Project Plan for a Business Case

Project Particulars

Project Name: <Project Name>

Prepared by: <Name>
Department/Section/Area: <Department>
Version Number: <Number>
Date of Current Plan: <MM/DD/YYYY>

Project Plan Distribution List

Enter the names and titles of the recipients of the project plan.

Name Title Interest in Project

Version Control

Record changes to the project plan.

Version Number Date Reason/Comments/Approvals

gantthead.com Project Plan for a Business Case

Management Summary

The management summary sums up the information on the project that is most
important to management: objectives, cost, time frame, key benefits and an outline of
the milestones.

Depending on the size of the project, this summary should be no more than one or two
pages long, at most.

Major Changes From Project Proposal

If significant changes are required from the project proposal, use the table below to
indicate changes needed across the specific key project areas and the adjustments
within each area to accommodate the requested changes.

Category Reason for Variance Proposed Changes

from Project Proposal (From Project Proposal)
Scope
Time
Cost
Quality
Risk
Management
Communications

Description and Justification for Project Changes

Where required, a detailed description and justification for the project changes from
which the executive management, the project steering committee or your PMO can
make the decision whether or not to approve the changes.

Project Information

This project plan should contain details of the strategies and information necessary to
execute a project. It should be endorsed by the PMO, executive management or the
project steering committee for confirmation of initial approval and reservation and
release of project funds.

Project Number (if applicable):

Project Name: A brief name to describe the project

Date: Date of current plan

Project Ownership: Areas/departments/sections responsible for project

Project Contacts:

Name Position Phone Email

Primary
Other

2007 gantthead.com 2
gantthead.com Project Plan for a Business Case

Project Approval

Authority for project funding

Introduction and Background

Objectives

What are the overall aims of the project?

Scope, Constraints, Assumptions

Here is where you list the activities and tasks contained in the project, showing
the boundaries of the project. This section should outline activities outside the
project scope and any assumptions that the project is based on. Whoever is
preparing the project proposal should make a real effort to establish the scope
with the stakeholders. Scope verification and clear user requirements are
important aspects to gain agreement with the stakeholders. The better the
outcomes are defined, the less probability there is of scope changes or scope
creep.

Scope
Within Scope

Outside Scope

Constraints

Assumptions

Interdependencies with Business Activities, Systems and Other Projects

Fill out the table of interdependencies and possible impact below to draw attention to
any integration issues.

Interdependent Activity Possible Impact

2007 gantthead.com 3
gantthead.com Project Plan for a Business Case

Business Case and Benefits Realization

What are the business reasons for carrying out a prospective project? The business
case shows the benefits and added value of the project for the company. A method for
measuring the improvement or value should accompany each benefit. The monitoring
and measuring may take place throughout the life of the system or service, long after the
project and its post-implementation review are completed. The detail and effort put into
the metrics depend on the project.

Cost/benefit analysis is a method for determining the financial impact of projects in which
the benefits are easily quantifiable and measurable. Cost/effectiveness of benefits with
value added to your company is a valid expression applied to many projects in cases
where the benefits are not easily measured or quantifiable. For example, quantifying the
value of higher quality service provision and levels and a more flexible organization may
be a measure of benefits from a project. The soft benefits may require using
assessment techniques of anecdotal evidence and surveys.

Net Present Value (NPV) is an algorithm for calculating the expected net monetary gain
or loss from a project by discounting all expected future cash inflows and outflows to the
present. Net Present Cost (NPC) is a variation of NPV for calculating expense flows for
projects without a quantifiable income stream. NPV and NPC are the generally accepted
bases for measuring the financial impact of proposed projects.

List only those benefits contained within the scope of the project.

Benefits should indicate the method of measurement after the project ends.

Benefits How to Measure

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

A WBS is required. It is a separate, foundation project document and may be a

diagrammatic representation of the project activities. MS Project is useful in preparing a
WBS.

Risk Management

Attach a separate risk management plan to list detailed project risk and note below
where the risk management plan for this project can be found.

Costing

Costs and Resources During the Life of the Project

The table below should contain comprehensive, detailed costing for the project
with individual resources identified and accounted for. Operating Grant costs that
will be absorbed should be shown. The Other category may include extras, as
required. Salaries for extra Help Desk staff, extra communications and other

2007 gantthead.com 4
gantthead.com Project Plan for a Business Case

technical staff may have to be factored in as well, especially considering the risk
that the implementation may not go as planned.

Use the Costing Schedule to calculate costs over multiple years.

A separate table shows the ongoing costs of the continued maintenance of the
products of the project when the project has ended. The funding source that will
provide the ongoing resources must sign off on these costs or the project will not
proceed. In other words, this is a project kill or halt point.

Use MS Excel if calculations warrant the use of a spreadsheet or MS Project.

Funding
# Category Detail Duration Amount
Source
Salaries

Equipment

Software

Other

Contingent Funds

GRAND TOTAL OF
ALL COSTS
TOTAL OPERATING
GRANT
TOTAL OTHER
FUNDING
TOTAL PROJECT
FUNDS ALLOCATED

Basis for Estimated Project Costs

Explain the basis of the estimated costs above.

Ongoing Costs after Project Completes

Ongoing Detail Funding Annual Name of

Maintenance Source after Amount Delegate of
Project Ends Funding Source
Who Agreed
Salaries

2007 gantthead.com 5
gantthead.com Project Plan for a Business Case

Ongoing Detail Funding Annual Name of

Maintenance Source after Amount Delegate of
Project Ends Funding Source
Who Agreed
Equipment

Software

Other

TOTAL

Basis for Estimated Ongoing Costs

Explain the basis of estimated costs above.

Timelines

Provide detailed timing with milestones for implementation of the projects activities.
Large projects are advised to use a product like MS Project, at least at a high level. No
matter what the mechanism used, the timelines should reflect the work breakdown
structure with key activities and deliverables marked.

The project manager should take much care to ensure a realistic time frame. Enlisting
project team members in the time estimates is a good technique, if possible. The
timelines should be realistic with contingencies allocated.

Activity or Deliverable Timeframe Kill/Milestone Date

Quality

This section deals with strategies for ensuring high quality for the project. As a minimum,
include the quality measures and acceptance criteria to be used, or you can attach a
separate quality plan. If you do that, state below where the plan can be found.

Project Management Structure

The project plan should list the names of the sponsor, steering committee members and
project manager. These key project members must understand their duties and
responsibilities for a project to be successful. The standard duties and responsibilities of
the sponsor, steering committee members and project manager are detailed in Appendix
2007 gantthead.com 6
gantthead.com Project Plan for a Business Case

B of the PMF Guide. The project plan lists customized changes or extra duties from the
standard roles and responsibilities.

General guidelines are that the project manager deals with operational matters and
reports to the steering committee, PMO or executive management on project progress,
including strategic issues. The steering committee should work at a strategic level. An
operational reference group may be included in the project structure.

Project Role Name Title/Section Interest in Project

Sponsor
Client Leader
Project Manager
Expert/Specialist
Internal Audit
Representative
Other
Reference Group
Member

Communication

Here is where you supply your strategies for communication and training.

This section deals with strategies for communicating to and training stakeholders.
Stakeholders will have been previously been identified in the project proposal.

Use the table below or produce a separate communication plan. If you attach a separate
communication plan, indicate below where the plan is found.

Stakeholder Group Communication Strategy Training Strategy

2007 gantthead.com 7