By having a project plan in place, you\u2019ll be able to recognize and respond to unplanned changes before they get out of hand.<\/p>\n
Better still, you can lay out contingency plans to manage project risks and limit the impact of potential catastrophes.<\/p>\n
Not only that, but a well-written project plan sets project expectations and documents who is accountable for those expectations. That way you, your customers, your team, and any other stakeholders are on the same page \u2014 literally.<\/p>\n
Need help getting started? Follow this step-by-step guide on how to write a project plan and the best tools to use to make each stage of the process simpler.<\/p>\n
Get started with monday.com<\/a><\/p>\n First off, don\u2019t confuse your project plan with your project schedule. Your schedule is only one aspect of your plan.<\/p>\nYour project plan is a formal, approved document that outlines the whole project. It\u2019s like the sherpa leading your project up a mountain \u2014 it shows where you go and who\u2019s in control.<\/span><\/a>\n A project plan will set out the purpose of your project along with the milestones to reach that project objective. It should cover the resources you\u2019ll use, the timescales you plan to stick to, and the deliverables at each stage.<\/p>\n In short, your project plan defines, organizes, prioritizes, and assigns activities and resources throughout your project lifetime.<\/p>\n For those looking to implement more agile project management<\/a> frameworks, a project plan might seem a little rigid at first.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not. It\u2019s just there to work as a guide to keep you on track.<\/strong><\/p>\n Over half<\/a> of all projects experience scope creep<\/a>. This is where the team ends up doing more work than originally planned.<\/p>\n (Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n With a defined project plan, it\u2019s far easier to see when scope creep starts to occur and nip it in the bud before changes become uncontrollable.<\/p>\n Basically, by outlining your expectations and intentions for project goals, timescales, and budgets, you can pinpoint the moments when these things start to go awry.<\/p>\n Look, 50%<\/a> of projects don\u2019t finish on time and 45%<\/a> of projects are over budget. A project plan can help to curtail wily overspending and late turnaround by identifying these issues early.<\/p>\n There are no hard-and-fast rules for a project plan. It can be as simple or as complex as suits you.<\/p>\n Some organizations just create a simple project plan on a whiteboard or briefly cover what\u2019s what on 1\u20132 pages. Others go into very minute detail about how the project will be executed.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking to create a comprehensive project plan that covers all angles, answer these 6 questions…<\/p>\n The executive summary<\/a> goes at the beginning of your project plan to summarize everything in the document.<\/p>\n While it goes first, it\u2019s a wise idea to write it last<\/strong> as you\u2019ll be pulling out the main points from the rest of your plan.<\/p>\n It should be no longer than a page, offering a brief overview of:<\/strong><\/p>\n The summary serves as a snapshot of your project.<\/p>\n For stakeholders who aren\u2019t actively involved in the mechanics of the project, they can get an understanding of how it will run without having to delve into the nuts and bolts.<\/p>\n For project managers, the executive summary serves as a quick reminder of the key project goal, scope, expectations, and limitations.<\/p>\n Since a third<\/a> of projects don\u2019t meet their original goals, it\u2019s important that project managers review the project plan regularly to stay on track or monitor changes. The executive summary helps them do this quickly without having to read everything all over again.<\/p>\n As <\/em>Ben Snyder, CEO of project management training firm, Systemation puts<\/a> it, you need to \u201clook over the project plan each week and identify the gaps in your project. Pay attention to scope, time, cost, and where you should be via your deadlines and project objectives.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Your executive summary makes it quicker to perform this review.<\/p>\n There\u2019s nothing worse than starting on a project only for it to balloon.<\/p>\n The project scope sets boundaries. It defines when the project starts and finishes, along with the expectations for deliverables.<\/p>\n In this section, make sure you clearly state what you\u2019re expected to deliver and when you\u2019re accountable for this delivery. You want to make sure everyone involved is on the same page about what\u2019s included within the project\u2019s remit and<\/strong> what isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also smart to note which processes your project will affect and how, where projects might overlap, and which processes may have an effect on your project.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll also need to dive into the acceptance criteria for deliverables. This means specifying who approves deliverables and what the process is for these approvals.<\/p>\n Always remember to cover your back.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Outline the potential risks associated with meeting these expectations and give countermeasures to mitigate these risks. Define exactly who\u2019s accountable for tracking these risks.<\/p>\n In general, this section should aim to cover all the potential<\/a> causes of scope creep:<\/p>\n (Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n Organizations complain that half<\/a> of all their projects experience scope creep, yet only 27%<\/a> of organizations go to the effort of creating a scoping document every time.<\/p>\n Learn from these failures<\/strong> \u2014 create a comprehensive project scope for every<\/strong> project.<\/p>\n The way you structure your project will depend on the framework you\u2019re using to guide your project.<\/p>\n For example, if you\u2019re using the waterfall framework, you\u2019ll be planning everything in advance.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll move through all the stages of development sequentially \u2014 initiation, requirement gathering and analysis, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance.<\/p>\n Roles are clearly defined, with each team member stepping in to complete their specialist task at the right phase.<\/p>\n Each phase has a clear start and end date and all the tasks for that phase are completed in one go.<\/p>\n Or you may choose to go with a type of agile framework, such as the scrum framework.<\/p>\n Your project plan will cover how you\u2019ll create your Project Roadmap, User Story Map, and Product Backlog.<\/p>\n It should also plan out how you\u2019re going to work through the Scrum cycle again and again until everything is complete \u2014 create Sprint Backlog, Sprint execution, Sprint product delivery, Sprint review, then refine the Product Backlog.<\/p>\n But you won\u2019t plan in detail what\u2019ll be covered in each sprint until you get to it. In the beginning, the only lower level detail in your project plan will be for the very first sprint.<\/p>\n Another option is the Kanban framework.<\/p>\n This is a very fluid way of working where tasks are pinned to a board and assigned to project team members who move it through the predefined columns (assign, to-do, review, done) of the project\u2019s funnel.<\/p>\n In this structural section, you\u2019ll want to outline the columns you\u2019ll have on your Kanban board<\/a>.<\/p>\n Task delivery is constantly reprioritized with each piece of new information, so you won\u2019t need definite deadlines for each phase. Rather, you may just plan how to monitor and control volume of work-in-progress.<\/p>\n Whichever framework you choose, this section of your project plan should show how you plan to organize and assign deliverables and accountability.<\/p>\n Remember that the centralization of project structures can negatively<\/a> impact success, so try to work out ways that teams can work autonomously.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not good to have one approver who\u2019s accountable for everything \u2014 it will bottleneck your processes.<\/p>\n Equally, when teams share knowledge with each other, projects are more<\/a> successful. Make a note of the communication structures you\u2019ll use to encourage collaboration.<\/p>\n Get started<\/a><\/p>\n Define the resources you have available for this project:<\/p>\n You need to be precise when you\u2019re assessing what you\u2019ll need, otherwise you\u2019re baking a cake with all the wrong ingredients.<\/p>\n Take your team, for example.<\/p>\n (Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n When teams have the right highly-skilled people, projects are 30%<\/a> more likely to succeed. Yet, a third<\/a> of people don\u2019t believe their teams have all the right skills for the project \u2014 a recipe for failure.<\/p>\n It\u2019s no good saying you can make do with 2 software developers, only to realize you\u2019ll miss every deadline because they\u2019re overloaded.<\/p>\n If you want to effectively allocate your resources to meet expectations, you\u2019ll need to be realistic about resource limitations.<\/p>\n This may, for example, mean adjusting timescales if you\u2019re short on staff or increasing your budget if you need more specialist equipment.<\/p>\n Either way, this section should outline all approved resources and what they\u2019ll be used for when.<\/p>\n Organizations that implement time frames into project plans are 52%<\/a> more likely to succeed. Despite this, 80%<\/a> of projects don\u2019t always set baseline schedules. That\u2019s probably why 43%<\/a> of organizations say they rarely or never complete projects on time.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In this sense, it\u2019s wise to add a project schedule section to your project plan. This part of your plan should set expectations on when you\u2019ll deliver and how you\u2019ll stick to your project timeline.<\/p>\n Your project schedule will look a little different depending on which framework you choose.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re using the waterfall framework, you\u2019ll be working with the traditional milestone-style project timeline.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll probably outline 10\u201315 milestones with deadlines for each phase. Your roadmap will show the deliverables at each milestone.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re using the Scrum framework, the project schedule may include your project roadmap and user story map. You may also outline the number of Sprints you\u2019ll have to complete the project, along with the length of each Sprint.<\/p>\n You won\u2019t be able to define the exact deliverables at each Sprint, as you\u2019ll work out the priority for task completion as you go through Scrum meetings and Sprint reviews.<\/p>\n As for the Kanban framework, this is even more flexible \u2014 defining deadlines for deliverables alters depending on what happens throughout the project process.<\/p>\n The tasks that you have a \u2018Work in Progress\u2019 (WIP) will depend on your team\u2019s capacity. In this section, you should set your maximum number of WIPs you can have in each column at each time.<\/p>\n For example, say it\u2019s a blog-writing project. You might have 10 writers but only 2 editors. You\u2019ll need to limit how many blogs get passed through to editors so they don\u2019t get overwhelmed.<\/p>\n Whichever framework you\u2019re working with, you\u2019ll need to add a schedule risk management section. Explain the risks that might delay deliverables or create bottlenecks. Make sure you outline contingency plans to mitigate these risks.<\/p>\n With a robust project plan in place, what could possibly go wrong?<\/p>\n Answer? Loads.<\/strong><\/p>\n Ever heard of a \u2018black swan event\u2019? It\u2019s an unexpected event with a huge (usually negative) impact. While hindsight is 20:20, you can\u2019t always see every obstacle or diversion ahead of time.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why organizations put change control in their top 3<\/a> project challenges. If you don\u2019t solidify a change management plan, your team will be clueless on what to do when unplanned change hits.<\/p>\n A dynamic change management plan will outline the steps to follow and the person to turn to when unforeseen changes occur.<\/p>\n That way, your project is far more nimble \u2014 it\u2019s able to bend without breaking.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not easy to write a project plan straight off the bat \u2014 you\u2019re going to need to plan your plan.<\/p>\n These tools by monday.com are a lifesaver when it comes to visualizing each section. Try these 5 project plan templates to make your project planning process a little more straightforward.<\/p>\n Looking for a general project plan template? This Project Overview Dashboard template<\/a> is particularly helpful if you\u2019re using the Waterfall framework.<\/p>\n (Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n Using this highly visual template by monday.com, you can structure your subprojects by set time periods and allocate accountable personnel to each phase.<\/p>\n Prioritize each project and add a timeline to show when deliverables are expected.<\/p>\n Not only is this dashboard<\/a> top-notch for visually organizing your thoughts, it\u2019s invaluable in the execution phases.<\/p>\n You can track progress of each subproject while teams can communicate directly within the workflows by leaving updates in each item.<\/p>\n Resource management is a breeze with this easy-to-use template<\/a> from monday.com.<\/p>\n (Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n Use this dashboard to organize all your project resources \u2014 from your technological tools to your specialist staff members.<\/p>\n You can allocate resources to individuals and tack on timescales so your staff know what resources they\u2019re responsible for in which phase.<\/p>\n Attach a location so that teams know where to hand over resources as they transition from one phase to the next.<\/p>\n During project execution, you\u2019ll be able to track project resources so nothing goes AWOL.<\/p>\n It\u2019s far easier to plan a budget when you can see all your costs in one place.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why this Project Cost Management Template<\/a> from monday.com is so incredibly handy…<\/p>\n (Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n Add each subproject and plan out projected costs, allocating totals to each department. You can use the document to estimate the budget you\u2019ll need and to record your approved project budget.<\/p>\n Plan out your schedules with this Project Timeline Template<\/a>.<\/p>\n (Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n While this dashboard isn\u2019t really suitable if you\u2019re working with the Kanban framework, it\u2019s ideal for those operating under Waterfall or Scrum frameworks.<\/p>\n For Waterfall projects, add in your milestones, attach a timeline, and allocate a set number of work days to complete the tasks for each milestone.<\/p>\n Tag in the team leader for each phase so project managers know which milestones they\u2019re responsible for.<\/p>\n During project execution, teams can use the status bar to track progress. They can also add updates to each milestone by clicking on each item, which encourages inter-team collaboration.<\/p>\n For Scrum projects, you can organize the dashboard by Sprints, adding in the specific tasks as they\u2019re decided.<\/p>\n Visualize all your project scope and schedule risks in this Program Risk Register Template<\/a>.<\/p>\n (Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n There’s nothing better than a vivid color-coding system to highlight which items are serious risky business. Use color-coded status bars to illustrate risk status, risk probability, and risk impact for your project scope and schedule.<\/p>\n You can even categorize risks, add a risk owner, and suggest mitigation strategies. That way other project team members know what to do if these risks start to blossom into real glitches.<\/p>\n Got a better idea of how to structure your project plan? It\u2019s time to start fleshing out this skeleton structure with the details of your own projects.<\/p>\n Remember, it\u2019s far easier to write the executive summary at the end, once you know the points you need to summarize. Don\u2019t try to write it first \u2014 you\u2019ll only find yourself stuck on the first page of your project plan.<\/p>\n Equally, don\u2019t struggle planning your project plan. Use monday.com\u2019s pre-built planning templates<\/a> to help you breakdown each section of the plan as you go.<\/p>\n And if you need more help, never hesitate to contact the expert project management team at monday.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Get started<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Learn how to write a project plan and a technology that will make each stage of the process easier. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":219,"featured_media":134364,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"pages\/cornerstone-primary.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_title":"What Is A Project Plan And How Do You Write One?","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Explore the core components of a project plan, then learn how to write one from scratch using ready-made templates to get started.","monday_item_id":18059519422,"monday_board_id":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[13904],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-project-management"],"acf":{"lobby_image":false,"post_thumbnail_title":"","hide_post_info":false,"hide_bottom_cta":false,"hide_from_blog":false,"cluster":"","banner_url":"https:\/\/auth.monday.com\/users\/sign_up_new\" target=","main_text_banner":"Try monday.com project plans","sub_title_banner":"Join the 125K+ teams that use monday.com","sub_title_banner_second":"","banner_button_text":"","below_banner_line":"","sections":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content_1","blocks":[{"main_heading":"","content_block":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" “I love it when a plan comes together<\/em>.” Fans of the A-Team will remember this famous line, often declared jubilantly after the notorious quartet had pulled off a seemingly impossible mission. In business, a well-thought-out project plan is behind every successful project\u2014a roadmap outlining all the steps and actions required to reach specific goals.<\/p>\n It’s hard to imagine Hannibal and his crew writing down their project deliverables and task dependencies<\/a>. But this is precisely how project managers gain the structure and guidance their teams need to achieve critical business goals.<\/p>\n This high-level guide shares seven steps to create detailed project plan documentation. To kickstart your prep work, we’ll also introduce you to five of monday work management’s pre-built templates.<\/p>\nGet started<\/a>\n"}]},{"main_heading":"What is a project plan? ","content_block":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" A project plan is a formal document that outlines the scope, goals, timeline, resources, and key activities necessary to complete a project. It serves as a roadmap, providing structure and guidance for your team and stakeholders throughout the project’s lifecycle. By doing so, your plan ensures everyone understands the project\u2019s direction, priorities, and their role in making it a success.<\/p>\n Here are some terms you may have heard in the context of project planning. We\u2019ve defined them for a clearer understanding of what they mean.<\/p>\n Although similar, work plans are not as comprehensive as project plans. A work plan focuses on helping project teams achieve smaller objectives, whereas a project management plan provides a high-level overview of an entire project\u2019s goals and objectives.<\/p>\n A project charter provides an overview of a project. It’s a formal, short document that states a project’s existence and authorizes project managers to commence work. The charter describes a project’s goals, objectives, and resource requirements. You create it in the project initiation phase before your project plan and present it to key stakeholders to get the project signed off.<\/p>\n Part of your project plan includes the project scope statement, which clearly defines the size and boundaries of your project. You document the project scope in three places: a scope statement, work breakdown structure (WBS)<\/a>, and WBS dictionary. It serves as a reference point to monitor project progress, compare actual versus planned results, and avoid scope creep.<\/p>\n A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a hierarchical outline of the tasks required to complete your project. It breaks down large or complicated goals into more manageable tasks so you can execute the project plan. The WBS breaks down the project scope into phases, subprojects, deliverables, and work packages that lead to your final deliverable.<\/p>\n An agile project is the opposite of a traditional project plan. Agile projects use an incremental, iterative approach to deliver a project, whereas traditional projects \u2014 also known as a waterfall approach \u2014 use a cascading, step-by-step planning process. Agile projects are synonymous with software development teams, but you can use them in any field.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image_type":"normal","image":100304,"image_link":""}]},{"main_heading":"What should a project plan include?","content_block":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" An effective project plan will include:<\/p>\n Learn more<\/strong>: project descriptions<\/a> (how to turn ideas into approved projects)<\/p>\n"}]},{"main_heading":"Why are project plans important? ","content_block":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" When you need a project to be completed quickly, it’s tempting to dive in. But putting in the prep time is essential because:<\/p>\n 39%<\/a> of projects experience scope creep<\/a>, which occurs when the team ends up doing more work than originally planned. Much of this can be avoided by accounting for unexpected hold-ups or changes in circumstances within your project plan.<\/p>\n It’s easy for a team to lose sight of the project goals and get bogged down in daily tasks. A solid project plan serves as a constant reminder of what everyone is working towards, keeping motivation levels high.<\/p>\n When assembling your action plan, you must factor in all necessary resources. Doing so will prevent you from being left short-staffed or underfunded later on.<\/p>\n With clear roles and responsibilities outlined within the project plan, team members know exactly what\u2019s expected of them. This promotes individual accountability and ensures everyone understands their role in the project’s success.<\/p>\n"}]},{"main_heading":"5 project planning templates to help you write a good project plan","content_block":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" monday work management templates make it easy to get started, and can be lifesavers when it comes to visualizing each section of your project plan. Try these five project plan templates to kickstart your project planning process.<\/p>\n Looking for a general project plan template? Try one of our project plan templates<\/a>.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image_type":"normal","image":150165,"image_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" This template allows you to structure your subprojects by set time periods and allocate accountable personnel to each phase. Simply prioritize each project and add a visual timeline to show when deliverables are expected.<\/p>\n Resource management<\/a><\/span> allows teams to focus on executing tasks, projects, and processes efficiently and achieve shared goals at scale.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image_type":"normal","image":31269,"image_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" You can allocate resources to individuals and tack on timescales so your staff knows what resources they\u2019re responsible for in which phase. Adding a location makes it easy for teams to know where to hand over resources as they transition from one phase to the next\u2014and they can check this on our mobile app.<\/p>\n Use the Workload view to proactively manage your team’s time and get an overview of each person’s workload and capacity.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" It\u2019s far easier to plan a budget when you can see all your costs in one place. That\u2019s why this Project Cost Management Template<\/a> is so incredibly handy.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image_type":"normal","image":150153,"image_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" Add each subproject and plan out projected costs, allocating totals to each department. Use the document to estimate and record your approved project budget. You can then use our dashboards or reports to see the information in a beautiful, colorful format.<\/p>\n Plan out your schedules with this Project Timeline Template<\/a>. While this dashboard isn’t suitable for the Kanban framework, it’s ideal for those operating under the Waterfall or Scrum frameworks.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image_type":"normal","image":31284,"image_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" For Waterfall projects, add in your milestones, attach a timeline, and allocate a set number of workdays to complete the tasks for each milestone. Tag the team leader for each phase so project managers know which milestones they\u2019re responsible for. During project execution, teams can use the status bar to track progress. They can also add updates to each milestone by clicking on each item, which encourages inter-team collaboration.<\/p>\n For Scrum projects, you can organize the dashboard by Sprints, adding in the specific tasks as they\u2019re decided.<\/p>\n Visualize all your project scope and schedule risks in\u00a0this Program Risk Register Template<\/a>.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image_type":"normal","image":150159,"image_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" Use color-coded status bars to illustrate risk status, risk probability, and risk impact for your project scope and schedule. You can even categorize risks, add a risk owner, and suggest risk mitigation strategies<\/a>. That way other project team members know what to do if these risks start to blossom into real glitches.<\/p>\nGet started<\/a>\n"}]},{"main_heading":"The 5 phases of the project life cycle ","content_block":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" Project planning is the second phase in the project management lifecycle<\/a>, which looks like this overall:<\/p>\n During the project planning phase, you extend the project charter document from the initiation phase to create your detailed project plan. Typical tasks within the project planning phase include:<\/p>\n Timing is everything when planning a project, so naturally you\u2019ll want to understand how much time to carve out for project planning<\/a>. Of course, it depends.<\/p>\n As a best practice, always allocate more time than you think. This way, you\u2019ll be prepared for any unexpected roadblocks that may come up during the planning process. Plus, having extra time to thoroughly plan can prevent mistakes and save money in the long run. Remember the old saying, \u201cmeasure twice, cut once<\/em>?\u201d That definitely applies when it comes to project planning.<\/p>\n"}]},{"main_heading":"Why you need good project planning software","content_block":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" Creating a detailed project document sounds like a paper-and-pen activity. But it will be miles easier if you digitize the process. A robust project planning software makes it easier to:<\/p>\n Try now: <\/strong>Project milestone template<\/a> (ready to use)<\/p>\n"}]},{"main_heading":"3 project planning best practices ","content_block":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" Maximize the value of your project plan by following these essential tips:<\/p>\n Accurate information is the key to a successful project plan. Interview a full range of stakeholders to learn everything you need to know about the tasks and activities involved. Host one-on-one meetings, run focus groups, and distribute surveys to obtain all the details you need before you start the brain work of strategizing.<\/p>\n Always give yourself a little wiggle room when planning your resources. Let’s say your client needs the project completed by September 1st at a maximum cost of $15,000. Create your plan with a deadline of August 15th and a budget of $13,500 so you have breathing room in case of any unforeseen circumstances.<\/p>\n Your project plan can and probably will change. While it serves as a useful guide, it’s not set in stone. If your priorities change or you encounter obstacles along the way, don’t be afraid to make adjustments to your documentation to keep you on track toward your end goal.<\/p>\n"}]},{"main_heading":"How to create a project plan in monday work management ","content_block":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" monday work management is an innovative workspace where project managers and team members come together to plan and execute outstanding projects. Our platform is designed with efficiency in mind, ensuring you achieve shared goals faster, all the while working in a vibrant and highly collaborative workspace.<\/p>\n Although there are no hard-and-fast rules for creating a project plan, we recommend using the following seven steps as a springboard for building yours monday work management.<\/p>\n Include this at the beginning of your project plan and summarize the key points of the plan, including your goals and objectives. Write this one page summary last, pulling out the main points from the rest of your plan, including:<\/p>\n monday work management is the perfect place to write, store, and collaborate on this summary document. With our monday workdoc\u2019s file versioning feature, you can always stay updated on the latest version, and ask key stakeholders to review and comment on the doc in a central location.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image_type":"normal","image":122090,"image_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" Defining your project scope, including timeline and deliverables, ensures everyone understands what\u2019s going on and is committed to success over the course of the project lifecycle.<\/p>\n monday work management allows you to strategize, pulling together all the bits of your project puzzle in one place from idea to execution. To kickstart your project, just choose one of our pre-built templates and tweak it to match your situation.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image_type":"normal","image":163298,"image_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" monday work management supports your preferred project management framework; for example, you might use Waterfall<\/a> to plan a sequential process or Agile<\/a> for a more iterative approach, working in sprints to reach your goals.<\/p>\n Build customized dashboards using drag-and-drop widgets to automatically display high-level project information that shapes your project style. For example, you might set up your dashboard to display progress bars for tasks or lists of your most important jobs-to-be-done by priority.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image_type":"normal","image":163280,"image_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" Your resource manager or project managers should identify and allocate the resources you have available for this project, including:<\/p>\n You need to be precise when assessing what you\u2019ll need; otherwise you\u2019re baking a cake with all the wrong ingredients. The quantity of team members is also important\u2014if the ratio of work to available people is off, efficiency and quality will suffer.<\/p>\n monday work management allows you to plan, schedule, and allocate resources based on changing priorities. Our Workload widget shows any over- or underutilized resources so you can see how to maximize overall work efficiency at a glance.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image_type":"normal","image":163225,"image_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" Add a project schedule<\/a> section to your project plan to solidify expectations on when you\u2019ll deliver and how you\u2019ll stick to your project timeline. Generally, it should include:<\/p>\n monday work management\u2019s Timeline or Gantt views are perfect for visualizing your project schedule, dependencies between tasks, and any potential roadblocks.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image_type":"normal","image":162501,"image_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" A dynamic change management plan outlines the steps to follow and the person to turn to if unforeseen changes occur during your project.<\/p>\n monday work management is flexible enough to help you manage all parts of the project life cycle\u2014from planning and monitoring to reporting and resource management. Our collaborative features keep everyone in the loop as you pivot in a new direction.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image_type":"normal","image":161009,"image_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" A successful project depends on stakeholder sign-off. To gain the necessary approvals, consider defining how you’ll receive their buy-in at every project stage, from start to finish.<\/p>\n monday work management provides built-in custom forms for streamlining data collection and staying aligned on project plans.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image_type":"normal","image":78344,"image_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","content":" The only thing left to do is create your next project plan. Whether you\u2019re drafting a detailed plan from scratch or adapting a previous framework, monday work management is the platform you need to keep everything clear and structured. Start laying the groundwork for a successful plan by signing up for a free trial.<\/p>\nGet started<\/a>\nWhat exactly is a project plan?<\/h2>\n
![\"Project](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Project-completion-and-failure-statistics.png\" "\\"Project")
<\/p>\nHow to write a project plan \u2014 step by step<\/h2>\n
1. Should you start with an executive summary?<\/h3>\n
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2. What\u2019s the scope of the project?<\/h3>\n
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![\"Scope](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/How-often-do-teams-create-a-scoping-document.png\" "\\"How")
<\/p>\n3. How will you structure your project?<\/h3>\n
4. What resources do you have available?<\/h3>\n
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![\"2\/3rds](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/team-confidence-statistic.png\" "\\"team")
<\/p>\n5. What\u2019s your timeline look like?<\/h3>\n
6. How will you manage changes?<\/h3>\n
5 project planning templates to help you write a flawless project plan<\/h2>\n
1. Structure your project<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/recreate-1.png\" "\\"Please")
<\/p>\n2. Plan out your resources<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/recreate-2.png\" "\\"Please")
<\/p>\n3. Calculate your project budget<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/recreate-3.png\" "\\"Please")
<\/p>\n4. Sketch out your project schedule<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/recreate-4.png\" "\\"Please")
<\/p>\n5. Work out potential project risks<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/recreate-5.png\" "\\"Please")
<\/p>\nConclusion<\/h2>\n
Project plan vs. work plan<\/h3>\n
Project plan vs. project charter<\/h3>\n
Project plan vs. project scope<\/h3>\n
Project plan vs. work breakdown structure<\/h3>\n
Project plan vs. agile project<\/h3>\n
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Project plans prevent scope creep<\/h3>\n
Project plans keep everyone focused<\/h3>\n
Project plans identify resource needs<\/h3>\n
Project plans promote accountability<\/h3>\n
1. Project plan template<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Resource utilization template<\/h3>\n
3. Project cost management template<\/h3>\n
4. Project timeline template<\/h3>\n
5. Program risk register template<\/h3>\n
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Gather information from all stakeholders<\/h3>\n
Work extra resources into your plan<\/h3>\n
Adjust as necessary<\/h3>\n
1. Start with an executive summary<\/h3>\n
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2. Define the project scope<\/h3>\n
3. Choose a project management methodology<\/h3>\n
4. Check what project resources you have available<\/h3>\n
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5. Map out your project timeline<\/h3>\n
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6. Manage your project changes<\/h3>\n
7. Streamline your project approval processes<\/h3>\n
FAQs<\/h2>\n