- Posted by Okechukwu Anosike on September 30, 2009
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Purpose
The first stage of ANY project which has been authorised should be to develop a plan for the project. This should NEVER be skipped.
The plan should state what is required to be done, by who, and by when. The plan should ultimately be one of the main project tools for assessing/ checking progress, and should be taken to all reviews. Planning begins here but will continue throughout the remainder of the project.
This may seem like one of the most daunting stages. The approach described here may seem long winded. BUT it is critical, and it won’t take as long as you might think.
These guidelines are designed to provide direction in a step-by-step manner. Following these will ensure that there is a standardised approach to the way we all plan.
Note: The plan should be one of the most important sources of information for others about the project, both during and after the project. The plan is a snap shot of information including: what stages or tasks are/ were involved in completing the project, during what times the project took place, who worked on the project etc…
Overview
It is not possible to plan every last detail at this stage. A top down approach is needed. First of all think about the project specification, and consider the level of detail this plan should reflect.
The plans should include the following sections:
1. PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
This is almost like a contract, the opening statement of the project plan, and is the section which should be signed off. Much of the content may be included in the project specification, the aim is to add detail where needed. If a good project specification has been generated, this should speed things up rapidly.
This plan should include:
An introduction and summary
Organisational Structure & Stakeholders
Project Plan (Overview)
Work Breakdown Structure Overview
Schedule and Statement of the work
Communications Plan
Statements of commitments and acceptance.
A template exists for the generation of this plan.
NOTE: The project manager “owns” this document, and should update it accordingly. This should be signed off by the Project Manager and Department Manager (Sponsor) as a minimum.
2. PROJECT PLAN
The next level of detail down is the “Project Plan”. Here we start to consider and record more detail:
Key “Project/Management Stages” i.e. stages of the project.
Key milestones and decision points.
Costs for each stage.
Overall Costs
Resource for each stage
3. PROJECT/MANAGEMENT STAGES
Considering a project in stages is an important planning mechanism:
Easier to consider a large project in smaller stages.
Each stage may subsequently be planned separately but forms part of the same project plan.
There are TWO ways to think about this:
A. PRODUCT BASED
This is particularly useful for large projects. It may not be necessary for those which are smaller. In which case look at part B.
Work Backwards
What is to be produced?
State/ describe this CLEARLY!
What other things have to be produced? Again be clear.
This should prompt Milestones
How do the products have to be produced?
Consider the flow of the Products
i. What product comes next?
ii. What products depend on others?
iii. A flow diagram might help.
Move onto B.
B. ACTIVITY BASED
Start from the beginning and consider what activities need to be carried out.
If you have considered a Product Based approach, start with the first product.
Produce a list of Activities (in MS Project) by considering:
i. What needs to be done?
ii. What comes next?
iii. Who will do what?
Ensure the list includes:
a. ID
b. Activity name
c. Duration
d. Dependencies (if known)
e. Resource Requirements
4. SCHEDULING (MS Project)
You should have a list of activities and possibly products.
Understand the order of the work breakdown – what needs to be done in what order, dependencies etc…
Consider and set the working days and holidays etc…
Do you need to work
Forwards – Establish How Long
Backwards – Work to a SET date.
Consider how long will be required to complete each activity.
Be realistic
Not everything can be done in parallel
Think about what resources are available.
Resource Scheduling
Who will be needed?
Special skills
Particular Number of people
It is critical to clearly communicate this element!
Critical Path –
This is the path of activities which determines the end date. Any slip along this line will affect that end date. The planner should also be aware of other activities, particularly when these are close to the critical path.
5. COMMUNICATION PLAN
This plan details the types, methods and schedule for communication to the project stakeholders. It is a good idea to include the scheduled items in the Gantt Chart.
Look at the Stakeholder Matrix
Establish their information needs in relation to the Project Plan.
Consider the following:
Reports:
o What reports?
o By Who?
o To Who?
o How Often?
Meetings:
o What meetings?
o Who?
o When?
o How Frequently?
o What Outcomes? Agenda?
Methods:
o How to communicate unplanned activities, emergencies etc…
Documentation and Storage:
o Specifiy where.
o Specific requirements?
o Templates.
TIPS and GUIDELINES:
Each project manager, and team will have their own subtly different approach to producing project plans, even if the above is taken into account. The tips bellow give some more specific pointers for creating the Gantt Chart, one of the most important parts of the project plan.
Specific Guidelines on Creating a Project Gantt Chart
The following summarises the main guidelines for generating a standard project plan. Many of these are already incorporated into the Project Plan Template:
• The file name should be the project number i.e. PD……. + “iss1” etc…
• Use size 12 text – Futura Lt BT
• Column Headings:
1. ID
2. Task Name
3. Duration
4. Start Date
5. Finish Date
6. % Complete
7. Resource
• The first task should always be the Project Heading – Including project number
• All subsequent Activities or tasks should be indented by at least one, such that the overall project time can be easily seen.
Activities: The following activities may help when defining project management stages, and scheduling.
Kick off meeting
• Research Inputs
• List inputs – Milestone – Linked to documents
• Construct and review specification.
• Implementation Activities.
• Reviews (regular intervals)
• Documentation
• Refinement
• Final Review
• Etc…
• Tasks should be grouped accordingly, and where these are a subtask of another, these should be tabbed by at least one.
• Tasks should continue in chronological order where possible. This will not always be possible e.g. sub tasking takes priority. Many tasks are in parallel.
• Always confirm duration except for exceptional circumstances. Be as accurate as possible.. REMEMBER the plan is not expected to be an exact account of what will happen and will be updated as the project moves on.
• At the end of the project plan list any other parties who are involved in the project, even if they are simply the customer. This will help with traceability, and should make the plan a one stop shop for retrieving information on the project.
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Category: General Engineering, Project Engineering
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