- Understanding PMI’s Project Planning Process Group
- Exploring Key Aspects of the Planning Processes
- Developing the Project Management Plan
- Scope Management
- Activity Planning—From WBS to Project Schedule
- Critical Cost Estimating Factors
- Exam Prep Questions
- Answers to Exam Prep Questions
- Need to Know More?
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Developing the Project Management Plan
The project management plan process covers all activities that identify and direct the actions of many other processes in the planning process group. Developing the project management plan includes coordinating the development of the subsidiary plans and incorporating them into the complete project plan. The main purpose of the project management plan is to define how the project is to progress from its beginning to completion.
In short, the project management plan provides the high-level gameplan for how the project moves through its life cycle. PMI defines many potential subsidiary plans that make up the overall project management plan. These subsidiary plans provide the specific details for managing each aspect of the project from initiation through closure. The subsidiary project management plans could include
Communication management plan
Cost management plan
Process improvement plan
Procurement management plan
Project scope management plan
Quality management plan
Risk management plan
Schedule management plan
Staffing management plan
One of the more common mistakes inexperienced project managers make is to confuse a project plan with a project schedule. The output from many common project management software packages do not qualify as a project plan. They are a good start, but a true project plan is made up of much more information than just scheduling information. This process requires a focused effort to create a plan that incorporates all known information about a project. Table 3.1 shows the inputs, tools, techniques, and outputs for the develop project management plan process.
Table 3.1 Develop Project Management Plan Inputs, Tools, Techniques, and Outputs
|
Inputs |
Tools and Techniques |
Outputs |
|
Preliminary project scope statement |
Project management methodology |
Project management plan |
|
Project management processes |
Project management information system |
|
|
Enterprise environmental factors |
Expert judgment |
|
|
Organizational process assets |
|
|