Before the doing part of any project, it is imperative that the details of what, why, how, who, when etc are addressed, and clear plans, responsibilities and actions are developed, agreed & communicated...
Phase 2: Planning
The planning phase is critical to success and often the bit that is glanced over when a Project Management approach isn’t adopted. All too often, there is a tendency to jump straight into the doing, either because it makes us feel good to believe we’re making progress, or due to urgency, there is no time for “fancy plans”. However, later in the project, this leads to inefficient use of resource, fire fighting, uncoordinated effort, being blind-sided, or forgetting something important. To avoid this, the assertiveness & experience of the Project Manager is critical to allow for the appropriate level of planning. This phase also brings the project team together, introducing it to the challenge, and getting involved in establishing the issues and solutions. It promotes buy-in, a critical aspect to any change programme.
The plan will contain levels of details appropriate to the project. It may include such items as:
- Task List
- Schedule & Milestones
- Budget Breakdown
- Reporting Mechanisms
- Roles & Responsibilities
- Risk Assessment
- Contingency Plan
To develop the project plan, a common approach is for the Project Team to come together to brainstorm key aspects, using the Charter as the principal input. The resultant draft plan is discussed with the Sponsor, amended as required and agreed. Communication of the final plan to the team and wider organisation ensures general understanding, awareness and commitment. The plan is the route map to the project objective, and is the key reference point in reporting progress during the Implementation phase.