Note: For all my PMP (project management professional) friends out there, in this post, when I talk about a project plan, what I mean is the project schedule. I will discuss the level of detail of the project plan coming out of the initial planning phase, the plan completed before project kick-off
The Goldilocks Nature of Project Plans
There is a continuum of detail that might be in a plan. At the highest level, what I call the 10,000-foot level, the plan is a sequence of high-level activities grouped within phases. For example, a 10,000-foot plan might include major phases such as initiation, build, and testing, with high-level activities, such as “operational process definition” or “development,” within the build phase.
At the lowest level of detail, what I will call the “ground level,” the plan includes all the tasks necessary to complete an activity. No plan will include every task. For example, I have not yet seen a plan that includes “turn on your laptop” or “open Word”. But I have seen “ground level” plans include tasks that might take four hours or less, which is more detail than is typically necessary.
It is often up to the project manager to determine the level of detail in the initial plan. For an effective project plan, a 10,000-foot view is too high, while a ground-level plan is too low. There is a level of planning that I will call the “Goldilocks” level, which is just right.
The “Just Right” of Planning
To find the ‘just right’ level of planning, let’s think about what we are trying to do.
- Respect business constraints (such as finish dates, budget, and resources),
- Set expectations around when things will start and finish,
- Call out milestones that are far enough apart to be meaningful, but close enough together, no more than two weeks, to call out slips or gains,
- Establish a realistic project budget, and
- Understand when resources will be needed and when they can be released.
Understanding Business Constraints
Three types of business constraints should be considered. One is when the work needs to be completed. For example, “we need this by the start of our busy season.”
Another is the budget. Understanding the budget will help understand what scope and schedule can be accommodated, and what work will be out of reach.
In addition, there will be resource constraints. Typically, business subject matter experts will need to have significant involvement in the project, and if the project needs to be slowed down to accommodate workers who ‘have a day job’, then the project schedule should be adjusted accordingly.
Scheduling, Budgeting, and Resource Management
The level of detail required for a “500 foot” plan should consider a breakdown of work that is granular enough to estimate in pieces that are no more than two weeks long, but no less than 8 hours long. When you ask a subject matter expert how long something will take, if their answer is “I have no idea,” the work probably needs to be broken down into smaller pieces. If you have items that should be tracked but are less than 8 hours, consider managing them with a checklist.
Resource assignments should be a part of the 500-foot plan. If not named resource, then roles. Without an understanding of who will be assigned to what and for how long, you cannot understand cost, you cannot predict when people will be needed, or when they will be made available again.
