Six tips on how to create a clear project plan

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Step 1: How to explain your project plan clearly to stakeholders

Your project plan is one of the most important elements yet the most misunderstood when it comes to project management.

A project plan is like your very own roadmap, guiding you through the project. An important note to make is how a project plan is forever changing. The plan you make at the start may not be the one you finish with, but learning to create a clear project plan and knowing how to discuss its key components is crucial to your project’s success.

Your project plan does not merely mean ‘project timeline.’ The timeline is one component of a project plan, however it contains a much deeper level of information concerning the entire planning process and all of its planning documents.  This needs to include specifications for the new project, budget, schedule, the risks involved, quality metrics, impacts, etc.

TIP: The necessary components of your project plan should include:

  • Baselines – Often referred to as ‘performance measures’ baselines are project’s three approved starting points; Scope, Schedule and Cost. You will need to set these baselines to determine whether or not the project is still on track during its execution.
  • Baseline management plans – such plans contain the necessary documentation detailing how variances will be tackled throughout the project. 
  • Other work products from the planning process should also be included - plans for risk management, quality, procurement, staffing and communications, for example.

In this gallery you will find a six-step approach to creating the perfect project plan. Each slide will take the project manager through how to build a clear roadmap for an IT project.

The next slide will show you how to define roles and responsibilities.

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