Phase Plan
description producers & consumers template example
Description top
What a Phase Plan includes
A Phase Plan is the fully resourced work Plan and Schedule for a Phase. It is the unit of Authorisation for the work of a Bid or Project which is not being managed according to the requirements of PRINCE2™ (see Authorise Activity).
A Phase Plan includes:
- a description or narrative for the Plan including anything about the Approach (e.g. process, organisational, control, reporting, technical or quality requirements) which is specific to the Phase
- details of key dependencies (with other Phases, other Suppliers, other Projects, etc.)
- aspects of the Tolerances which are specific to the Phase
- the detailed Product Breakdown for the Phase (Product Breakdown Structure, Product Flow Diagram, Product Checklist and Product Descriptions, - generated by the Process Step Identify Objectives)
- the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) for the Phase (Workpackage Record(s), Activity Records)
- detailed Resource information (assignments, identity of personnel, duration of assignments, levels of effort)
- a Gantt Chart, details of key dates and Milestones, and if required an activity network.
As far as possible a Phase Plan should avoid duplicating information which is in higher level Plans, and/or which is common to all or most of the Bid or Project.
Incremental Planning
The ongoing planning of a Project is incremental, and adds a series of Phase Plans to the Bid Plan, or to the Project Initiation Document and the Project Plan. If it is not already completed, a Plan for the next Phase will be prepared, as the current Phase approaches completion. Phase Plans become a formal part of the PID, as they are submitted to, and Authorised by, the Project Board (see Authorise Activity).
Exception Plans and Closure Plans are Phase Plans prepared to deal with particular circumstances: an Exception Condition, or the Closure of the Project (either premature or as planned - see Close a Project). An Exception Plan or a Phase Plan for premature Closure will usually be prepared at the direction of the Project Board, or possibly on the recommendation of the Project Manager – see Authorise Activity.
Phase Plans and Stage Plans
Flexibility versus control
A strong case can be made for giving skilled Project Managers a lot of flexibility in the planning and execution of their Projects. The Guidepost allows for this.
It gives a Project Manager the freedom to propose to the Project Board how the Project will be planned and managed. In this case the unit of planning is a Phase, and several Phases may be planned, Authorised and active at the same time.
However for Projects run according to PRINCE2™, tighter control must be exercised by the Project Board in Authorising Plans and work. A Stage is the PRINCE2™ equivalent of a Phase, and it is a requirement of Prince 2 that one Stage is completed before another Stage can be Authorised and started.
While this approach limits flexibility, it does bring great rigour to the management of a Project, and if it is applied properly it gives senior managers a very clear insight into, and strong control of a Project's expenditure. End Users or Customers often insist on working according to PRINCE2™, and The Guidepost is designed to accomodate the PRINCE2™ approach to managing Projects.
When using PRINCE2™ to Plan and Manage Projects
With this distinction between the way Phases and Stages are managed, the text in The Guidepost may be read as if the terms "Phase" and "Stage" are interchangeable. There are Templates for PRINCE2™ versions of certain Management Products used in planning and reporting on the status of a PRINCE2™ Project. Although their names are different, both versions of these Products have the same content. The PRINCE2™-specific Templates include:
- a Stage Plan, which is the PRINCE2™ form of a Phase Plan
- a Checkpoint Report which is the PRINCE2™ form of a Workpackage Status Report
- a Highlight Report which is the PRINCE2™ form of a Phase Status Report,
and there are several others.
When working according to the requirements of PRINCE2™, it is mandatory to follow its rules for the Authorisation of Stage Plans. The rules do NOT permit work on a Stage to be Authorised (nor for work on that Stage to start) until the previous Stage is complete.
Producers and Consumers top
|
Producers |
Consumers |
Templatetop
The following Product Templates are available:
- For non-PRINCE2™ Projects only:
- a Word skeleton document called "Phase Plan".
Example top
None