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Developing a project plan is an essential part of project management. For any entrepreneur, managing your project correctly ensures that it can reach its goals. You do not want to participate in a poorly planned project because chances are that it may fail during execution.
Hence, a crucial part of this planning process is the project planning checklist. Such checklists allow you to plan your project effectively and set the right standards for everything.
If becoming a productive entrepreneur ranks high on your goals list, then you are in the right place. In this article, we will highlight the importance of a project planning checklist.
Term Definition
A project plan defines project goals and objectives, specifies tasks and how goals will be achieved, identifies what resources will be needed and associated budgets and timelines for completion.
A project plan defines all work in a project and identifies who will do it. A typical project plan consists of: A statement of work, a resource list, a work breakdown structure, a project schedule, and a risk plan. (Source: Upland PSA)
The Vision and Direction
Any project planning checklist would be incomplete without identifying the exact vision, goals, and objectives for a particular project. So, ensure that your checklist mentions the specific problem you are trying to solve and what exactly you expect to accomplish.
Otherwise, maintaining the vision and direction will be a challenge if at all possible. Additionally, you need to pinpoint your objectives as well.
Project Stakeholders
Your project stakeholders must be consulted during the planning phase. Thus, your project management checklist must focus on meeting those vital contributors.
They may include the clients, the internal management team, and the individual contributors to the project. Overall, your focus must be on providing enough time for each major stakeholder to identify their needs and requirements.
Project Planning Specifications
An important section of your project planning checklist is to ensure that you have gathered all the specifications and the project requirements. Particularly, you need to identify the success factors, the different test specifications, and the reports you need to test.
Certainly, you need to generate reports on each aspect of your project planning work.
Project Document Plan
Your checklist is inadequate if it does not mention the time and resources you need to make the actual project plan. These plans are the crux of everything you have gathered so far.
In such plans, you need to identify the various categories of the work you need to perform. Additionally, you need to pinpoint the different hurdles you are likely to face and the methods of correcting those hurdles. In some cases, the project plan also requires a key focus on the project’s different stages, especially if the project is extensive.
Project Plan Budget
You will need to dedicate time and resources to establish a formal budget for the project. Without a budget, you are likely to go off track and waste your time. Surely you do not want to miss out on any related opportunities due to the lack of cash resources.
Therefore, try your best to ensure that you can budget your project well. Definitely avoid preparing a budget that will strain your financial resources.
Finally, you need to allocate the resources you have to different parts of the project. Otherwise, you may never know where you lack a resource. Try thinking formally and leaving enough flexibility for future changes.
Conclusion
With a project planning checklist, your project can achieve the right metrics. Certainly, it’s a useful tool to help master your day and a vital step in successful project execution. Make one today using the FREE template offered below.
