Planning a project - many ways to skin the cat
Project planning is more than a Gannt Chart and more than just a document. This is the first in a series of articles covering project planning.
Project planning is the core of what project managers do. A common misunderstanding is that people think the project schedule is the plan when in fact project plan includes a lot of other components that provide the framework of the project. This article will be the start of a series of articles on planning a project. It will provide a wide overview of project planning before we dive into its components and activities.
Why do we plan?
Some people are good at planning and some aren’t good at them. That’s ok. Planning and organising is a skill that can be developed. Before we even go down this rabbit hole of project planning, why do we even need a plan?
It may seem an obvious question but let’s spell it out. Without a project plan, we may face the following consequences:
Unclear objectives and what benefits we’re delivering
Overconfidence in delivering
Bedlam during the project execution
Low morale when things don’t get delivered
With a project plan, we eliminate or reduce uncertainty, have a clear understanding of the objectives, improve the efficiency of the project and provide a framework to monitor and control the project1.
Approaches to planning
There are different approaches to planning. It’s dependent on the framework or methodology that you and your organisation use. Your approach needs to take into consideration how your organisation governs projects and the culture of project management.
But when you cut down to the basics, regardless of methodology, what you need to plan for are:
What are the outcomes and requirements?
When do you need to deliver?
How much money have you got?
Who are my stakeholders and how will I manage them?
What are my risks, issues and dependencies?
Five questions to answer, simple right? Unfortunately, it can be neither simple nor easy. Project planning may be straightforward in a smaller company, but the culture makes it difficult. In large organisations, project planning can be complex but a high- performing culture can make it straight forward. As you can see there are variables to consider.
The governance process for the organisation may also be a constraint that you need to work through. There may be stage gates and documentation that you need to satisfy. Or there may be no governance process for you to worry about. But that doesn’t mean that you can forgo planning. As a project manager, you need to have a process that you go through to plan your project. You can refer to a methodology like PMBOK or Prince2 or have your own personal checklist that you go through.
Components of a project plan
There is a difference between a project plan and a project schedule. Most people are looking for a project schedule when they mention a project plan. A project schedule gives you a visual of the tasks - the start and end dates, sequence and dependencies. A project plan provides the framework of the project. The PMBOK knowledge areas provide a good start for what goes into a project plan.
Again depending on your organisation, they may provide a guidance or template on what needs to be included in a project plan. Some may require additional information and processes.
Other organisations may have no guidance or template at all. In those cases, a lightweight documentation may be sufficient. Have a chat with other project delivery personnel in the organisation to understand what is done and review documentation of previous projects.
It isn’t the plan itself that is important, it’s the planning process that the project team goes through that is important. This creates understanding, alignment and creates a shared vision. Planning a project is a whole team approach and not just done by the project manager.
“Plans are worthless, planning is everything” - Dwight Eisenhower
In general, a project plan includes the following:
Purpose and background
Objectives
Scope (including what is out of scope if required)
Constraints, Assumptions and Dependencies
Work breakdown structure
Schedule and milestones
Budget
Cost-benefit assessment
Risk and Issues log
Risk management framework
Quality management
Resource estimates and allocation
Change control process
Project organisation
Stakeholders list and roles and responsibilities
Communication plan
Vendor management plan (if you have vendors)
Approvals and sign-off
If your organisation, do not have some of these components, you will need to consider them and have a lightweight process. For example, your organisation may not have a formal change control process. As the project manager, you will need a way to manage changes and scope to the project otherwise it can derail your project. This can be documented and agreed with the stakeholders and project team.
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”
The above quote by Benjamin Franklin has become cliche. But it’s a valuable insight. The reality is that project plans get impacted and changed by the reality of the work environment. So don’t get too attached to it.
It’s important to note that the project plan isn’t a set-and-forget deliverable. It is a living document and must be reviewed and updated as the project progresses and things change.
In the next sets of articles, we’ll step through the inputs and activities that are required for a plan.
Practice
Looking back to your last project, reflect on the planning process and how that went. What went well? What can be improved?
Write down the lessons learnt and develop a process or checklist that you can use for your next project planning.
Let me know what are some of your lessons learnt.
Quote
“Have a bias towards action – let’s see something happen now. You can break that big plan into small steps and take the first step right away.” – Indira Gandhi
This is a great quote. You can have the perfect plan but you need to take action.
Have a look at your plan, what action can you take right now to progress it?
Resources
The projectmanagement.com is a fantastic resource for project professionals. It is owned by the PMI. PMI membership will give you access to it. But you can register for a free account and get access to the free resources (templates, webinars and articles).
https://www.projectmanagement.com
My Resources
Below are some of my free resources if you’re new to project management.
Paid Resources
Simple and Effective Project Risk Management - for those new to project management. It will teach you what you need to know and get you started quickly.
p508 Project Management: A systems approach to Planning, Scheduling and Controlling, 11th ed, H.R. Kerzner PhD