PROJECT PLANNING

Project planning is an organized and integrated management process, which focuses on

activities required for successful completion of the project. It prevents obstacles that arise in
the project such as changes in projects or organization's objectives, non-availability of
resources, and so on. Project planning also helps in better utilization of resources and optimal
usage of the allotted time for a project. The other objectives of project planning are listed
below.

 It defines the roles and responsibilities of the project management team members.
 It ensures that the project management team works according to the business
objectives.
 It checks feasibility of the schedule and user requirements.
 It determines project constraints.

Several individuals help in planning the project. These include senior management and
project management team. Senior management is responsible for employing team members
and providing resources required for the project. The project management team, which
generally includes project managers and developers, is responsible for planning, determining,
and tracking the activities of the project. Table lists the tasks performed by individuals
involved in the software project.

                            Tasks of Individuals involved in Software Project

Senior Management Project Management Team

 Approves the project, employ  Reviews the project plan and
personnel, and provides resources implements procedures for
required for the project. completing the project.
 Reviews project plan to ensure  Manages all project activities.
that it accomplishes the business  Prepares budget and resource
objectives. allocation plans.
 Resolves conflicts among the team  Helps in resource distribution,
members. project management, issue
 Considers risks that may affect the resolution, and so on.
project so that appropriate  Understands project objectives
measures can be taken to avoid and finds ways to accomplish the
them. objectives.
 Devotes appropriate time and
effort to achieve the expected
results.
 Selects methods and tools for the
project.
 Project planning should be effective so that the project begins with well-defined tasks.
Effective project planning helps to minimize the additional costs incurred on the project while
it is in progress. For effective project planning, some principles are followed.

These principles are listed below.

 Planning is necessary: Planning should be done before a project begins. For

effective planning, objectives and schedules should be clear and understandable.
 Risk analysis: Before starting the project, senior management and the project
management team should consider the risks that may affect the project. For example, the
user may desire changes in requirements while the project is in progress. In such a case, the
estimation of time and cost should be done according to those requirements (new
requirements).
 Tracking of project plan: Once the project plan is prepared, it should be tracked
and modified accordingly.
 Meet quality standards and produce quality deliverables: The project plan
should identify processes by which the project management team can ensure quality in
software. Based on the process selected for ensuring quality, the time and cost for the
project is estimated.
 Description of flexibility to accommodate changes: The result of project
planning is recorded in the form of a project plan, which should allow new changes to be
accommodated when the project is in progress.

Project planning comprises project purpose, project scope, project planning process, and
project plan. This information is essential for effective project planning and to assist project
management team in accomplishing user requirements.

Project Purpose

Software project is carried out to accomplish a specific purpose, which is classified into two
categories, namely, project objectives and business objectives. The commonly followed project
objectives are listed below.

 Meet user requirements: Develop the project according to the user requirements

after understanding them.
 Meet schedule deadlines: Complete the project milestones as described in the
project plan on time in order to complete the project according to the schedule.
 Be within budget: Manage the overall project cost so that the project is within the
allocated budget.
 Produce quality deliverables: Ensure that quality is considered for accuracy and
overall performance of the project.
 Project Planning Process

The project planning process involves a set of interrelated activities followed in an orderly
manner to implement user requirements in software and includes the description of a series of
project planning activities and individual(s) responsible for performing these activities. In
addition, the project planning process comprises the following.

1. Objectives and scope of the project

2. Techniques used to perform project planning
3. Effort (in time) of individuals involved in project
4. Project schedule and milestones
5. Resources required for the project
6. Risks associated with the project.

Project planning process comprises several activities, which are essential for carrying out a
project systematically. These activities refer to the series of tasks performed over a period of
time for developing the software. These activities include estimation of time, effort, and
resources required and risks associated with the project.

          
Project planning process consists of the following activities.

 Identification of project requirements: Before starting a project, it is essential to

identify the project requirements as identification of project requirements helps in
performing the activities in a systematic manner. These requirements comprise information
such as project scope, data and functionality required in the software, and roles of the
project management team members.

 Identification of cost estimates: Along with the estimation of effort and time, it is

necessary to estimate the cost that is to be incurred on a project. The cost estimation
 includes the cost of hardware, network connections, and the cost required for the
maintenance of hardware components. In addition, cost is estimated for the individuals
involved in the project.
 Identification of risks: Risks are unexpected events that have an adverse effect on
the project. Software project involves several risks (like technical risks and business risks)
that affect the project schedule and increase the cost of the project. Identifying risks before a
project begins helps in understanding their probable extent of impact on the project.
 Identification of critical success factors: For making a project successful, critical
success factors are followed. These factors refer to the conditions that ensure greater
chances of success of a project. Generally, these factors include support from management,
appropriate budget, appropriate schedule, and skilled software engineers.
 Preparation of project charter: A project charter provides a brief description of
the project scope, quality, time, cost, and resource constraints as described during project
planning. It is prepared by the management for approval from the sponsor of the project.
 Preparation of project plan: A project plan provides information about the
resources that are available for the project, individuals involved in the project, and the
schedule according to which the project is to be carried out.
 Commencement of the project: Once the project planning is complete and
resources are assigned to team members, the software project commences.

Once the project objectives and business objectives are determined, the project end date is
fixed. The project management team prepares the project plan and schedule according to the
end date of the project. After analyzing the project plan, the project manager communicates
the project plan and end date to the senior management. The progress of the project is
reported to the management from time to time. Similarly, when the project is complete, senior
management is informed about it. In case of delay in completing the project, the project plan
is re-analyzed and corrective actions are taken to complete the project. The project is tracked
regularly and when the project plan is modified, the senior management is informed.

Project Plan

As stated earlier, a project plan stores the outcome of project planning. It provides
information about the end date, milestones, activities, and deliverables of the project. In
addition, it describes the responsibilities of the project management team and the resources
required for the project. It also includes the description of hardware and software (such as
compilers and interfaces) and lists the methods and standards to be used. These methods and
standards include algorithms, tools, review techniques, design language, programming
language, and testing techniques.
 A project plan helps a project manager to understand, monitor, and control the development
of software project. This plan is used as a means of communication between the users and
project management team. There are various advantages associated with a project plan, some
of which are listed below.

 It ensures that software is developed according to the user requirements, objectives,

and scope of the project.
 It identifies the role of each project management team member involved in the project.
 It monitors the progress of the project according to the project plan.
 It determines the available resources and the activities to be performed during software
development.
 It provides an overview to management about the costs of the software project, which
are estimated during project planning.

Note that there are differences in the contents of two project plans depending on the kind of
project and user requirements. A typical project plan is divided into the following sections.

1. Introduction: Describes the objectives of the project and provides information about

the constraints that affect the software project.
2. Project organization: Describes the responsibilities assigned to the project
management team members for completing the project.
3. Risk analysis: Describes the risks that can possibly arise during software
development as well as explains how to assess and reduce the effect of risks.
4. Resource requirements: Specifies the hardware and software required to carry out
the software project. Cost estimation is done according to these resource requirements.
5. Workbreakdown: Describes the activities into which the project is divided. It also
describes the milestones and deliverables of the project activities.
6. Project schedule: Specifies the dependencies of activities on each other. Based on
this, the time required by the project management team members to complete the project
activities is estimated.

In addition to these sections, there are several plans that may be a part of or 'linked to a
project plan. These plans include quality assurance plan, verification and validation plan,
configuration management plan, maintenance plan, and staffing plan.