Project Management Plan

Framework
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Assignment #1: Product Description and Communication Plan

The Product Description is a high-level view of your project and will be developed further as more
information becomes available. This exercise will help your group formulate a clear and complete
understanding of what you will be striving to achieve and why.

Your Product Description must answer the following three questions. They have been provided to help
you develop an accurate and succinct product description. The assignment should not be longer than
one page in length.

1. What is the business or social need that the project is meant to address?
2. What are the features and functions that characterize the product or service the project was
undertaken to create?
3. How will the product or service being created answer the business need or other stimulus that
gave rise to the project?

The Communication Plan specifies how communications will be handled within the project team and the
roles and responsibilities of each team member to ensure communication is maintained, providing
contact information for each team member as well as how issues will be resolved and/or escalated.

1. Provide name telephone number, Ryerson e-mail address for each team member.
2. What are the roles and responsibilities of each team member regarding communications?
3. When will regular team meetings take place (time and location)?
4. What is the procedure for communicating outside of regular team meetings?
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Assignment #2: Project Charter

The Project Charter is meant to formally authorize a project and provides the project manager with the
authority to apply resources to the project. The project sponsor who is external to the project
organization and in a position to fund the project issues the charter.

For this assignment, your group must wear the hat of the sponsor when authoring the Project Charter.
Since you have already started the process of outlining the project in your Product Description, the
Project Charter will give you the opportunity to provide more detail as your understanding of it becomes
more accurate and clear.

Your Project Charter must contain the answers to the following questions as they form the framework of
an accurate, succinct and complete Project Charter.

Note: If the process appears repetitive, please remember that the Project Charter must stand alone as a document
when issued and it must provide an overall view of why the project is in existence, what it intends to achieve and
what the limits and priorities of the project are.

1. What is the organizational strategic objective the project is meant to achieve?

• What is the purpose or justification?
• What are the high-level requirements
• What are the high-level project description and boundaries?
2. What are the objectives for the project?
• What are the measureable project objectives and related success criteria
• What are the project approval requirements (i.e. what constitutes project success, who
decides the project is successful, and who signs off on the project)?
• What are the key milestones?
• What is the summary budget?
• What are the high-level risks?
3. What are the assumptions and constraints?
• Organizational: formal and informal policies, procedures, guidelines, plans, standards,
knowledge base from previous projects
• Environmental: company culture, structure company infrastructure, equipment,
facilities, current human resources and their skills and competencies, project
management information systems, software, web interfaces, etc.
• External: consultants, industry groups, professional associations, departments within
performing organization, etc., market place conditions, stakeholder risk tolerances,
governmental or industry standards.
4. Who is involved in the project?
• Who are the key stakeholders for the project?
• Who is the assigned project manager, responsibility, and authority level
• Who are the project sponsor and other persons involved in authorizing the project
charter?
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Assignment #3: Project Management Plan Presentation

Scope Management Plan

The following questions have been developed to help you develop a comprehensive scope management
plan. By being succinct and clear, you will provide an easy, usable tool for the project team to effectively
manage project scope.

The scope management plan outlines how project scope will be defined, documented, verified,
managed and controlled by the project management team.

1. What is the process for preparing a detailed project scope statement?

2. What is the process to create the WBS?
3. What is the process to maintain and approve the WBS?
4. What is the process to formally accept the completed project deliverables?
5. What is the process to control requests for changes to the project scope baseline? (linked to 4.5)

Requirements Management Plan

The following questions have been developed to help you develop a comprehensive requirements
management plan. By being succinct and clear, you will provide an easy, usable tool for the project team
to effectively manage the collection of requirements and management of scope.

The requirements management plan outlines how project requirements will be defined, documented,
verified, managed and controlled by the project management team.

1. What process will support how requirements activities are planned, tracked and reported?
2. What configuration management process will control how changes to the requirements will be
processed (identified, classified, analyzed, accepted, authorized, integrated and tracked)?
3. What process will be used to prioritize requirements?
4. What are the product metrics and what is the rationale for using them?
5. What structure will be used to capture requirements for traceability through other project
documents?

Schedule Management Plan

The following questions have been developed to help you develop a comprehensive schedule
management plan. The subtitles provided make up the framework for the plan and the answers you will
provide make up the content. By being succinct and clear, you will provide an easy, usable tool for the
project team to effectively manage project schedule.

The schedule management plan outlines the process of responding to project schedule changes.

1. What is the schedule methodology and tool to be used in developing the project schedule?
2. What is the acceptable range used in determining the level of accuracy for duration estimates?
3. What is the unit of measure (hours, days, weeks)?
4. How does the schedule management plan links to the WBS (see section 5.4)?
5. What is the process to record process on the project schedule?
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6. What are the variance thresholds for monitoring the schedule performance?
7. What are the rules for measurement performance against the schedule?
a. Rules for establishing percent complete
b. Earned value measurement techniques to be used
8. What are the reporting requirements?
9. What is specific approach for each of the schedule processes on the project?

Cost Management Plan

The following questions have been developed to help you develop a comprehensive cost management
plan. The subtitles provided make up the framework for the plan and the answers you will provide make up
the content. By being succinct and clear, you will provide an easy, usable tool for the project team to
effectively manage project costs.

The cost management plan outlines the process of responding to project cost changes.

1. What is the unit of measure (hours, days, weeks)?

2. What is the level of precision for estimates?
3. What is the acceptable range used in determining the level of accuracy for estimates?
4. How does the cost management plan links to the WBS (see section 5.4)?
5. What is the process to record process on the project schedule?
6. What are the variance thresholds for monitoring the schedule performance?
7. What are the rules for measurement performance against the schedule?
a. Rules for establishing percent complete
b. Earned value measurement techniques to be used
8. What are the reporting requirements?
9. What is specific approach for each of the cost processes on the project?
10. What additional details are for the cost processes, such as:
a. Description of strategic funding choices
b. Handling fluctuations in currency exchange rates
c. Project cost recording

Quality Management Plan

The following questions have been developed to help you develop a comprehensive quality management
plan. The subtitles provided make up the framework for the plan and the answers you will provide make up
the content. By being succinct and clear, you will provide an easy, usable tool for the project team to
effectively manage project quality.

The quality management plan should include:

1. How will the organizations quality policies be implemented?

2. What procedures will be in place to meet the quality requirements?
3. What resources are needed to implement quality management?
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Process Improvement Plan

The following questions have been developed to help you develop a comprehensive process improvement
plan. The subtitles provided make up the framework for the plan and the answers you will provide make up
the content. By being succinct and clear, you will provide an easy, usable tool for the project team to
effectively manage project quality.

The process improvement plan describes the steps used on the project to analyze the processes being
used and how to improve the processes.

The process improvement plan should include:

1. A description of the purpose of the processes to be used in the project. The description should
include the start and end, the input and outputs, data required, the owner, and the stakeholders
2. A graphic depiction of processes with interfaces identified
3. The process metrics, including control limits, if required
4. Guidelines for process improvement, what are the improvement targets

Resource Plan

The following questions have been developed to help you develop a comprehensive resource management
plan. The subtitles provided make up the framework for the plan and the answers you will provide make up
the content. By being succinct and clear, you will provide an easy, usable tool for the project team to
effectively manage project staffing.

The staffing management plan describes how and when human resources will be met.

• Roles and Responsibilities

1. What are the project roles, responsibilities and required skills be identified and
documented?
2. What are the reporting relationships?
3. What are the project responsibilities for each team member?
4. What are the skills and capacity required to complete the assignments
• Project organization charts
1. A graphic display of the reporting relationships
• Staffing Management Plan
Staff Acquisition
1. Will human resources be drawn from within the organization or from external sources?
2. What are the costs for each level of expertise?
3. How can the human resources department assist the management team?
Recourse Calendar
1. When will human resources be brought onto and taken off of the project team?
• When will recruitment start?
• When will individuals or groups of people be working on the project? (Use a
resource histogram; PMBOK® Guide, Fig. 9-6)
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Staff Release Plan

1. How will team members be released from the project to minimize down-time and costs?
2. What strategies will be used to release team members from the project so that the
transition is smooth and morale is maintained high?
Training Needs
1. Is there a training plan for team members who do not have the required competencies?
2. Do any team members require any certifications that would benefit the project?
Recognition and Rewards
1. What recognition and reward criteria are in place that promote and reinforce desired
behaviours? e.g. meeting cost objectives
Compliance
1. What strategies are in place to ensure compliance with government regulations, union
contracts, or other human resource policies?
Safety
1. What policies and procedures protect team members from safety hazards on the project?

Communications Management Plan

The following questions have been developed to help you develop a comprehensive communications
management plan. The subtitles provided make up the framework for the plan and the answers you will
provide make up the content. By being succinct and clear, you will provide an easy, usable tool for the
project team to effectively manage project communications.

1. What are the stakeholder communication requirements?

2. What information is required, in what format, and to what level of detail?
3. Why is the information being distributed?
4. When and how often does the information what to be distributed?
5. Who is responsible for distributing the information?
6. Who responsible for authorizing the release of confidential information
7. Who will be receiving information?
8. How will the information be distributed, e.g. e-mail, memo?
9. What are the resources allocated, including time and budget to communications?
10. What is the process and timeframes for escalating issues for resolution?
11. How is the communications management plan updated and refined?
12. Glossary of common terminology
13. Information flow charts including possible sequence of authorization
14. What are the communication constraints?

Risk Management Plan

The following questions have been developed to help you develop a comprehensive risk management plan.
The subtitles provided make up the framework for the plan and the answers you will provide make up the
content. By being succinct and clear, you will provide an easy, usable tool for the project team to effectively
manage project risk.

The risk management plan describes how risk identification, qualitative and quantitative analysis,
response planning, monitoring and control will be structured and performed during the project life
cycle.
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*** The risk management plan DOES NOT address responses to individual risks. This is done in the risk
register.

Methodology
1. What approaches, tools (assessments) and data sources will be used to perform risk
management on this project?
2. What structure ensures that a comprehensive risk identification process is in place? (See
example on PMBOK® Guide Figure 11-4).
3. How will revised stakeholder tolerances be identified and incorporated into the Risk Planning
process?
Roles and Responsibilities
1. Who will lead, support and make up the risk management team for each type of action in the
risk management plan? Will these people be from within the performing organization or
independent of it?
2. Who assigns people to the roles and clarifies responsibilities?
3. Who will establish risk management activities to be included in the project schedule?
Risk Budget
1. What is your budget for risk management for this project? (Cost of time and resources used to
perform risk management activities?)
2. Who will assign resources and estimate costs for risk management activities?
Timing
1. When and how often will the risk management process be performed throughout the project
life cycle?
Risk categories
1. What are the risk categories that will be used for the project?
Definitions of risk probability and impact
1. What scoring and interpretation methods will be used for the type of qualitative and
quantitative risk analysis being performed? (Probability and Impact definitions and scales, see
PMBOK® Guide Table 11.1)
Probability / Impact Matrix
1. How are risks prioritized according to their potential implications for meeting project
objectives? (PMBOK® Guide, Figure 11-10)
Revised stakeholders’ tolerances
1. What is the risk threshold in qualitative analysis that will determine which risks will be subjected
to quantitative analysis?
2. What the stakeholder risk tolerance still the same as the start of the project?
Reporting Formats
1. Describe the content and format of the risk register.
2. How will the results of the risk management processes be documented?
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3. How will they be communicated to the project team, external stakeholders, sponsors and
others?
Tracking
1. How will all facets of risk activities be recorded for the benefit of the current project, future
needs and lessons learned?
2. Will your risk processes be audited and if so, how?

Procurement Management Plan

The following questions have been developed to help you develop a comprehensive procurement
management plan. By being succinct and clear, you will provide an easy, usable tool for the project team to
effectively manage project procurement.

The procurement management plan describes how the procurement processes, i.e. Plan Procurements
through to Close Procurements, will be managed.

1. What are the types of contracts that will be used?

2. What are the risk management issues that are either address by procurement or are created
from procurement?
3. Are independent estimates required? Are independent estimates part of the evaluation
criteria?
4. What actions can the project team take in the procurement process?
5. Are there standard procurement documents?
6. Are these policies for managing multiple suppliers?
7. What are the issues in coordinating procurement with other project deliverables, such as
scheduling and reporting
8. What are the assumptions and constraints for procurement?
9. What are the required lead times?
10. How are make-or-buy discussions handled and linked to scheduling and estimating?
11. Establish the schedule dates for each contract
12. Identify the specific contract requirements for each contract to mitigate risks?
13. How does the procurement management plan links to the WBS (see section 5.4)?
14. What is the format for contract statements of work?
15. Will prequalified sellers list be used? If so, who are they?
16. What are the metrics to evaluate the performance of the contract and sellers

Stakeholder Management Plan

The following questions have been developed to help you develop a comprehensive stakeholder
management plan. By being succinct and clear, you will provide an easy, usable tool for the project team to
effectively manage stakeholders.

The stakeholder management plan describes how the stakeholder processes, will be managed. The
stakeholder management plan builds on the stakeholder register. In addition the Stakeholder
Management Plan needs to be closely aligned to the Communications Management Plan.
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1. Who are the stakeholders and what is there current level of engagement?
2. What is the scope and impact of project change to stakeholders?
3. What are the interrelationships and potential overlap between stakeholders?
4. What communication requirements do the stakeholders have?
5. How should information to be distributed to stakeholders (see Communication management
plan), including language, format, etc.?
6. What is the reason for distributing the information to the stakeholder and the expected impact?
7. When should the information be distributed to the stakeholders?
8. What is the process for updating and refining the stakeholder management plan?
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Assignment #4: Status Reports

The status report is a critical tool used to report project progress, provide a constant measurement to
ensure milestones/deliverables are on track and identify any risks and issues that may impact successful
delivery of the project. The project status report should be clear and succinct with consideration as to
the audience receiving the report.

1. What key activities were performed during the last reporting period?
2. What key activities are planned for the next reporting period and beyond?
3. What is the current status of milestones/deliverables?
4. What are the key risks/issues on the project?

Guideline to status flags:

Green – proceeding normally with no significant risks/issues

Yellow – some risks/issues exist that may impact successful delivery if not addressed
Red – significant risks/issues that will impact successful delivery
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Assignment #5: Project Management Plan

The Project Management Plan is the final deliverable of the planning phase of the project that provides
the detailed roadmap for the execution phase of the project. In some organizations The Project
Management Plan will require organization approval before the execution phase of the project can
begin.

The Project Management Plan includes all the subsidiary management plans and the baseline
documents. This includes:

• Scope management plan

• Requirements management plan
• Schedule management plan
• Cost management plan
• Quality management plan
• Process improvement plan
• Human resource management plan
• Communications management plan
• Risk management plan
• Procurement management plan
• Stakeholder management plan
• Scope baseline
• Schedule baseline
• Cost baseline
• Risk register
• Stakeholder register

In addition for this assignment the following deliverables need to be provided

• Product description
• Project charter
• Scope statement
• WBS
• Gantt chart
• Detail cost estimates
• Complete risk assessment include

Project Scope Statement

The project scope statement defines the project, i.e., what needs to be done? It addresses and
documents the characteristics and boundaries of the project and its products and services and outlines
methods of acceptance and scope control. The project scope statement must be clear as it forms the
basis upon which decisions will be made throughout the project lifecycle. It provides a common
understanding of project scope for all the stakeholders and undergoes refinement as changes are
approved and are integrated into the scope of the project.

The project scope statement includes the following information:

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1. Product scope description

• What are the project and product aiming to achieve?
• What are the characteristics of the product or service described in the project charter?
• What are the quantifiable criteria that must be met for the project to be considered
successful? Note that objectives should include cost, schedule, and quality measures
that are quantifiable. Quantifiable metrics are more easily attained than unquantifiable
objectives.
2. Product acceptance criteria
• What checklist will the client use to check if requirements have been fulfilled to their
satisfaction?
3. Project requirements and deliverables
• List the major deliverables of the project whose full and satisfactory delivery would mark
the completion of the project.
4. Project exclusions
• What is in and out of scope?
• Exclusions should be listed because anything not explicitly included is implicitly
excluded.
5. Project constraints and assumptions