Concept of project planning (part II)

Reporter: ROMANO H. DELA CRUZ

Concept of project planning

is concerned with deciding in advance what, when, how, and who will take the necessary actions
to accomplish established objectives.

Principles of project planning

1. The Project Schedule
By creating a reliable and accurate schedule, project managers can ensure project success.
Things to keep in mind when creating a project schedule include:
determine whether to creat a baseline schedule, master project schedule, or individual
schedules for team members.
2. The Project Charter
The project charter is a brief document describing the objective of the project, the main
milestones and tasks, and any resources that will be required. This document is submitted for
project approval. It is important to be concise and clear in constructing this document. For an
excellent discussion on the project charter and how to create it, see Linda Richter's article
"What is a Project Charter?".

3. The Scope Statement

A project scope statement defines the project. It lists all of the tasks and resources that will be
part of the project, and only the tasks and resources that are part of that project. Like project
charters, project scopes are best when they are clear and concise. For an introduction to writing
scope statements, see Eric Stallsworth's article, "How to Write a Scope Statement.

4. Resources
In project management, there are two types of resources: human resources and procurements.
Human resources generally require more planning – they have to be allocated to tasks, and they
require scheduling to keep the project within cost. Overtime is the biggest problem that can
arrise from human resources. Procurements such as space, technology, or source material also
have to be taken into acocunt. It is important during the planning phase to identify just which
resources will be required for project completion.

5. Risk
Risk in projects is the likelihood of the project's failure. During the project planning phase, risk
must be analysed and a plan must be constructed to deal with risks in the event that they
become actualized. Joe Taylor Jr. has written a very informative series on Risk Management.

6. Stakeholders
The final project planning concept you should familiarize yourself with is that of the stakeholder.
The stakeholder is anyone who holds an interest or influence over the project. It is important to
identify early on because communication and risk plans must be constructed. By knowing who
the project stakeholders are, you can customize your plan to suit their needs. Ciel S. Cantoria
has written a thorough serieson stakeholder analyses, worth checking out.