2.7 steps to write a project plan to keep you on track.pptx

How to write a project plan

1. 7 steps to write a project plan to keep you on track

2. To create a clear project management plan, you need a way to track all of your moving parts. 2

3. No matter what type of project you’re planning, every work plan should have: Goals and  project objectives Success metrics Stakeholders  and  roles Scope  and  budget Milestones ,  deliverables , and  project dependencies Timeline  and  schedule Communication plan

4. Step 1: Define your goals and objectives

5. Step 1: Define your goals and objectives You’re working on this project plan for a reason—likely to get you, your team, or your company to an end goal. But how will you know if you’ve reached that goal if you have no way of measuring success? Every successful project plan should have a clear, desired outcome. Identifying your goals provides a rationale for your project plan. It also keeps everyone on the same page and focused on the results they want to achieve. Moreover, research shows that employees who know how their work is contributing to company objectives are 2X as motivated. Yet only 26% of employees have that clarity. That’s because most goal-setting happens separate from the actual work. By defining your goals within your work plan, you can connect the work your team is doing directly to the project objectives in real-time. 5

6. What's the difference between project goals and project objectives? In general, your project goals should be higher-level than your project objectives. Your project goals should be  SMART  goals that help you measure project success and show how your project aligns with  business objectives . The purpose of drafting project objectives, on the other hand, is to focus on the actual, specific deliverables you're going to achieve at the end of your project. Your project  plan  provides the direction your team needs to hit your goals, so you can create a workflow that hits project objectives. 6

7. Your project  plan  provides the direction your team needs to hit your goals, by way of your project objectives. By incorporating your goals directly into your planning documentation, you can keep your project’s North Star on hand. When you’re defining your project scope, or outlining your project schedule, check back on your goals to make sure that work is in favor of your main objectives. 7

8. Step 2: Set success metrics

9. Step 2: Set success metrics Once you’ve defined your goals, make sure they’re measurable by setting key success metrics. While your goal serves as the intended result, you need success metrics to let you know whether or not you’re performing on track to achieve that result. The best way to do that is to set SMART goals. With SMART goals, you can make sure your success metrics are clear and measurable, so you can look back at the end of your project and easily tell if you hit them or not. For example, a goal for an event might be to host an annual 3-day conference for SEO professionals on June 22nd. A success metric for that goal might be having at least 1,000 people attend your conference. It’s both clear and measurable. 9

10. Step 3: Clarify stakeholders and roles

11. Step 3: Clarify stakeholders and roles Running a project usually means getting collaborators involved in the execution of it. In your project management plan, outline which team members will be a part of the project and what each person’s role will be. This will help you decide who is responsible for each task (something we’ll get to shortly) and let stakeholders know how you expect them to be involved. During this process, make sure to define the various roles and responsibilities your stakeholders might have. For example, who is directly responsible for the project’s success? How is your project team structured (i.e. do you have a project manager, a project sponsor, etc.)? Are there any approvers that should be involved before anything is finalized? What cross-functional stakeholders should be included in the project plan? Are there any risk management factors you need to include? 11

12. Consider using a system, such as a RACI chart, to help determine who is driving the project forward, who will approve decisions, who will contribute to the project, and who needs to remain informed as the project progresses. Then, once you’ve outlined all of your roles and stakeholders, make sure to include that documentation in your project plan. Once you finalize your plan, your work plan will become your cross-functional source of truth. 12

13. Step 4: Set your budget

14. Step 4: Set your budget Running a project usually costs money. Whether it’s hiring freelancers for content writing or a catering company for an event, you’ll probably be spending some cash. Since you’ve already defined your goals and stakeholders as part of your project plan, use that information to establish your budget. For example, if this is a cross-functional project involving multiple departments, will the departments be splitting the project cost? If you have a specific goal metric like event attendees or new users, does your proposed budget support that endeavor? 14

15. By establishing your project budget during the project planning phase (and before the spending begins), you can get approval, more easily track progress, and make smart, economical decisions during the implementation phase of your project. Knowing your budget beforehand helps you with resource management, ensuring that you stay within the initial financial scope of the project. Planning helps you determine what parts of your project will cost what—leaving no room for surprises later on. 15

16. Step 5: Align on milestones, deliverables, and project dependencies

17. Step 5: Align on milestones, deliverables, and project dependencies An important part of planning your project is setting milestones, or specific objectives that represent an achievement. Milestones don’t require a start and end date, but hitting one marks a significant accomplishment during your project. They are used to measure progress. For example, let’s say you’re working to develop a new product for your company. Setting a milestone on your project timeline for when the prototype is finalized will help you measure the progress you’ve made so far. 17

18. A project deliverable, on the other hand, is what is actually produced once you meet a milestone. In our product development example, we hit a milestone when we produced the deliverable, which was the prototype. You can also use project dependencies—tasks that you can’t start until others are finished. Dependencies ensure that work only starts once it’s ready. Continuing the example, you can create a project dependency to require approval from the project lead before prototype testing begins. If you’re using our free project plan template, you can easily organize your project around deliverables, dependencies, and milestones. That way, everyone on the team has clear visibility into the work within your project scope, and the milestones your team will be working towards. 18

19. Step 6: Outline your timeline and schedule

20. Step 6: Outline your timeline and schedule In order to achieve your project goals, you and your stakeholders need clarity on your overall project timeline and schedule. Aligning on the time frame you have can help you better prioritize during strategic planning sessions. Not all projects will have clear-cut timelines. If you're working on a large project with a few unknown dates, consider creating a project roadmap instead of a full-blown project timeline. That way, you can clarify the order of operations of various tasks without necessarily establishing exact dates. 20

21. Once you’ve covered the high-level responsibilities, it’s time to focus some energy on the details. In your work plan template, start by breaking your project into tasks, ensuring no part of the process is skipped. Bigger tasks can even be broken down into smaller subtasks, making them more manageable. Then, take each task and subtask, and assign it a start date and end date. You’ll begin to visually see everything come together in a cohesive project timeline. Be sure to add stakeholders, mapping out who is doing what by when. 21

22. Step 7: Share your communication plan

23. Step 6: Outline your timeline and schedule We’ve established that most projects include multiple stakeholders. That means communication styles will vary among them. You have an opportunity to set your expectations up front for this particular project in your project plan. Having a communication plan is essential for making sure everyone understands what’s happening, how the project is progressing, and what’s going on next. And in case a roadblock comes up, you’ll already have a clear communication system in place. 23

24. As you’re developing your communication plan, consider the following questions: How many project-related meetings do you need to have? What are their goals? How will you manage project status updates? Where will you share them? What tool will you use to manage the project and communicate progress and updates? 24

25. Like the other elements of your project plan, make sure your communication plan is easily accessible within your project plan. Stakeholders and cross-functional collaborators should be able to easily find these guidelines during the planning and execution phases of your project. Using project planning tools or task management software that integrates with apps like Slack and Gmail can ensure all your communication happens in one easily accessible place. 25

26. Next meeting Example project plan https://asana.com/resources/project-management-plan 26

27. 27 Which of the following is NOT an essential element of a project management plan? Goals and project b) Success metrics c) Project tasks and equipment inventory d) Communication plan

28. 28 2.What is the main purpose of defining goals and objectives in a project plan? To measure team performance b) To keep stakeholders informed c) To provide a rationale and focus on desired outcomes d) To outline the budget

29. 29 3. What is the difference between project goals and project objectives? a)Goals focus on tasks, while objectives are about roles b) Goals are measurable, while objectives are broader c) Goals are higher-level, while objectives focus on specific deliverables d) Goals are financial, while objectives are operational

30. 30 4. How do SMART goals help in project planning? By making goals general and abstract b) By ensuring goals are specific and measurable c) By removing the need for success metrics d) By focusing on team collaboration only

31. 31 5. Why is it important to clarify stakeholders and roles in a project plan? To identify budget constraints b) To ensure task distribution and accountability c) To establish success metrics d) To set communication protocols

32. 32 6. What tool can be used to clarify stakeholder roles and responsibilities in a project? Gantt chart b) Budget tracker c) RACI chart d) SMART goals framework

33. 33 7. What is the benefit of setting a project budget during the planning phase? It eliminates the need for milestones b) It prevents the need for stakeholder alignment c) It helps track progress and manage resources effectively d) It removes the need for a timeline

34. 34 8. What is a project milestone? A task that requires approval from a stakeholder b) A significant achievement that marks progress in a project c) The final project deliverable d) The budget for a specific part of the project

35. 35 9. What is the purpose of outlining a timeline and schedule in a project plan? To prioritize tasks and ensure work happens on time b) To manage the budget more effectively c) To assign all responsibilities to one team d) To remove the need for dependencies

36. 36 10. Why is it important to include a communication plan in your project plan? To manage the budget more effectively b) To ensure that project updates and progress are communicated clearly c) To reduce the need for regular meetings d) To assign milestones and deliverables to stakeholders