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Definition: The project plan is a formal, approved document used to manage project execution. The project schedule lists planned dates for performing activities and meeting milestones identified in the project plan.
There are many ways to organize and present the project plan, but it commonly includes all of the following:
• Project charter
• Description of the project management approach or strategy
• Scope statement, which includes the project objectives and the project deliverables
• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to the level at which control will be exercised, as a baseline scope document
• Cost estimates, start and finish dates, and responsibility assignments for each deliverable within the WBS to the level at which control will be exercised
• Performance measurement baselines for technical scope, schedule, and cost
• Major milestones and target dates for each
• Key or required staff and their expected cost and/effort
• Risk management plan
• Subsidiary management plans, namely:
• Scope management plan
• Schedule management plan
• Cost management plan
• Quality management plan
• Staffing management plan
• Communications management plan
• Risk response plan
• Procurement management plan
• Open issues and pending decisions.
Other planning outputs should be included in the formal plan, based upon the needs of the individual project.
Alternative or Related Terms: Project Planning
Acceptance Level: Generally accepted
Application Areas/Intended Uses: Any major project
Chief Advantages: Primary uses of the project plan are to document planning assumptions and decisions, facilitate communication among stakeholders, and document approved scope, cost, and schedule baselines.
Additional Reading:
A Planning Revolution. Cate Heneghan. PMI 1999 Seminars & Symposium Proceedings,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA.
Don't Just Show Me Your Work Plan, Tell Me Your Story! Doug Teany. April 2000, 67-68.
Evaluation and Application of a Project Charter Template to Improve the Project Planning Process. Project Management Journal, March 2000, 14-23.
Implementation Planning: The Critical Step. David Blumenthal and Ray Stoddard. PM Network, October 1999, 80-86.
Optimizing Project Plan Decisions. John Schuyler. PM Network, March 2000, 65-68.
Planning and Managing Multiple Projects. David B. Berry. PM Network, November 1999, 49, 51-53.
Planning Concurrency and Managing Iteration in Projects. Stephen Denker, Donald Steward,
and Tyson Browning. Project Management Journal, September 2001, 31-38.
Planning: Too Little, Too Much . . Just Right! [Team Works] Paula Martin and Karen Tate.PM Network, February 1999, 17.
Project Planning: Frequently Asked Questions—Part 1 [Power Practices] Neal Whitten. PM Network, September 2000, 23.
Project Planning: Frequently Asked Questions—Part 2 [Power Practices] Neal Whitten. PM Network, October 2000, 21.
What's in a Project Plan? [Team Works] Paula Martin and Karen Tate. PM Network, April 2000, 33.
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