Upload
chris-maund
View
218
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
8/6/2019 Project Element - Planning
1/12
Project Element - Planning - v0 4 200509.doc - 1 -
Planning
The planning process provides information to everybody involved in the project on what is required, how it will beachieved, what resources will be used and when things will happen.
Planning is a repeatable process and plays an important role in many of the project processes and
elements.
Product Based Planning enables the planning process to be implemented through Product
Breakdown Structures, Product Flow Diagrams and the creation of Product Descriptions. It promotes
the idea of starting planning by thinking of the products to be produced.
The notes that follow detail how the underlying construction of the Practice Guide embeds planning into the
project methodology.
There are also guidelines that will ensure that Project Managers have the right arrangements in place to
ensure that our projects are planned effectively.
BRILL
IANT
SERVICE
BUSIN
ESSCASE
CHAN
GECONTROL
DOCU
MENT
CONTROL
RISK
ORGA
NISATION
DeployInvest
APPROVALREGISTRATION
Registration
STAGE
CONTROLLING ASTAGE
APPROVAL CLOSEClose / Benefits RealisationSTAGE
APPROVALLAUNCH
Commitment to LaunchSTAGE
APPROVALINVEST
Commitment to Invest
STAGE
APPROVALDELIVER
Commitment to Deliver
STAGE
APPROVALDEPLOY
Agreement to Deploy
STAGE
MAN AGIN G PROJECTDELIVERY AN D APPROVAL
PLAN
NING
8/6/2019 Project Element - Planning
2/12
Project Element - Planning - v0 4 200509.doc
Why this is important
Planning introduces control into everything we do and ensures we deliver a quality product on time. Plans are
the backbone of the management information system that is required for any project. This document provides
the detail for the different levels of plans that are required and the approvals required before plans are put into
action.
The time taken in planning throughout the project cycle is offset by not having to rework products or activities
further down the line. A robust plan will ensure the quality of products meets requirements and that the delivery
schedule is realistic. It also enables tracking throughout the project lifecycle against a defined baseline, hence
progress can be monitored and escalated if required. A baseline for the next stage is agreed and approved at
each approval stage. By using this planning approach it breaks the project into manageable stages for more
accurate planning (detailed plans). This series of plans can be tailored to the size and needs of each project.
An effective plan identifies if targets are achievable, the resources required, the activities needed, any external
dependencies and identifies risks and issues.
Key Stakeholders will also feel far more comfortable if they can interrogate a plan at a detailed level for the next
approval phase. The high level overview details the key products, activities and milestones that are scheduled at
later stages. It is recommended stakeholders are involved in a Planning Workshop to develop initial plans, plans
are signed off by all activity owners and plans are reviewed on a regular basis. This will not only allow
stakeholders to see how the plan is created but also give them an insight into the complexity that usually exists
in a project and the inter-dependencies within the plan.
Finally, having uncovered the planning risks, issues and dependencies the project will need to manage these
through the control log and ensure regular arrangements are in place to update the plan status with actuals for
monitoring purposes. The plan will identify deliverables, resource requirements, costs and major control points
such as stage boundaries.
Product Based Plans are a Top Down approach providing a logical and controlled descent into detail and this will
help to identify any grouping of products and associated activities that might usefully be treated as a separate
workstream.
How do we judge a plan
From a business perspective, a project plan is usually judged on the following criteria:
Is the plan feasible?
Was the project completed on time / are we on schedule?
Was the project completed within budget / are we on schedule to achieve forecasted cost?
Have we met all the planned project milestones?
8/6/2019 Project Element - Planning
3/12
Project Element - Planning - v0 4 200509.doc
Did all products meet the needs of the business when they were delivered?
From a technical perspective a project plan is usually judged as:
Does the plan identify all products that contribute a product based planning approach?
Are all activities identified to create the products and scheduled in the correct sequence? Are all dependencies identified in the plan and all tasks allocated to a resource?
Does detailed planning exist for the next project stage and hi-level plans exist to completion?
Are all supplier plans reflected accurately in the project plan?
Overview of Planning
Planning Products and Process
See Diagram Below
8/6/2019 Project Element - Planning
4/12
Project Element - Planning - v0 4 200509.doc
Planning Product Structure
See Diagram Below
8/6/2019 Project Element - Planning
5/12
Project Element - Planning - v0 4 200509.doc
Planning Tool(s)
Use MSP as the planning tool wherever possible and inputs on resource/cost estimates from the Business
Subject Matter Experts, Workstream Leaders, Suppliers or developed by the Project Manager themselves.
Follow the sequence below :
* Identify the Products and define in a Product Description.
* Identify Product Dependencies
* Generate Activities
8/6/2019 Project Element - Planning
6/12
Project Element - Planning - v0 4 200509.doc
* Estimate Effort
* Create a Schedule
* Assess the Risks
* Write the Plan Narrative
Excel / Visio
Planning Definition of Terms
You may see these terms used throughout the Practice Guide
Term Definition
Hi-Level Plan
The High Level plan of a project will include the tasks that are required to complete the full
project including approval stages and key milestones. It is not neccesary to assign a
resource at this level (although if it is known for the whole task, it can be added). It is not
required to break high level tasks such as Launch Approval to the detail of sub-tasks such as
create documents, issue for approval, hold teleconference, receive approvals, add to team
room. This level of plan is used for Stakeholder Management and Communication purposes
to understand the totality of the work to be undertaken.
Detailed Plan
This level of plan will cover a discrete period of time between decision points. A detailed plan
will show high level tasks broken to sub-tasks with defined durations, constraints and
dependencies. Each sub-task will be assigned to a defined resource. Actual status will beindicated for each sub task. This level of plan is used for assigning resources, progress
monitoring and scheduling. This will give a level of detail required for day-to-day
management of a project by the Project Manager.
Test Strategy PlanA plan of Test Events and Test Materials for a project aligned to the overiding Test Strategy
agreed by the Steering Group for the project.
Activity BasedPlanning
The traditional task based planning methodology rolled up to a produce a Gant Chart view of
events.
Product BasedPlanning
Prince 2 recommended planning methodology using a product based approach to create a
Product Structure which is then converted to a Product Flow Diagram and then a plandetailing the required activities for product delivery. This is a structured approach that
determines the products which a project is to create and assigns responsibility for the
products to a defined owner with responsibility for its delivery.
Product BreakdownStructure
A Top-Down view of all the products which a project is to generate with each product broken
down to its constituent components in a hierarchical structure.
Product FlowDiagram
A Product Structure indicating how a collection of products come together to produce a top
8/6/2019 Project Element - Planning
7/12
Project Element - Planning - v0 4 200509.doc
level product (the delivery of which is the project) which is then placed in a time-based
sequence
Product DescriptionA Product Description is a text document with a defined format with all the information about
a product required by Project members.
Critical Path
The activities of a plan that do not have any contingency in relation to the overall project plantimescales. These are the critical activities that if delayed will impact milestones and delivery
schedule and subsequently require change control of the baseline. Useful in Project Stage
Management.
DependenciesTasks within a plan that have a dependency may require a predecessor to be completed
before they can begin or if they are a predecessor to a subsequent task will affect that task if
delayed. Useful in Project Stage Management.
Resource ListA list of Project Resource that can be assigned tasks in the project plan.
ConstraintsTasks that may be constrained such as Must Start After a certain date. Other constraints can
apply such as Must Be Before a certain date etc.
Recurring Tasks Tasks that recur throughout a phase of the project in a cyclic nature (weekly etc)
Milestones A Key Event on the project plan usually associated with a delivery of a product.
Baseline Plan
A Plan approved through the normal governance process against which project performance
is monitored. It is fundamental that work only commences on a stage after approval and tothe agreed schedule and cost outlined in the plan. Any deviation to a baselined plan will
require approval through the change control process.
Actuals
Current status of a task at a given time indicating how much of the task has been completed,
usually expressed as a percentage of the whole task. The plan is updated to reflect the latest
understanding of the project. This is part of the Managing A Stage process and performed
on a cyclic basis on a frequency agreed with the Sponsor or when an issue triggers the
requirement as it is known the issue will impact schedule.
Microsoft ProjectThe recommended software tool for Project Planning.
8/6/2019 Project Element - Planning
8/12
Project Element - Planning - v0 4 200509.doc
Planning Materials
The following are examples of planning materials that might be used in a Plan
Planning Materials Description
Standards
Standards are instruction documents that detail how a particular aspect of the project
must be undertaken. There can be no deviation from Standards unless a formal variation
process is undertaken, and approval granted.
GuidelinesUnlike Standards, Guidelines are not compulsory. They are intended to guide a project
rather than dictate how it must be undertaken. Variations do not require formal approval.
Checklists Checklists are lists that can be used as a prompt when undertaking a particular activity.
TemplatesTemplates are blank documents to be used in particular stages of a project. They will
usually contain some examples and instructions.
ProceduresProcedures outline the steps that should be undertaken in a particular area of a project
such as managing risks, or managing time.
ProcessA description of how something works. It is different to a Procedure in that a Procedure is
a list of steps - the what and when. A Process contains explanations of why and how.
User Guides
User Guides provide the theory, principles and detailed instructions as to how to apply the
procedures to the project. They contain such information as definitions, reasons for
undertaking the steps in the procedure, and roles and responsibilities. They may also
have example templates.
ExampleDocuments
These are examples from prior projects that are good indicators of the type of information,
and level of detail that is required in the completed document.
MethodologyA methodology is a collection of processes, procedures, templates and tools to guide a
team through the project in a quality manner.
8/6/2019 Project Element - Planning
9/12
Project Element - Planning - v0 4 200509.doc
Planning Events
The events described below can be used to plan a project effectively
PlanningEvents
Description
Planning Workshop
Usually held to create the initial baselined plan for a project or a project stage
involving all stakeholders who can identify the required products and activities and
accurately estimate the duration or resource requirement for that task.
Estimating
This provides a view of the overall cost and time required to complete a plan. It
follows identification of all the activities and precedes scheduling. It is an iterative
process. It is a two stage approach, identifying resource types (including skill level)
and estimating effort required for each activity by resource type
Scheduling
Puts together the activities in a plan to form a schedule and shows the ultimate
feasibility of achieving the plans objective. It matches available resource to identified
activities in a defined sequence with dependencies included. From this resource
usage can be managed and smoothed. Usually displayed as a Gantt Chart.
Plan Review
A Quality Review of a plan conducted by experts, plan approvers or a peer group. It
ensures the plan meets it quality requirements, is robust, feasible and well
understood. The plan should show all facets identified in the definitions section
above.
Baselining a Plan Setting a baseline plan at approval stage against which progress will be monitored
Updating a Plan withActuals
Updating the task information with current status and reviewing if the task completion
date is still feasible. If it is no longer feasible Re-Planning should be invoked.
Re-Planning
Invoked if the actuals indicate a slippage of schedule to show the overall impact of
the known slippage. If the re-planning effects the delivery of the baseline products
and milestones then change control should be invoked to seek approval of a new
baseline.
8/6/2019 Project Element - Planning
10/12
Project Element - Planning - v0 4 200509.doc
Planning Activities
Role Activities
Project Manager
Facilitate Planning Workshops
Create Project Plan
Review Project Plans and monitor actuals
Create Quality Plan and Communication Plan
Submit plans as part of required approvals
Manage plan risks, issues, and dependencies
Manage Project Stage Plans (detailed plans)
Assign resource for project plan
Communicate to all Stakeholders on plan status
Escalate any impact to baselined plan to stakeholders and invoke change control
Workstream Lead
Manage Plan Workstream assigned to them
Report progress to Project Manager
Escalate any slippage, risks, issues and dependencies to Project Manager
Plan Resource
Complete assigned tasks to cost and schedule
Escalate any slippage, risks, issues and dependencies to Project Manager or
Workstream Lead
PMO
Review Plans as part of QA Review for approvals
Provide coaching on planning, Microsoft project and template usage.
Work with Project Manager to review plans during Stage Management
Change Leader
Support Project Manager in planning
Review Project Plans as part of approval process
Work with Project Manager to review plans during Stage Management
Senior Supplier
Manage Plan Workstreams assigned to them
Report progress to Project Manager
Escalate any slippage, risks, issues and dependencies to Project Manager
Supplier
Manage Plan Workstreams assigned to them
Report progress to Senior Supplier
Escalate any slippage, risks, issues and dependencies to Senior Supplier or ProjectManager
Senior User Ensure all plans indicate required product deliveries at an acceptable time schedule
Escalate any slippage, risks, issues and dependencies to Project Manager
Project Sponsor Support Project Manager in planning
Review Project Plans as part of approval process
8/6/2019 Project Element - Planning
11/12
Project Element - Planning - v0 4 200509.doc
Planning links between Elements and Project Stages
Stage What you can expect to see happening
Registration Mandate for the project indicating expectations for timescales and key milestones.
Launch
Defining a Detailed Plan indicating all products and activities between Launch andInvest as part of approval request.
High Level Plan indicating all products and hi-level activities for the duration of the
project and the key milestones (including all approval stages) produced using a
Product Based Planning approach.
This ensures a firm baseline for the project exists.
Invest
Defining a Detailed Plan indicating all products and activities between Invest and
Deliver as part of approval request. Indicating all completed tasks prior to Invest and
current status of any ongoing tasks.
High Level Plan indicating all products and hi-level activities for the duration of the
project. Also showing the key milestones (including approval stages) indicating those
already achieved prior to Invest.
Deliver
Defining a Detailed Plan indicating all products and activities between Deliver and
Deploy as part of approval request. Indicating all completed tasks prior to Deliver and
current status of any ongoing tasks. This is likely to include a detailed test plan at this
stage.
High Level Plan indicating all products and hi-level activities for the duration of the
project. Also showing the key milestones (including approval stages) indicating those
already achieved prior to Deliver.
Deploy
Defining a Detailed Plan indicating all products and activities between Deploy and
Close as part of approval request. Indicating all completed tasks prior to Deploy and
current status of any ongoing tasks.
High Level Plan indicating all products and hi-level activities for the duration of the
project. Also showing the key milestones (including approval stages) indicating those
already achieved prior to Deploy.
Close
High Level Plan indicating all products and hi-level activities for the duration of the
project. Also showing the key milestones (including approval stages) indicating those
already achieved prior to Close and any follow on activities agreed post project Close.
Managing Project
Stages
Detailed Plan Status (actuals) indicating the status of all products and activities
between stages should be conducted on a continual basis during Managing Project
Stages. Indicating all completed tasks and milestones. If actuals indicate a schedule
slippage the impact of this on the critical path should be reviewed and if required a re-
plan should be conducted against the baseline. If the baseline plan is impacted then
Change Control should be invoked to reflect the impact on schedule and cost.
8/6/2019 Project Element - Planning
12/12
Project Element - Planning - v0 4 200509.doc
Completed products should be accepted through a formal quality review.
Change Control
Any changes to a baselined plan will require approval through the normal Change
Control process.
Any request for change input to the Change Control process should indicate the
impact of the change on all relevant plans.
Any Change Control assessment should ensure the changes to all relevant plans are
fully understood prior to approval.
Summary
TEMPLATES / NOTES / GUIDES
No DescriptionMandatory Owner GCC Toolkit UK Specific
1 Project Plan PM 2 Quality Plan PM 3 Communication Plan PM 4 Project Plan example PMO 5 Quality Plan example PMO 6 Communication Plan example PMO 7 Planning Guidance Notes PMO