Make a simple plan

Skills for Success says planning includes defining tasks, milestones, and a longer-term path, then putting tasks in a sensible order.

The TBS glossary describes a project management plan as the document that identifies planned objectives and deliverables, as well as scope, a work breakdown structure, budget, schedule, risks, roles, resources, and how the work will be watched. It becomes the plan against which changes are measured. Your version can be one page.

A work breakdown structure is a list of the work, organized by deliverable, from larger pieces down to smaller ones. A work package is the lowest level — a piece of work someone can finish and be responsible for.

TBS names four phases it uses (and notes that organizations may use their own names):

1. Initial planning and identification — understand the need and look at options.
2. Project definition — set clearer objectives and reduce risk before the main work.
3. Project implementation — do the work and provide the deliverables.
4. Project close-out — accept the results and finish the paperwork.

For a small community project you might write:

• Goal: hall painted before May 15.
• Tasks: buy paint, cover floors, paint walls, clean up.
• Milestone: walls done by May 10.
• Who: Sam buys supplies; Jordan paints.
• Limit: use the approved colour only.

This course will not tell you how large a government budget should be. It also does not use private PMI exam methods.