Writing a Project Plan

A project plan is similar to a business plan. The plan should cover all nitty-gritty details of the project. This plan is crucial to the success or failure of a project. Writing an in-depth project plan is a skill that anyone can develop. As you write more and more project plans you will find it easier to draft a plan and the fewer mistakes you will make.

Start with a draft of all the headings of your plan then expound on each heading. Your headings can be the following; description, who are involved, design details, materials, supplies, tools, schedule, workday instructions, financial plan, workers, safety, contingency, tasks and the list goes on. Think of all the aspects that your project will involve, do not try to think hard, and just write down all possibilities. When you are giving further details on your headings this is the time to eliminate topics that you believe are not necessary.

Developing the details of your heading should also be done in the same manner as writing down your headings. Indicate all details even if you feel it is not necessary. You will later on drill down the details to the most important information that you will need for the project plan. Do not discard all your draft ideas; it may be handy when finalizing your project plan. Below is a simple and effective heading for a project plan.

PROJECT GOALS

Indicate what you want to achieve for the project, this is a way to measure your success or failure.

DELIVERABLES

Indicate in detail what are the tasks involved in achieving your goals. This is a way to establish control to the project by mentioning specific tasks to be completed by each member.

SCHEDULE

A project will never run forever so a well-thought out schedule should be put in place. A project schedule should indicate the due dates for your deliverables.

SUPPORTING PLAN

Indicate members of the project. Point out how communications will be conducted. Show also any difficulties you think will happen and mention how to handle it. Provide structure to the project by work day plan, and task allocation. Put a way to measure quality in the work being done.

The outline mentioned above is the most common points to put on a project plan. Every project is different so additional details needed for your project should be added. Managing a project can be really complicated at times so it is best to use a project management software to aid a manager.