctioned tnore detail may be aclclecl tcl the plan as decisions are taken and
uncertainties resolved, so that an initial version can be used as a s()urce of guidance
to the rnclnhers of tlre pr()iect te:rnl.
During the project the plan should be regularly updated to reflecr developmenrs
which were either unfcrreseen at tl-re launch r>r for whicl-r insufficient informatir>n
was available or which were simply too far ahead to be w<trth planning in detail.
Technical plan
Quality and management
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5
6
7
8
Resourcres
Project sc-l-redule
content of each of these eight sections is cctnsicletrecl in lll()re cletuil belorv. Tl-re
relationship betn.een the r,'ari<tus docuntents in tl-re plan is .shrlwn in Figttrc i 32
The
business oblecttves
clrent's obtectives
prolect proposal
prolect oblectives
project definition
c)
G
PROJECT PLAN
responsibility matrix
wpl
wp2
wp3
work package
definitions
res0urces
schedules
materials
requirement
schedule
-c
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network
-c
wp1
wp2
wp3
estimates
and cost
plan and
other plans
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Overview or summary
The overview or summary should cover all the essentials in brief. It is a useful
introduction to help people reading the plan discern the plan's main structure before
examining all the particulars. Some people call this an executiue summary, based on
tl-re notion that a busy executive at the top level will want to spend only a few
minutes getting a feel for the project rather than studying all the details. The main
points to be summaized are:
the project's objectives, including the top level of the work breakdown
structure
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All these points receive detailed attention in the body of the plan.
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that a number of options will be proposed. Not everyone will be clear about the
status of these options if they have been abandoned or deferred. Stating clear
limitations on the scope of the present project will avoid later disappointment and
recriminations.
There may be other aspects of the contract that need to be highlighted. For example,
it may have been specified that the work uses particular equipment or named
subcontractors and that certain standards are to be adhered to. These contractual
aspects should be referred to in the project plan.
Technical plan
The technical plan covers the main technical features of the proiect. There are
usually references to requirements, specifications, system diagrams, site plans, tools,
techniques, support functions, standards and other documents according to the
nature of the project being undertaken. The level of detailed design required should
also be specified: for example, whether it is proposed to purchase or subcontract
large modules or to undertake detailed design in-house.
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part of the plan addresses the issue of how the project is to be managed to
the quality expected by the client and the contractor. It will describe, for
example, the systems to be used for accounting, authorizing work, change control,
the use of configuration management, liaison with the client, reporting and review
procedures and safery. (Some of the systems and standards to be employed may be
specified in the contract.) A standard methodology such as PRINCE may be specified
achieve
for
organizations prepare a separate plan, called the quality plan, which gathers
together in a single document all the activities that are deemed to relate specifically
to maintaining the quality of the project, as opposed to tl-rose activities essential to
project performance. These quality activities concentrate particularly on the
maintenance of standards and the testing of deliverables against those standards.
(Here we will assume that in the same way that quality is to be built into the proiect,
so the qualiry activities will be part of the proiect plans, but they could be contained
in a separate document.)
Some
form that quality planning takes will depend to a large extent on the quality
environment in the contractor's organization. In an organizatioo which has already
developed quality procedures for performing projects the existing quality tnanual
will already lay down the way in which the proiect is to be managed. The quality
manual, for example, defines what is to be contained in the proiect plan itself! The
quality document will be devoted to considering whether any of those procedures
are not applicable to the current proiect or need modification.
The
how quality criteria will be set for assessing the adequacy of each piece of
work
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designing higl'r-speed clrive systems'). If the pcoplc arc n()t namecl thcn it is als<t
appropriate to sav whe-re they will corne fi<>m, hon'they rvill be recrllitecl, $'hat
training thev l'ill require, ancl $'hen they will be needed.
Project schedule
This section descriltcs tl're schech-rlc of thc project in the fortns that yclr.t havc' sttrcliccl
in detail in Scclions 3.J anci 3.+. It shor.rlcl describe tl'rc main pha.scs of the pr<lject
rrncl highlight all tl"re key milestoncs. tlsually Gantt charts are ttscd in prc.senting
pl:rns such a.s this because n()n-experts find them easy t() u.se, ltut netw()rks are als<r
appropriate if thc auclience is likely t() Llnderstand thern. The use of activity-<tnarr()\\' ()r activity-()n-noclc $.'ill usually depend n()t ()n the relutivc merits <tf the
techniclues but on their fhmiliarity t<l the ttsers of tlte plan.
project, incltrcling m()ney, people and services. The recluirernc'nt.s for these resources
sl-roulcl sholn' not <tnly tl-re t()tal resollrce reqr-rired but also the clistributi<tn of the
requirement over tirne. For example, the total project buclgct r-uay be.t1 million br-rt
that surn is n<X reqr.rired at the .start c>f the pnrject. The' financial planners will r"'ant t<r
knon-the requirements fcrr cash, prr>bably in monthly or quarterly perir>ds, s() that
tl're cesh can be rnade available at tl-re right tirne. (Provision of cash unnecessarily
earlv cc>sts rnoney.)
Ant>ther subject that may be acldressecl in tl'ris section of the plan is the casl'r flol,'
plan. Given a schedule for the work and estilnates of the cost of cach clernent it is
possible to calculate the cumulative cash outflorv arising fion'r the vn'ork. It is normal
in a project of .some size for the client t() pay the c()ntract()r at stages th(rughor-rt the
pnrject. These stage payments are usually agreecl to bc clue at milcstones,
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being run and to be sure that the risks will be under regular sun eillance so that
corective action can be taken at the earliest possible time. The prcparati()n ()f the
dsk management plan is a necessary stimulus to the proiect manager to take
precautions again.st the dangers. (At tl-ris point, many proiect managers aclvocate
setting up a risk register for use in monitclring risks; however, thi.s does not [<rrm part
of the project plan.)
risks
1tber components
The
of tbe plan
plan outlined abclve shr>ws the core c()rrlp()ncnts n4rich are necessary ftrr
almost
on matters which do not seem t() fit tidily into this structLlre. In a hazardous
environment you n-right want an entire section dealing rvith .safety nlatter.s and for a
computer system you often need a security plan.
plans
Ve do not present the structure outlined above as a universul formr.tla bltt :rs a
guideline to a minirnal set of t<-rpics which the project plan sl-rrtulcl aclciress.
SAQ 3.29
ACTIVITY 3.4
Consider y()ur ()\vn prr>ject ancl take n()tc.s ()n y()ur answers to these qllestions.
'Was there a d<>cument or documents available to the pr()iect team that yotr
can identifv as the ft)rmal plan f<rr the project-/
Are there elernents within the above ciescriotion that vou think were
missing from the plans in your project?
'Why do you think this rnigl-rt have been so? Do you think it would have
been useful if these missing secti()ns hacl been included?
Conversely, were there section.s in your project plan that we have not
tl-rought t() menti()n that you think r.vcluld lrc of benefit in any pr<tiect plan?
ACTIVITY 3.5
Take notes ()n y()ur answers to the ftrll<tu'ing.
In your proiect
project plan?
l'ork
If there R'as a such a standard, colnpare it s,ith the outline rve have given
above. If nclt. consider whether the intr()duction of a stanclarcl r.vctulcl be
hencficiel
t( )
y()ur organizelion.
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3.5.3 Summary
This section has outlined the requirement for a formal proiect plan, initially to be
prepared by the project manager before the project is sanctioned and subsequently
to be amplified and updated. Versions may be required for senior management, the
client and the project team. The main topics to be addressed in this plan are:
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prepare such a plan for a project with which you are familiar, using documents
you have developed during the planning and estimating phases of your work.