Project Plans.

Project plans are used to ensure coordination, communication, and timely completion of a project. They may be used to delegate tasks to certain team members or to keep the project on the right track (1).Ultimately, project plans outline the details of the project to ensure that all components are completed by the target deadline (1).

Components

Project plans may vary somewhat, but there are four main aspects to address (2):

  • What are the requirements for the project?
  • How will the team accomplish these requirements?
  • Who will take on which task?
  • When will the tasks be completed?

Project plans include the following components (1,2):

  • Executive Summary.
  • Staffing/Team Members.
  • Scheduling (Gantt Charts).
  • Communication plans.
  • Activities, milestones, and reviews.
  • Delieverables.

Gantt Charts

Gantt charts are often included in project plans. They delineate the schedule of the project through two major components:

  • Tasks. While there is one overarching goal, tasks should be smaller, specific, measureable, achievable subgoals that lead to the overall goal.
  • Timeframes. Whether weeks or years, realistic timeframes should be included to ensure timeliness and measure the status of project completion.

In addition to tasks and timeframes, many Gantt Charts display delegated tasks to specific team members. Diagram 1 below features a sample Gantt chart.

Diagram 1. Sample Gantt Chart.

Project Plan image

Additional Resources

For more information on Project Plans, visit the following resources:

References

  1. How to Write a Project Plan [Internet]. Small Business – Chron.com. [cited 2015 Mar 25]. Available from: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/write-project-plan-56603.html
  2. How to Write a Killer Project Plan That Gets Results [Internet]. Leadership Thoughts. [cited 2015 Mar 25]. Available from: http://www.leadershipthoughts.com/how-to-write-a-project-plan/