Project Plan Definition

 A Project Plan template is included in a separate file from this description.

Purpose 

The Project Plan formalizes the following: 

•         Agreement between the Employer, Interns, and Work Experience Advisor

•         Project purpose

•         Business and project goals and objectives

•         Scope and expectations

•         Roles and responsibilities

•         Assumptions and constraints

•         Quality Management approach

•         Project Management approach

•         Ground rules for the project 

Components

Each Project Plan component is essentially a work product resulting from subtasks. 

I.     Introduction 

            Purpose of the Plan 

State the purpose of the Project Plan.  Indicate in a short statement that the Plan will provide a definition of the project, including the business goals and objectives 

Background Information About the Project 

Briefly describe the project history.  Include information such as previous initiatives, business environment changes (may be related to competition, regulation, resource availability), and the impetus and rationale for the project.  Describe, in essence, how the project came about. 

II.       Goals and Objectives     

Business Goals and Objectives 

Goals and Objectives are defined as follows: 

Goal:

A goal is an aspiration of the company that states a direction in which the company will focus its efforts in support of its mission. 

Objective: 

Objectives are short-term targets (typically 12-24 months or less) of defined, measurable achievement. 

Project Goals and Objectives 

State the goals and objectives expected to be achieved as a result of implementing the project, and describe how meeting them will support the corporate objectives and goals.  Set project objectives by establishing why the project has been commissioned and what it is expected to achieve for the enterprise.  Identify the specific results to be realized and the benefits to be achieved.  Be certain to establish the time frame in which the objectives are expected to be met.  Define a visible method to monitor and measure progress in meeting the objectives. 

III.     Scope 

A clear and concise definition of scope is key to the success of any project.  Scope should describe from a quantitative perspective what is to be accomplished.  Its purpose is to aid in establishing realistic work plans, budgets, schedules, and expectations.  Should identified work arise that falls outside the defined scope, the Project Manager must either deem the work out of scope and defer it, or expand the scope of the project to include the work.  The latter choice would result in formal changes to the work plan, resource allocation, budget and/or schedule. 

Scope Definition 

State specifically what work will be done and which parts of the enterprise will and will not be included in the project. If the project is part of a phased approach, it may include deliverables from the previous stage and the scope defined by which objects will be further defined and developed. Focus on the components identified within the Project Plan Scope Definition. Define the scope of the project by determining which criteria constitutes maintenance of the product. This will prevent the occurrence of “scope creep” and never-ending projects. 

Project Products/Deliverables List 

This is the deliverable scope.  Project Products may include formal deliverables as well as informal concrete results.  Include in this section a list of the deliverables and their contents (if appropriate) to be produced during the project.  Detailed descriptions of each deliverable may be contained within the Appendix.  Including a detailed list of deliverables in the Appendix provides a structured approach which ensures that all persons involved in the project understand what is expected.  The components of the list should include for each deliverable: 

•         Name and description

•         Purpose

•         Major task(s) producing/updating the deliverable

•         Expected audience

•         Sign-off participants 

Remember to include project management deliverables, such as the Project Plan. Plan. 

            Milestones 

This is the temporal scope of the project.  List and briefly describe significant project accomplishments that will act as primary checkpoints for the project’s progress.  These are generally the points at which the completion of an activity or group of activities causes the project to reach a milestone by producing a highly visible or significant product or result (e.g., equipment delivery, material delivery, review meeting, approval checkpoint).  Not every task completion date in the project will be a milestone, but every milestone should be tied to a deliverable. 

Include the estimated time of completion for each milestone.  Milestones are targets that should be met. If they are not met, it is likely that the project will not finish on time.  Ensure that milestones are clearly identified in the Timeline and Project Plan. 

IV.     Assumptions 

Briefly describe any assumptions made about the project related to resources, scope, expectations, schedules, etc.  Assumptions should be specific and measurable. 

V.      Constraints 

  Project Constraints 

   Describe the principal constraints and limitations under which the project must be conducted, concerning the project environment or parameters (timeframes and deadlines, funding, skill levels, resource availability, etc.). 

  Related Projects 

List any other projects that are impacted by the project described in the Plan.  Managers of related projects should be kept in the communication loop on all matters related to this project. 

Critical Dependencies 

It is essential that the dependencies between related tasks and subtasks be understood to ensure that tasks are sequenced correctly and that the critical path of a project is recognized. 

Determine the relationship between work performed in a given task or subtask with the work performed in other tasks or subtasks.  Identify the predecessor and successor activities. 

Identify any tasks within a related project on which this project is dependent and describe the relationship.

VI. Quality Management Approach 

Activity Reviews/Walk-throughs 

Identify the types of project reviews and walk-throughs that will be conducted.  Include items such as test plans and test scripts to be reviewed.  Indicate when reviews should occur in relation to other tasks. 

Tools and Techniques 

List and briefly describe the tools and techniques that will be used on the project to ensure quality.  Tools may include specific software packages for project scheduling, testing, etc. 

Test Approach 

Briefly describe the approach that will be used to test the project results prior to putting them into production.  All products developed as a result of the project should be tested. 

Performance/Quality Standards 

Identify any performance or quality standards which must be met upon approval of the final results of the project.  This may include acceptance criteria for the final work product. 

Quality Management Roles 

Define the specific quality management roles and their accompanying responsibilities that individuals will be assigned to ensure quality on the project. 

VII. Project Management  

Project Standards 

Identify standards agreed to by the Project Team that govern the way in which the project will be conducted.  Such standards include status reporting, staff meetings, product review acceptance criteria, and celebration criteria. 

Describe which standards, if any, already exist within the enterprise and are appropriate for reuse on the project.  Such reusable standards typically include project model management, technology, documentation management and training techniques, naming conventions, quality assurance, and testing and validation. These may be standards that are recognized and embraced by the industry as a whole, or those that are unique to the enterprise. 

Project Roles and Responsibilities 

Define the roles filled by project team members and the responsibility of each role. 

Communications  

Describe the roles and responsibilities of each Team Member along with the communication plan to ensure that Team Members understand what is expected of them.  Describe the mechanism for communicating responsibilities across the Project Team and within the organization at large (to the extent that it is required). 

Develop a specific strategy that promotes communication among Team Members if the Project Team is geographically dispersed, including how each Team Member will report progress specific to each assigned task.  

Identify how progress on the project will be determined and how it will be communicated to those involved in or impacted by the project.  Identify how often status reports will be distributed and to whom.  Determine how often progress meetings will be held and who is expected to attend. 

Project Team Contact Directory 

This is a list of all Team Members and other individuals involved in or impacted by the project.  The list should include their names, physical locations, phone numbers, alternative contact numbers, User-IDs, Mail Stops, home addresses, titles, and any other pertinent information that will enable better communication between the impacted individuals. 

VIII. Approvals 

Sign-off Sheet

A separate sign- Sign-off must be obtained each time the Project Plan is revised.