2. 2
Overview
Introduction to Step Wise Project Planning
Select Project
Identify Project Scope and Objectives
Identify Project Infrastructure
Analyze Project Characteristics
Identify Project Products and Activities
Estimate Effort for Each Activity
Identify Activity Risks
Allocate Resources
Review/Publicize Plan
Execute Plan/Lower Levels of Planning
3. 3
Introduction to Project Planning
Project planning
guides the execution of the project, coordinating the activities.
facilitates better communication between the project
stakeholders.
provides a means of tracking and monitoring the progress.
provides a detailed documentation regarding planning
decisions.
Project planning is of significant importance for the success
of the project.
Careful planning helps prevent costly mistakes.
Good planning is the key to meet the project objectives within
defined time and budget.
4. 4
Introduction to Project Planning
Many different techniques can be used for project
planning.
This chapter introduces the Step Wise method.
An example to other methods is the PRINCE2 method.
It is a set of project management standards that were originally
sponsored by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) for
use on British governtment ICT and business change projects.
The standarts are now also widely used on non-government
projects in the UK.
Step Wise method is also compatible with PRINCE2.
Step Wise covers only the planning stages of a project and not
monitoring and control.
9. 9
Step 0: Select Project
Called Step 0 because it is actually outside the
main project planning steps.
While feasibility study suggests that there is a
business case for the project, it would still need to
be established that it should have priority over
other projects.
This evaluation can be part of project portfolio
management.
10. 10
Step 1: Identify Project Scope and Objectives
1.1. Identify objectives and practical measures of the effectiveness in
meeting those objectives
How do we know we are successful?
1.2: Establish a project authority
Who is the boss?
1.3. Stakeholder analysis – identify all stakeholders in the project and
their interests
Who does what?
1.4. Modify objectives in the light of stakeholder analysis
What shall we do for the commitment of stakeholders to the project?
1.5. Establish methods of communication with all parties
How do we stay in touch and informed?
11. 11
Step 2: Identify Project Infrastructure
2.1. Identify relationship between the project and
strategic planning
2.2. Identify installation standards and procedures
2.3. Identify project team organization
12. 12
Step 3: Analyze Project Characteristics
3.1. Distinguish the project as either objective- or
product-driven
3.2. Analyze other project characteristics (including
quality-based ones)
3.3. Identify high-level project risks
3.4. Take into account user requirements
concerning implementation
3.5. Select development methodology and life-
cycle approach
3.6. Review overall resource estimates
16. 16
Step 4: Identify Project Products & Activities
4.5. Modify the ideal to take into account need for stages
and checkpoints
Assumption of ideal activity network:
an activity will start as soon as the preceding ones upon which it
depends have been completed.
But we need to divide the project into stages and introducing
checkpoint activities
to check that products of preceding activities are compatible.
Milestones represent the completion of important stages of the
project of which managers would want to take particular note.
Checkpoint activities are often useful milestones.
17. 17
Step 5: Estimate Effort for Each Activity
5.1. Carry out bottom-up estimates
Estimates for each activity is produced about
staff effort required
probable elapsed time
non-staff resources
Elapsed time is different from effort!
Effort is the amount of work that needs to be done.
Elapsed time is the time between the start and end of a
task.
5.2. Revise plan to create controllable activities
18. 18
Step 6: Identify Activity Risks
6.1. Identify and quantify activity-based risks
Look at each activity in turn and assess the risks to its successful
outcome.
The damage that each risk could cause and the likelyhood of its
occurrence must be evaluated.
6.2. Plan risk reduction and contingency measures where
appropriate
Contingency plans specify action that is to be taken if a risk
materializes.
6.3. Adjust overall plans and estimates to take account of
risks
19. 19
Step 7: Allocate Resources
7.1. Identify and allocate resources
7.2. Revise plans and estimates to take into account
resource constraints
20. 20
Step 8: Review/Publicize Plan
8.1. Review quality aspects of the project plan
Each task should have quality criteria.
These quality checks have to be passed before the
activity can be “signed off” as completed.
8.2. Document plans and obtain agreement
Plans should be carefully documented.
All the parties to the project must understand and
agree on the plan.
21. 21
Steps 9/10: Execute Plan/Lower Levels of Planning
Once the project is under way, plans will need to
be drawn up in greater detail for each activity as it
becomes due.
Detailed planning of the later stages will need to
be delayed because more information will be
available nearer the start of the stage.
It is necessary to make provisional plans for the
more distant tasks.
22. 22
Summary
Any planning approach should have the following elements:
the establishment of project objectives
the analysis of the characteristics of the project
the establishment of an infrastructure consisting of an appropriate
organization and set of standards, methods and tools
the identification of the products of the project and the activities
needed to generate those products
the allocation of resources to activities
the establishment of quality controls
Project planning is an iterative process
As the time approaches for particular activities to be carried out they
should be replanned in more detail.
