Project Planning Guide and Best Practices

Summary of Project Planning Policy

The project planning policy requires that each project manager must develop, maintain, and follow a written plan that defines project’s goals, processes, and resource estimates (in terms of schedule, cost, and development).  The project plan is updated throughout the life of the project to accurately reflect the current plan.

Implementation Guidelines for Project Planning

Project planning defines the work and describes how the tasks will be executed.  Planning begins with a definition of the specific work to be performed and other constraints and goals that define and bind the project.  The planning process includes steps to estimate:

• The size of a project
• The technical scope of the effort
• The resources required to complete the project

The planning process results in the production of a schedule, identification and assessment of risks, and negotiation of commitments.  Repetition of these steps is necessary to establish the project plan and to ensure “buy-in” by those responsible for the project.  Typically, several iterations of the planning process are performed before a plan is actually completed.

Project Planning Requirements

The project plan forms the basis for management efforts associated with the project.  It represents the basic tool for successfully executing a project.  The plan includes the following types of elements, with the degree of definition varying between projects of different scope:

• Sequence of tasks to be performed
• Deliverables associated with the project
• Dependency relations between tasks
• Resources required to perform each task
• Schedule of all tasks to be performed
• Budget for performing the tasks
• Organization used to execute the project
• Risks associated with executing the project
• Process for ensuring quality
• Process for configuration management

The project manager has primary responsibility for implementing the project plan and maintaining it over the course of the project.  Project planning requirements will vary by project and are typically determined by the size, cost, complexity, and impact on the business. 

The State of Missouri has adopted the Project Management Institute (PMI) and the Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification as the standard for good project management methods.  Each agency must ensure appropriate management processes are applied for IT projects.  Agencies are encouraged to use and tailor the PMI standards based upon the size, complexity, cost, and impact of the project.

Project Management