Project Plan
Basic task-based project plan
About Project Plan
A project plan is a task-based schedule that sets out what needs to be done, by whom and by when. It breaks a project into manageable tasks, sequences them and shows how they fit together over time.
It is the most familiar form of planning and works well when the scope is clear and the work can be defined up front. A good plan gives the team a shared view of the work and gives the project lead something to track progress against.
Plan hierarchy
Read from the top down: each level breaks the one above it into more specific work.
- 1
Phase
A major stage of the project, such as planning, build or launch, that ends with a clear milestone.
- 2
Work package
A group of related tasks that produces a defined deliverable within a phase.
- 3
Task
A specific piece of work with one owner and a start and end date. A task can depend on another finishing first, so when one slips the plan shows what else is affected.
Use cases
Delivering a defined piece of work
Organise a project with a clear scope, deadline and set of deliverables.
Coordinating a team
Give everyone visibility of what they own and what depends on them.
Tracking progress
Compare actual progress with the plan and spot delays early.
How to use it
Tips and common mistakes
- Add a margin to estimates for risks and rework. Plans built on best-case timings usually slip.
- Give each task a single owner. Shared ownership often means no ownership.
- Update the plan when it changes. An out-of-date plan is worse than none.
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