The Components of a Project Plan

Project planning worksheets can be in any format.

Developing a project plan is the first stage in any project as the plan contains critical information on how the project should be run efficiently. It provides everyone involved in the project with visibility and control of items due as well as the budget at various project stages. Project plans are most often used for large implementation projects and process improvements, but they are useful for all sizes and types of projects.

Roles and Responsibilities

Define all the roles and responsibilities of team members, providing a detailed breakdown of who is responsible for the steps necessary to complete the project. This should further be broken down to include the detailed tasks, the critical milestones in the projects and associated deadlines.

Resources and Budget

Compile a list of all the physical resources needed to complete the project along with their required quantities and costs. These costs along with the labor hours required to complete the project should be included in the budget. The budget should also take into consideration any risk factors that could increase the overall cost and hours necessary to complete the project

Quality Assessment/Monitoring

Assess the quality of the project/output at every critical point to ensure that the project objectives and deadlines are met without compromising quality. The process of monitoring the project while it is ongoing and during any transitional period should be documented. The periods or intervals for which the quality checks are applicable should also be included in the project plan.

References

• Process Impact: The Project Initiation Resource Page
• PM Hut: The Project Plan

Resources

• CIO: Chief Information Officers Publication
• Project Management Institute