Do you consider the Project Management Plan and necessary document.
Brenda NealProfessional-Technical Project Manager| AT&TAtlanta, Ga, United States
The Project Management Plan is the single resource that contains links to all other Project Management documents (i.e. Communications Plan, Schedule, Procurement Plan, etc.). I have heard discussion that some PMs feel like it is duplicate work to have the individual plans linked to the one Project Management Plan. Other PMs state it is important to have everything in one place as new members onboard there is one document with everything. I would like to get feedback from other project managers.
Do you use the Project Management Plan? Why? Why Not? Saving Changes...
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Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
I view the Project Management Plan as an abstract concept to encompass all the subsidiary management plans. In other words, it is easier to talk about the project management plan rather than listing all the subsidiary plans.
The only time I have a concrete project management plan is when the project is small enough. As soon as the document becomes too big, it becomes an unwieldy tool.
Of course, you could always create a master document, called project management plan, that pulls in all the subsidiary management plans. I just don't see any value in maintaining an artificial project artifact. (Word can be capricious when it comes to master/sub-documents.) Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
First of all, each document has quality attributes you have to take into account. Quality attributes on documentation is a IEEE standard you can find and my recomendation is to follow for each type of documentation (project requirements specification for example). Quality attributes are: a) Correct; b) Unambiguous; c) Complete; d) Consistent; e) Ranked for importance and/or stability; f) Verificable; g) Modficable; h) Traceable.In the case of your statement, attributes f-g-h will impact on the decision. Second, you have to consider project configuration management and then decide about the way you store the configuration items into the environment. Then, those are the things you have to take into account. When you understand those the discussion has no sense.
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1 reply by Stéphane Parent
Oct 24, 2017 11:10 AM
Stéphane Parent
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Thanks Sergio, for the list of documentation quality attributes. This is going to go straight into my documentation acceptance criterion. (I had only two of those in my criterion.)
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Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
Oct 24, 2017 10:48 AM
Replying to Sergio Luis Conte
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First of all, each document has quality attributes you have to take into account. Quality attributes on documentation is a IEEE standard you can find and my recomendation is to follow for each type of documentation (project requirements specification for example). Quality attributes are: a) Correct; b) Unambiguous; c) Complete; d) Consistent; e) Ranked for importance and/or stability; f) Verificable; g) Modficable; h) Traceable.In the case of your statement, attributes f-g-h will impact on the decision. Second, you have to consider project configuration management and then decide about the way you store the configuration items into the environment. Then, those are the things you have to take into account. When you understand those the discussion has no sense.
Thanks Sergio, for the list of documentation quality attributes. This is going to go straight into my documentation acceptance criterion. (I had only two of those in my criterion.) Saving Changes...
The answer is a clear Yes. The PMP forces you and the Project Leadership Team to think in advance through all related project management process groups and how you are going to run the project and futher adapt the PMP based on needed changes during the project execution. It helps you in the communication with your stakeholders. I am not compliant with my companies compliance rules starting a customer project without PMP. Saving Changes...
John HenryProject Manager| Catholic Health InitiativesColo, Ia, United States
I am firmly on the fence on this, I see the Project Management Plan as the final archive of the entire project from initiating to closing. It is a repository of data and as most projects are elaborated on throughout the entire project, this plan is not completed, until the project is finished and delivered. It becomes the basis of all lessons learned and it should be an example of what to do, or not to do, when running a project. With all the large and small changes in scope, risk, response, that take place in all projects( unless they are really small, like replacing the toilet paper in the stalls) we have to recognize that progressive elaboration is not only for agile or waterfall, it is for every project, so every project management plan, is an in progress work, until it becomes an archive document.. Right? Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
I create and use the relevant individual management plans, but I usually don't create a Project Management Plan to encompass them. Saving Changes...
I'd echo Stéphane's feedback that the PM Plan is required but could be realized as either a single document or a virtual collection of data elements. As with all PM practices, tools & artifacts, the "how" is dictated by organization standards and by the needs of a given project.
When I'm teaching PMP Prep courses, I use the analogy of the PM Plan as a briefcase in which there are multiple file folders representing each of the knowledge area-specific plans and the baselines. That briefcase is padlocked to the PMs wrist and is only updated through formal change control :-).
