The Project plan
When you start a new project, the first thing you have to do as a project manager is to get all the information you need from the client to make up a good project plan that in fact will be the contract between you and your client.
After forming a project team you have to give shape to this project plan in a way that all the important subjects of project managing are in there, and most importantly the definition of the exact result. Project management is all about managing risks and planning ahead as good as possible, to foresee certain situations and act on time when the flow or result of a project is in danger.
Project plan basics
A basic project plan is build up with all necessary general information, but is specifically filled with the vital peaces of information and basic control systems. Making a good project plan makes you and your team think the whole project through, and let’s you make connections to the vital information you need to get the best results. The content of a good project plan consists of:
- The project definition and goals.
- The structure and phasing.
- The control systems; Time, Money, Quality, Information, Organization.
- Risk analysis.
For more detailed information of the separate content of the project plan, please take a look at the specific subjects in the main menu. Especially the project control systems have separate information pages.
Project plan and confirmation
The project plan is an important tool in project management and lets you think about your project in an early stage, filtering all information and setting up for a successful process and result. An important step after finalizing a project plan is to let the team members ans the project client confirm the content of the plan and signing the document.
Of course the final project, all documents together is going to be used as a tool in the process, and changes can be made after informing or consulting with a client. But with a good plan, all the consequences of a change can be seen very easily, monitoring and controlling the project is much easier and everybody involved knows exactly what’s going on in the project.
Making a good project plan is like a puzzle that will become your guide during the project.
