Introduction
The Introduction provides a high level overview of the project and what is included in this Project Management Plan (PMP). This should comprise a high level description of the project, its deliverables, and benefits. Excessive detail is unnecessary in this section as further sections of the project plan will include more information. This section of the project management plan template should provide a summarised framework of the project and its purpose. Look back to your 'Project Charter' for which information to include in this section.
Project Management Approach
This section of the template is where you outline the overall management approach for the project. This section should describe, in general terms, the roles and authority of project team members. It should also include which organisations will provide resources for the project and any resource constraints or limitations. If there are any decisions which must be made by specific individuals—for example authorising additional funding by the project sponsor—this should also be stated here. It should be written as an Executive Summary for the Project Management Plan.
Project Scope
State the scope of the project in this section. The scope statement from the project charter should be used as a starting point; however, the project plan needs to include a much more detailed scope than the charter. This detail should include what the project does and does not include. The more detail included in this section, the better the product. This will help to clarify what is included in the project and help to avoid any confusion from project team members and stakeholders.
Milestone List
Provide a summary list of milestones, including dates for each. Include an introductory paragraph in this section which provides some insight to the major milestones. This section of the project plan template should also mention or discuss actions taken if any changes to the milestones or delivery dates are required.
Schedule Baseline and Work Breakdown Structure
This section of the Project Management Plan should discuss the 'WBS', 'WBS Dictionary' & 'Schedule baseline' and how they will be utilised in managing the project’s scope. The WBS provides 'work packages' to be performed for successful completion of the project. The WBS Dictionary defines the work packages. The schedule baseline provides a reference point for managing project progress as it pertains to schedule and timeline. The schedule baseline and WBS can be created in software. The WBS needs to be in an exportable file format.
Change Management Plan
This part of the Project Plan should describe your change control process. Ideally, this process will be some type of organisational standard which is repeatable and actioned on most projects when a change is necessary. Changes to any project must be carefully considered and the impact of the change must be clear, so as to make any type of approval decisions. Many organisations have Change Control Boards (CCBs) that review proposed changes and either approve or deny them. This is an effective way to provide oversight and ensure adequate feedback before acceptance of the change is obtained. This section of the project management plan allows for identification of personnel given approval authority for changes to the project; who submits the changes, and how they are tracked and monitored.
Communications Management Plan
The purpose of the Communications Management Plan is to define the communication requirements for the project and how information will be distributed to ensure project success. You should give considerable thought to how you want to manage communications on every project. By having a solid communications management approach you’ll find that many project management problems can be avoided. In this section you should provide an overview of your communications management approach. Generally, the Communications Management
Cost Management Plan
The Cost Management Plan clearly defines how the costs on a project will be managed throughout the project’s lifecycle. It sets the format and standards by which the project costs are measured, reported, and controlled. Working within the cost management guidelines is imperative for all project team members to ensure successful completion of the project. These guidelines may include which level of the WBS cost accounts will be created in and the establishment of acceptable variances.
Procurement Management Plan
The Procurement Management Plan should be defined enough to clearly identify the necessary steps and responsibilities for procurement from the beginning to the end of a project. The project manager must ensure that the plan facilitates the successful completion of the project and does not become an overwhelming task in itself to manage. The project manager will work with the project team, contracts/purchasing department, and other key players to manage the procurement activities.
Project Scope Management Plan
It is important that the approach to managing the projects’ scope be clearly defined and documented in detail. Failure to clearly establish and communicate project scope can result in delays, unnecessary work, failure to achieve deliverables, cost overruns, or other unintended consequences.
Schedule Management Plan
This section of the Project Plan provides a general framework for the approach which will be taken to create the project schedule. Effective schedule management is necessary for ensuring tasks are completed on time, resources are allocated appropriately, and to help measure project performance. This section of the Project Plan should include discussion of the scheduling tool/format, schedule milestones, and schedule development roles and responsibilities.
Quality Management Plan
This portion of the Project Management Plan Template discusses how quality management will be used to ensure that the deliverables for the project meet a formally established standard of acceptance. All project deliverables should be defined in order to provide a foundation and understanding of the tasks at hand and what work must be planned. Quality management is the process by which the organization not only completes the work, but completes the work to an acceptable standard. Without a thorough Quality Management Plan, work may be completed in a substandard or unacceptable manner. This section should include quality roles and responsibilities, quality control, quality assurance, and quality monitoring.
Risk Management Plan
This part of the Project Plan provides a general description for the approach taken to identify and manage the risks associated with the project. It should be a short paragraph or two summarizing the approach to risk management on this project.
Additional Planning
In addition to the above, other planning activities may be undertaken to improve the overall quality of any given project.
HS2 Case Study
Additional material that support the underpinning theory is available to contextualise your learning.
