- Project Categorization (pl.)
- Project Charter (pl.)
- Scope Statement (pl.)
- Project Organization Chart (pl.)
- Training Plan (pl.)
- Contact & Roles Matrix (pl.)
- Planned Quality Gates (pl.)
- Quality Plan (pl.)
- Cost Plan (pl.)
- Signed Contract / Purchase Order
- Communication Plan (pl.)
- Integrated Project Plan (pl./co.)
- Risk Log (pl.)
Integrated Planning
How do all pieces of information fit together to form the integrated project plan?
The Integrated Planning Process is concerned with developing a comprehensive project plan, to steer, execute and monitor the project.
Input
Process Steps
1. Setting up the project
To set up the project appropriately, all steps necessary to insure an orderly and quick start of the project from the client’s perspective have to be executed. Here it is important to avoid a delayed start of the project. For example, all people assigned to the project should be brought together in a project team and should participate in a kick-off meeting to get an introduction into the project. During set-up, it is also important to organize all infrastructure needed for the project and to have all information from the pre-project phase documented.
2. Initiating the planning process and developing the integrated project plan
To initiate the planning process and build a base for the integrated project plan, the planning results of the knowledge areas scope, time, human resource and supplier should be documented in the integrated project plan.
3. Iterating planning activities to close planning gaps
To develop a reliable project plan, the next step is to set up the plans for all knowledge areas and adjust these plans to the project restrictions. Common restrictions are, for example, a fixed deadline or maximum budget. The plans also need to be reviewed comprehensively for gaps and inconsistencies. These have to be filled and solved accordingly.
4. Optimizing plans
The individual planning documents need to be integrated into a comprehensive project plan. Therefor, the plans of all knowledge areas must be optimized and aligned.
5. Defining the PM change management process
The PM change management process has to fulfill diverse requirements in accordance to different project characteristics. The greater the possibility for a change, the more urgently a predefined PM change management process is required.
6. Requesting approval for the project plan
The approval of the project plan by the stakeholders ensures their full support and marks an important step in driving the project forward.
7. Executing quality gate for the planning process (QG Plan)
After the detailed planning is finalized, the quality gate has to be executed in conclusion of the planning phase. For this, the project manager presents all results of the planning phase to the person responsible for the quality gate. Until the quality gate is concluded, the person responsible for the quality gate reviews all delivered results of the planning phase and solves any upcoming problems.
Output
- Integrated Project (pl.)
- PM Change Management Process:
Developing the Integrated Project Plan
- To build the base for integrated project plan, results from the planning phase of the knowledge areas scope, time, human resource and supplier management need to be documented in the template “Integrated Project Plan” successively
–> this initial plan serves as foundation for the following, iterative planning process: new information about a respective knowledge area has to be added and aligned continuously in order to ensure that the project plan is always up to date (this has to be continued even after the planning phase has been completed)
Explanations to the Integrated Project Plan
- Explanation of “Milestone”:
- Deadline, by which a defined amount of results needs to be (to a given level of detail) formally documented and verifiably completed
- Set by project manager according to the project objectives, content and approach
- Is relevant even outside the project team: sponsors, steering committee, reporting, etc.
- Explanation of “Quality Gate”:
- Quality gates are used to review formally set checkpoints. They define certain work results, expectations and standards. Passing the project results to the next working level happens only after the expectations and standards defined by the quality gate are fulfilled and verified
- Quality gates support the project execution and ensure conformity to defined project processes
- A quality gate is set formally “from the outside” and cannot be influenced by the project (eg. IT quality management…), it is a formal requirement.
- Explanation of “Phase“:
- Phases are logically connected and clearly defined procedures within a project. The structure of the phases depends on the type and complexity of the project
- Phases can be clearly distinguished from another, are usually time sensitive and have defined objectives, such as producing a deliverable (–> milestone) The project phase includes important details about the scope of performance, the deliverables, and decisions about the following project phases
- Explanation of “Work Package”:
- Work packages arise through the division of required project results, into smaller, better manageable elements
- A work package must be plannable, reviewable and clearly defined, so that a precise estimate of time, resources and costs is possible
- A work package must be assigned to one person responsible, also if several team members may work on one work package at the same time
- Explanation of “Task”:
- Depending on their size and complexity, work packages can be divided further into smaller task packages, displayed on the integrated project plan.
- The guideline when dividing work packages into smaller task packages, is to keep the integrated project plan clearly laid out, so that it always displays a clear overview of the project. To ensure a clear overview work packages should therefore not be divided into too much detail.
- Depending on their size and complexity, work packages can be divided further into smaller task packages, displayed on the integrated project plan.
Changes in the Project Scope: Change Request Process
Change Request Management Process
Final Notes on Integrated Planning
The responsible project manager has to integrate all sub-project managers into the planning process
- Estimates relevant to scope, time, HR, supplier and costs from all sub-projects must be documented
- Documented estimates are validated relative to each other and included in a comprehensive integrated project plan.
Additionally, the topic of testing must be included in project planning– so there must be close coordination between the project manager and the test manager
- Planning of the test phases (including repetitions) as well as the impact on resources and costs
Tips and Tricks
Do not mistake the estimates for desired results, political prerequisites or quotation costing (how well can you make estimates when the closing date is fixed?)
Transfer the estimated theoretical values from the planning framework, into the real environment (defined by budget, legal deadlines, available resources, etc…)
When you face considerable insecurity: identify assumptions, then make estimations, conduct planning and document the assumptions and dependencies. Validate these regularly.
Experienced project members usually over estimate the required effort, while inexperienced project members usually underestimate it. Don‘t forget secondary efforts, (such as PM, project familiarization, infrastructure).
Buffers should always be used consistently and transparently.
For an effective steering of the project, you should update the plan reasonably frequent (the plan should always reflect reality).
In complex projects, implement a clear planning process and clearly determine persons responsible for planning.
Including the project team and the steering committee in the planning, validates assumptions and creates an air of common understanding. This ensures planning reliability.
Establish the change request process early on and review the change requests with regard to the business requirements.
