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15 – PLANNING
Planning the project enables us to properly understand what will be needed to carry it out with the greatest chance of success. In this topic we discuss how to plan a successful project properly.
In some cases, the length of time spent planning the project can considerably exceed to the time it takes to carry it out. Devoting a decent share of the budget to planning should lead to savings in time and budget when the production work begins, and ultimately produce a better project output.
The story of planning the Welsh Highland Railway shows how difficult it can be to bring everything together.
Why a project needs a plan
15.1 – Why planning is vital
Understand why proper planning is so essential for a project, and why the business case is at the heart of it. The creation of a new visitor entrance at RHS Wisley outside London, seen in the video titles, was a highly complex exercise. Thorough planning ensured that the project went well and the results added to the quality of the visitor experience.
You will learn:
- Why a project needs a plan.
- What the project plan does.
- What are goals, objectives and requirements in a project.
- What the project business case should contain.
- Why the business case for a project is so important.
- What is a project activity plan.
- What is a project management plan.
- What should be in the project plan.
- What attributes a project plan needs.
The components of a project plan
15.2 – Elements of the plan
Learn how to plan a project that will be easier to manage, using tools like the work breakdown structure and the RACI matrix.
These tools are necessary in how to plan a successful project.
You will learn:
- How to design a project for easier control.
- What is the traditional planning sequence.
- What is a sensible project planning sequence.
- What is the project planning process.
- What is a work breakdown structure.
- How to use a work breakdown structure in a project.
- What is a task in a project.
- What are the elements of a task in a project.
- Who are the project actors.
- What is the organisational breakdown structure in a project.
- What is a responsibility matrix in a project.
- How to use a responsibility matrix in a project.
What are the key elements in the plan of a project?
15.3 – Milestones, tasks and gateways
Know why clearly defining milestones, tasks and gateways is so important – breaking the project down into logical components.
You will learn:
- What are project milestones in a project.
- What is milestone planning in a project.
- How to do milestone planning in a project.
- How to build a task network in a project.
- What are the rules of a task network in a project.
- What are gateways in a project.
- How to use gateways in a project.