Now that we've come up with all of the project documentation & planning
Project Charter: hi level list of objectives, deliverables, stakeholders, risks, etc
WBS: grouping of deliverables-> work packages -> activities
Activity List with estimations: list of activities with successors and predecessors identified
Network Diagrams: sequential diagram identifying the critical path and revealing if smoothing or leveling is required.
Risk Plan: mitigation, avoidance, transfer or acceptance of risk with contingency funds
Quality Plan: strategy for ensuring that the project is following procedures and meeting expectations of objectives & deliverables
Communications Plan: plan of what communications go out when, to whom, how and who's responsible
Team Plan: selection of team members and strategy to get them to work cohesively together
Procurement Plan: a plan to procure personnel or other resources required
Stakeholder Plan: Identification of stakeholders along with their role, power & influence
Once the project plan is created it is time to seek approval from the key stakeholders, generally the sponsor, key client, and senior management paying for the project, once these parties have signed off on the project the project plan is complete and the execution phase may commence. The plan is what the execution performance will be measured against.
When the execution phase begins this does not mark the project plan as written in stone as the project progresses and change orders are approved the scope, schedule and budget will change.
