Fundamentals of Project Planning

16 Questions

A project plan is an approved document to manage project ______ execution

project

Time is always ______, time needed tends to expand towards time available

short

A good project plan will help the project manager and the project organization respond to changes with least ______ risk

time, cost

The project timeline is initially agreed final delivery date is expanded to show the delivery dates of the phases and ______ phases

sub

The critical path is determined by the flow timing/completion of ______ activities

prerequisite

Project leaders provide ______ between activities to cover unexpected external events

buffers

Resource is always ______; most scarce resource is generally people

scarce

Money is always ______ enough (generally)

not

One can get more ______ but a project cannot normally be hurried by mere throwing bodies into it

money

In global projects, ______ costs account for bulk of project budgets

resource

What output must be delivered: ______ plan (scope definition, work breakdown)

scope

Who will do the activities: ______ plan (resource requirements, resource activity scheduling)

resource

How much will it cost: ______ plan (cost estimation)

cost

Who manages the project, who reports to whom; ______ plan (reporting lines, project roles and responsibilities)

organization

How will ______ be identified, managed: risk management plan

risk

What services, goods, materials need to be bought and when: ______ plan (what to buy, when, from which potential sources, estimate of how much)

procurement

Study Notes

Project Planning Fundamentals

A project plan is an approved document that manages project execution and can change over time due to changes in environment, output scope, inputs, and resources.

Critical Planning Elements

Time

Time is always limited, and buffers need to be kept low to accommodate unexpected delays.
A project timeline is initially agreed upon and later expanded to show delivery dates of phases and sub-phases.
Critical path analysis determines the flow and timing of prerequisite activities to identify the critical path in terms of time.
Buffers are provided between activities to cover unexpected external events, such as resource unavailability or natural disasters.

Resources

Resources are always scarce, with people being the most scarce resource.
Project plans help visualize realistic assignment of scarce resources across multiple activities and projects.
Resource plans identify potential resource contention upfront, preventing unrealistic deadlines due to lack of resources.

Cost

Money is often limited, but it is easier to obtain than time and resources.
Resource costs account for a bulk of project budgets, especially in global projects.

Core Planning Processes

Core planning processes are essential for all projects and answer the following questions:
- What output must be delivered? (Scope plan: scope definition, work breakdown)
- What activities are required to produce it, and how long will they take? (Activity plan: activity definition, activity sequencing, activity and total duration)
- Who will perform the activities? (Resource plan: resource requirements, resource activity scheduling)
- How much will it cost? (Cost plan: cost estimation)

Facilitating Planning Processes

Facilitating planning processes are not always performed but are essential for well-managed projects and answer the following questions:
- Who manages the project, and who reports to whom? (Organization plan: reporting lines, project roles and responsibilities)
- What resources need to be hired or contracted, and by when? (Staffing plan: also called recruitment plan)
- Which quality standards should be followed? (Quality plan: standards, measures, transparency)
- How will risk be identified and managed? (Risk management plan)
- What will be communicated, to whom, when, how, and by whom? (Communications plan)
- What services, goods, and materials need to be bought, and when? (Procurement plan: what to buy, when, from which potential sources, estimate of how much)

This quiz covers the basics of project planning, including the critical elements of a project plan, core planning processes, and facilitating planning processes. Learn how to create and manage a project plan.

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