Elements of a good Project Plan

Dan: Hi Tom. Do you have a moment to talk about what makes a good project plan?

Tom: Sure Dan. First of all actually having a plan is a good first step. You would be amazed at how many projects stumble along without any plan at all. It is a wonder that anything ever gets accomplished in some organizations.

Dan: Is there a 'standard' plan that will fit every project?

Tom: There are lots of frameworks that can be used but it important to remember that you should always tailor your plan to fit your project. Under-planning is a common failure but over-planning can also be a problem in terms of unnecessary overheads and wasted time.

Dan: Do you have any guidelines that I could follow to make sure that I get it right?

Tom: Here is a checklist to help you assess whether your plan is correct, and don’t hesitate to add to it any factors which are important in your project environment.

• Is the plan do-able?
  When you look at it, do you feel comfortable that the plan is realistic or, deep down, do you know it to be unrealistic? You have to be really honest with yourself on this one.

• Is the plan in balance?
  Following on from the first question, are the resources, timescales, scope and required quality in balance? Can you say "yes, I can deliver that scope, with those resources, in that timescale to that quality level"? Don’t be fooled by those triangle diagrams that show just three elements as there are actually four to consider.

• Does the plan fit the project?
  Are you content that the plan is a good fit to the project? If it doesn’t show enough detail to control the project then it will not function effectively. However, if the plan is in great and unnecessary detail (perhaps following some site standard) then you have already wasted some time, but will continue to waste more keeping the plan up to date unless you chop it down to size.

• Are the deliverables clearly identified?
  Many planning approaches focus on activity and there is a great pre-occupation about what is done. But projects are really about delivery. Are your deliverables clearly identified and specified? Activities should be identified once it is known what is to be delivered, rather than deciding what is to be done and then trying to figure out what will be delivered!

• Is the plan clear?
  Is it easy to understand for all who will come into contact with it? That means Project Board members as well as you and the Team Managers. If not, clarify it. It is unfair to ask a Project Board to commit to a plan that they barely understand, and if they do commit, it will almost certainly lead to problems later.

• Is contingency included?
  Something is going to happen that you haven’t thought of, so contingency must be in the plan. The amount of contingency will depend on the risk of the project, your experience and a range of other factors. Try to establish an open relationship with the Project Board so that contingency is clearly on the plan, not hidden away in inflated estimates.

• Is the scope clear and agreed?
  Scope creep is a major cause of project difficulty. Make sure that the scope is absolutely clear. It can be very helpful in many cases to list what the project will NOT cover, as well as what it will cover. This helps manage expectations. If additional scope is required during the project, then change control becomes easier because it is apparent that the plan does not currently cater for the element, and extra time and resource will be required if the change is to be accepted.

I hope that helps you Dan.


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