Planning the Project (Topic in Instruction3) - Essay Example

The project plan could be used in the process of bidding, submission of proposal or as a request for raising funds. The activities to be undertaken as mentioned in the project plan provide a clear idea of the expectation levels on the deliverables of the project. The primary function of a project plan thus includes co-ordination, planning and communication of the project deliverables. The project plan helps the team members to co-ordinate among themselves on the areas of importance on project deliverables and how the overall plan could be improved for efficient project management (Kerzner 39).

The project plan primarily serves as a planning tool that could be modified by the planners to envisage the goals and success of the project. By showcasing a similar project, the plan could serve the primary function of communicating to the team members and the client about the outline of actions to be undertaken in the project and the milestones that could be achieved in the process. Nine (9) categories of information needed in a project master plan The nine categories of information needed in a master project plan are given as follows.

The master project plan should include a project guide in the first place that incorporates a checklist for the activities of the project. The project guide would guide the several tasks to be undertaken in the project in a sequential manner. The next information needed in a master project plan is a project definition. The project definition includes an explanation of the objectives of the project, description of the project activities, the cost and risk associated with the project, goals of the project and the timelines for completion of the project.

The project definition includes a tentative plan for the completion of the project. The third information incorporated in the project master plan in analysis and evaluation of the project. The analysis of the projects in term of the focus areas of the project and the relative importance of the focus areas in the project is analyzed. The evaluation of the project in terms of the goals and milestones to be achieved through the project work is described in this information. The requirements of the project work and the system requirements are the next information incorporated in the master plan (Carmichael 57).

The system requirements of the project and the requirement of resources for undertaking the project are mentioned in a statement of work and system requirements. The fifth category of information is the information on the process to be undertaken for the project. The selection of vendors, outsourcing of specialized roles approval of several functions of the project are part of this information category. A technical evaluation of the project is the next information that is included in the project master plan.

The expectations from the project and the desired results of the project are dependent on the technical expertise in the domain and thus technical evaluation is important for attainment of the desired benchmark results. The sixth information to be incorporated in the master project plan includes is an analysis of the budgeting and financial management of the project work. This information is crucial as the performance of the project work depends on the funding of the project, sources of funds and effective implementation of the funds in the areas planned