Project planning made simple: 6 steps to write a project plan

Nearly two-thirds of business plans fail during the execution phase.

Planning is the solid foundation for the success of any project or business plan.

For managers and leaders, having a well-structured plan allows you to stay on top of future operations, minimize the impact of external changes, prevent resource waste, and establish clear standards for monitoring progress. For employees or team members, planning is a crucial tool that helps align efforts within an organization, reducing overlap and confusion.

However, most plans fail during the execution phase due to unforeseen risks that many project managers have yet to consider. This is especially true for young, inexperienced managers who often stumble at the very first step. So, how can you ensure that your “plan” doesn’t end up as just another wasted document?

Let’s explore the 6 essential steps to create a complete plan that will boost your confidence and help you quickly lead your team to project success!

What is a project plan?

A project plan is a formal document that outlines the details of how a project will be executed, monitored, and controlled. It serves as a roadmap for the project, providing clear guidance on the objectives, scope, timeline, resources, and processes involved. 

What to include in a project plan?

Key components of a project plan include:

• Project objectives: This defines the purpose of the project, outlining the specific goals and deliverables the project is intended to achieve.
• Scope: The project scope identifies the boundaries of the project, specifying what will and won’t be included in the deliverables.
• Timeline: This includes the project schedule, outlining key phases, milestones, and deadlines for completing tasks. Gantt charts or timelines are often used to visualize the schedule.
• Resources: A breakdown of the resources required, including team members, equipment, and materials. It also outlines roles and responsibilities within the team.
• Budget: The project plan details the estimated costs associated with the project, including labor, materials, and other expenses.
• Risk management plan: This section identifies potential risks, their impact on the project, and strategies to mitigate them.
• Communication plan: The project plan establishes how and when information will be shared with stakeholders.
• Quality management: This outlines how the quality of the project deliverables will be assured, including standards, criteria, and quality control measures.
• Change management: A process for how changes to the project scope, timeline, or resources will be handled, helping teams adapt to unexpected challenges.

6 steps to write a project plan

Step 1: Identify customer and stakeholder needs

In this article, we focus on two common scenarios when planning a project.

Scenario 1: Building a project based on customer needs

In this case, you are hired to carry out the project. Therefore, there are two key tasks you need to complete at this stage:

• Gather customer requirements and expectations for the project.
• Establish project baselines (scope, budget, timeline, resources, customer expectations, and responsibilities of all parties). This helps prevent issues like blame-shifting or avoiding responsibility if the project experiences delays or failure.

Scenario 2: Creating a project/plan based on management requests

If you are a CEO or department head tasked with planning a product development strategy or monthly/quarterly business strategy, you should:

• Clearly understand the issues or requests made by management.
• Set up key points for project completion in collaboration with management: budget, timeline, resources, and project scope (this will be similar to Scenario 1).

Pro tip:

Make an effort to communicate more with customers and stakeholders to truly understand their deeper needs. This is the "golden key" to building initial trust between both parties in the project.

Step 2: Setting goals for the plan

Setting clear goals for the project is a crucial step in the planning process. Goals give customers and management a clear view of the expected outcomes and make it easier to assess the project's success. Well-defined goals help you and other stakeholders estimate the workload, resources, time, and costs more accurately and clarify everyone's responsibilities.

However, setting a specific target number for these goals isn’t always straightforward.

In fact, 70% of business projects fail to meet their set goals!

One major reason for this failure is that the key element of “goal-setting” is often unrealistic. To avoid falling into this trap, follow the SMART criteria when setting your goals.

SMART criteria ensure that your project goals are practical and achievable. This includes:

S - Specific

Your project goals must be specific and answer these five key questions (the 5 W's):

• What is the goal?
• Why is it necessary to achieve this goal?
• Where will the project be carried out?
• Who will be responsible for executing it?
• When is the timeline for this goal?

M - Measurable

A project goal must be measurable, meaning you should be able to track the progress, resources used, cost, and how tasks will be completed.

A - Achievable

The project must be doable in real-world conditions. An achievable goal answers the question, "How can we make this happen?".

R - Realistic

A realistic goal provides tangible benefits for the stakeholders. To ensure this, the goal should answer these questions:

• What benefits will the project deliver?
• Is it the right time for this?
• Are these benefits aligned with the project’s needs and efforts?
• Who are the right stakeholders to benefit from this project?

T - Time-bound

The project must be completed within a specific timeline. A time-bound goal answers:

• When should the project be completed?
• When will it begin?
• What progress should be made within each specific time frame?

Pro tip:  

Never say, "Every goal is important." Instead, prioritize goals based on their urgency and impact on the project's success.

Step 3: Define project deliverables for each phase

Once you've outlined the overall goals, this step involves estimating the specific workload and deliverables at each project milestone. In simple terms, it's about defining the expected results for each phase of the project. This helps you and other stakeholders keep track of progress and anticipate potential risks along the way.

So how can you stay on top of each phase's deliverables?

Set key milestones or reminders for each project deadline. By regularly monitoring the progress, you can ensure that tasks are completed on time, which fosters trust and satisfaction among all stakeholders.

Pro tip:

Using software to manage projects is one of the most effective ways to keep your team aligned and ensure the project stays on track. With the help of digital tools, you can monitor progress in real time, centralize documentation, and improve communication.

Rework Projects allow multiple view and board types for flexible project planning and management

Step 4: Establish the project schedule

Building on the deliverables from Step 3, you now need to determine the sequence of tasks required for the project. For each task, clearly define the timeframe, resources needed, and the person responsible for completing it.

Next, consider the dependencies between tasks or responsibilities assigned to team members. It's crucial to know which task needs to be completed before another can begin, so that resources and time are allocated efficiently, avoiding bottlenecks and delays.

At this stage, using a Gantt chart is essential. A Gantt chart allows you to assign deadlines, from start to finish, while keeping track of who is responsible for each task and the workload involved. This makes it easier to monitor progress, control the schedule, and make adjustments as needed to prevent disruptions when tasks overlap.

A project visualized in Rework.com

Pro tip:

Whether your project runs smoothly largely depends on this step. The best advice is to consult with your team members. They can offer valuable insights on how to approach tasks, the timeframes needed, and who is best suited for specific responsibilities. Plus, by securing each person’s commitment to deadlines, you'll have a solid foundation to confidently communicate project progress with stakeholders.

Step 5: Identify risks and assess their impact (Risk management plan)

No project is risk-free, and we certainly can’t rely on luck to save us when things go wrong! 

What you need to do is anticipate potential risks that could affect your project or your team members. For example, if a project phase coincides with a holiday period, it may impact progress, so you’ll need to account for extra buffer time. 

Sometimes, there are unforeseen circumstances that can seriously disrupt the project, such as a team member unexpectedly leaving, equipment malfunctioning, or team conflicts. 

Carefully consider each step to prevent certain risks from happening or to minimize their negative impact on your project.

This step involves assessing risks and building a risk management strategy to ensure your project plan has the smallest margin of error possible.

Pro tip:

For tasks with a high level of risk, it's wise to create a “buffer” by allocating additional time either to specific tasks or the entire project. This buffer will give you enough time to deal with unexpected issues as they arise.

Step 6: Present the project plan to stakeholders

Now that all the steps are complete, it’s time to present your project plan to stakeholders. In this step, you need to explain how the project’s implementation will impact their expectations and needs. Additionally, you must propose solutions for any potential conflicts. Remember, your presentation should not be one-sided, it must be a discussion.

You should clarify: Who needs which reports, and how frequently? What decisions in the plan or during the project's execution need approval, and who is responsible for those decisions?

It’s also crucial to present the plan clearly, backed by specific data, to ensure that stakeholders fully understand their requirements, expected outcomes, and responsibilities.

Pro tip:

If the plan or schedule clashes with initial expectations, this is the moment to address it, making sure there are no surprises or frustrations later. Instead of simply telling stakeholders that their demands are unrealistic, guide the conversation by asking questions like: What time frame, budget, or resources are needed to make their goals feasible? Let them decide on trade-offs rather than turning it into a debate.

Once you've completed these six steps...

Congratulations, you’ve officially finished your project planning phase!

With this strong start, we hope you’ll manage the project smoothly. However, keep in mind that specific details about your project planning and descriptions might vary depending on the project management method you choose. In the next article, we’ll guide you on the best practices for managing your project successfully.