Project Detailed Planning phase.   (Scope definition)

Designing into details the programme/project activities and their expected outputs.

Designing and executing projects

Project Planning

Planning is the stage that comes after the initiation stage  and before execution and control. 

Detailed planning builds upon the work performed during Project Origination and Initiation. Now the Project Scope document is developed, enhanced, and refined, until it forms a  definitive plan for the rest of the project.   The Project Plan Document  is the deliverable that terminates the planning  phase  (and opens the of execution phase of the programme cycle management). The Project Plan Document  will include a detailed description of the of the activities, i.e. the work needed in order to produce the project deliverables that were not specified in the Project Scope document.

The activities that project teams carry out must produce outputs that will empower project beneficiaries to better interact with their communities and utilise project deliverables to achieve the project outcomes These outcomes will enable the communities to tackle the problems identified and produce changes in the factors generating these problems, thereby contributing to the achievement of the project objectives.

(Note:  Technically the process of detailed project planning is also called  "scope definition" , i.e. the process of detailing the scope document (technically called the "scope statement.")

Essentially in this phase the team that is planning the project subdivides the project deliverables (as identified in the Project Scope document) into smaller, more manageable deliverables; then they list the activities required to deliver those deliverables and identify the resources and time required for those activities. 

This proceeds according the following steps:

 and describe the choices made in the project Plan Document

Guideline: How to prepare a detailed project plan document

The purpose of Project Detailed Planning is to list all the requirements that will be needed by the executing team in order to deliver the expected outputs and decide how the work will be done so that the project outputs are delivered in expected quantity and quality and within the expected costs and timeframe.

(Note: Planning is not a rigid cage: it is the set of baseline decisions that leads the action and as new events occur, evaluation and re-planning is required in order to change the basic design and confront the events with congruity of purpose.)

Project Detailed Planning is an opportunity to identify and resolve any remaining issues and answer outstanding questions that may undermine the goals of the project or threaten its success. It is an opportunity to plan and prepare. Project partnerships and commitment with major stakeholders are re-confirmed at the end of the phase, with approval signifying authorization to proceed and commit funds for Project Execution . In this phase the project scope, (i.e. the relationship between objectives, outcomes and outputs) is refined and elaborated by taking in consideration the resources available and the risks connected to the activities. 

Absence of documented plan will result in authoritarian project management, while a document plan promotes cooperation and constructive participation by all team members. A plan document is required to generate a sense of partnership between those  who are involved in the project so that reciprocal expectations are clarified and documented. Once a plan is approved, it is expected that those who participate in the plan implementation perform their tasks for achieving the project scope in conformity with the quality specifications of the deliverables, the methodology indicated and the time/cost constraints defined in the plan.

At the core of project designing, is the development of a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), i.e. a hierarchical structure that is used to organize tasks for reporting schedules and tracking costs.

Generally new WBS are re-adaptations of WBS already used in earlier projects. Modifications are based on lessons learned from the previous projects, on the new need analysis of the context of the new project and on the structure and competences of the new work team.. That is why it is desirable that at this stage the person designated to be the project manager is involved directly in this phase, so as to allow her/him to contribute in designing and not treat her/him just as an implementer. Specific development sectors generally include typical development activities.  Good organizations record their knowledge in books recording sector of activity standards for use by cost and schedule estimators.

The WBS creation involves:

See in the Guideline  how to prepare a detailed project plan document the section  description of the activities.

The purpose of developing a WBS is to:

The project team should also be clearly identified, along with specific roles and responsibilities. This ensures that all work is “owned” by someone, that redundant work is minimized, and that role conflicts are reduced.

See  Key Questions for Establishing the Team Organization

Good project plans will also comprehend:

So remember that you have to include in the activities lists also those that result from the Quality Plan, The Risk Mitigation Plan , the Communication Plan and the Project team training plan, if you have considered them in your project.

Establishing the project baseline (the action plan described in the The project Plan Document) is the formal end of the planning phase and the beginning of project execution and control.   This baseline is the reference meter for the project manager for budget, schedule, and project scope. After the initial iterative planning process, the planning baselines must be frozen, i.e. the executing team should not be able to modify it without the prior consultation and approval from the major stakeholders and sponsors who agreed to the project charter. Therefore it is advisable if the project plan considers also the standard procedures for authorization of changes in the project scope, budget, schedule.   (see Manage Change Control Process)

In planning the project it is very important to consider how the project will have an impact on the programme and eventually in a wider context. A good project plan will properly would have defined how the project results, obtained through external financial support) would be used by the social system in a manner that would no longer require external support.   (See How can we plan a project so as to ensure that is sustainable?)

A good project will consider how to monitor and evaluate during and after the implementation phase (in itinere and ex post). It will therefore decide what are the indicators and what are the sources of information for judging the efficiency, the effectiveness and the impact.  Information sources may be independent from the programme  management team and the organization. Others will be the internal evaluation tasks that will collect data concerning processes and outcomes.

Project designers will consider the standard methods of collecting and analyzing  data and will adopt those that are seen as most suitable. Eventually a new approach may be proposed.   After deciding on the method there will be an illustration of the evaluation activity within the program/project, including the indications regarding how to use the monitoring/evaluation results for improved programme/project management for organization development  and for employee empowerment and learning.  (see  evaluation reporting methods; and methods for  generating acceptance for the evaluation reports).   The elements of an evaluation action are illustrated in the chapter on program evaluation.

Once the WBS structure is ready then proceed to Create the project budget  (see The steps for Creating a budget)

The Project Plan Document  is the deliverable that terminates the designing  phase  (and opens the of execution phase of the programme cycle management) is the Project Management stages.

Once the Project Plan Document  is ready some organization prepare a  Project Charter, i.e. a smaller version of the document to be made available to all project stakeholders - everyone who may associated with the project, reaching as wide an audience as practical.

A project plan will generally also include a  Logical Framework 

 

Checklists:

 

Templates

 

Guidelines:

See also

PCM   -    a note on the logframe as a flexible tool  -   example of logframe -

 

 

 

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