The Guidepost
BIDS & PROJECTS Standard version 2.3

Project Master Plan

description producers & consumers template example

Description top

A statement of intent

A Plan is a statement of intent for the execution of a Project. It should describe the background to the Project, why the Project is needed, and what it is trying to achieve. This will include a justification for the expenditure (what benefits it is required to deliver), how the Project will be organised and controlled, the work to be done, how it will be done and the resources needed to do it.

Simple or Complex?

Even a simple Project needs a Plan, and if the Project is simple the Plan will also be simple. If the Project is complex, then its Plan will also be complicated. In either case the Plan will cover the same topics.

More than just a Schedule

Over time a Plan will be revised, refined and developed, to cover changes, and to fill in the detail for later work which depends on that done earlier. A Plan will describe various aspects of the work, including how it will be done, the assumptions made in producing the Plan, the organisation of the Project Team, what the work is to achieve and so on. It is considerably more than just a resourced Schedule.

A composite document

In The Guidepost there are several parts to a Plan, and each part has a different purpose in the management of a Project (see below). The Project Master Plan (PMP) is a composite document which is simply the complete set of all these Plans.

What is in a PMP?

A PMP includes:

  • the Project Initiation Document (PID) which is the foundation of the PMP. It is the document which the Project Executive and Project Board Authorise to get the Project started, against which they check the progress of the Project, and which they use to verify that the Project is complete and has delivered what is required
  • the Project Plan, which sets the framework for detailed planning. It covers the whole Project, and the detail it contains is limited to the Phases or Stages into which the Project Plan is subdivided. That is why it is sometimes called the Project-level Plan. Status Reports for the Project are monitored by the Project Board to ensure that it is on track and viable
  • one or more Phase/Stage Plans, describing in detail the work for each Phase or Stage of a Project and the development of a subset of the Products that the Project must deliver. Sometimes these are called Delivery Plans. The Plans for Project Initiation, Project Closure and the management of Exception Conditions are also Phase or Stage Plans. The distinction between Phase Plans and Stage Plans is clarified in their Product Profiles.
  • a Quality Plan which describes the standards to be met by the Products of the Project, and how the work will be done. It may be subdivided to address the particular needs of individual Phases or Stages
  • a Configuration Management Plan which describes how the complete set of Deliverables (Products) fits together, and how the production of each Configuration Item will be controlled, to ensure completeness, compatibility and consistency
  • a Communication Plan describing how the flows of complete and accurate information will be maintained between all those involved in and affected by the Project
  • a Commercial Plan covering the rules for the execution of the Contract with the End User or Customer. These rules include when completed Products are to be delivered to and accepted by the End User or Customer, when invoices may be raised and paid, and how your organisation recognises revenue and takes profit from the Project ledgers
  • a Risk Folder which includes a log and records of every significant Risk that has been identified both during the Bid and the Project. It describes and quantifies the effect that each Risk can have on the Project, and how that effect will be mitigated should the Risk materialise.

A large document?

This may seem a very intimidating list. However the size and scope of a PMP should be appropriate to the Project to which it applies. A small Project has no need of a large PMP, it will get in the way of the work to be done, and what is needed may take only a few pages.. On the other hand, a very large Project will need more (probably a lot more) documentation, and its PMP will probably comprise several separate documents.

Producers and Consumers top

Producers

Consumers

Appoint Management

Define Brief

Define Brief

Create Infrastructure

Create Infrastructure

Plan First Delivery Phase/Stage

Plan First Delivery Phase/Stage

Authorise Activity

Authorise Activity

Monitor and Report Work Status

Delegate Work (PMP and Phase/Stage Plan updated Schedule)

Delegate Work (Phase/Stage Plan Schedule)

Receive Completed Work (updated Phase/Stage Plan Schedule)

Receive Completed Work (Phase/Stage Plan Schedule)

Design Plan (Phase/Stage Plan skeleton updated)

Design Plan (Phase/Stage Plan skeleton)

Identify Objectives (draft Phase/Stage Plan)

Identify Objectives (PID)

Generate Plan Detail (draft WBS for Phase/Stage Plan)

Generate Plan Detail (draft PBS of Phase/Stage Plan)

Produce Draft Plan (Interim draft Phase/Stage Plan)

Produce Draft Plan (Final draft Phase/Stage Plan)

Revise Plan (PMP updated with new Phase/Stage Plan, Risk Folder Quality Plan, Issues Folder, Job Descriptions)

Revise Plan (current PMP)

Recommend Next Activity (final draft new Phase/Stage Plan

Recommend Next Activity (draft new Phase/Stage Plan)

 

Finalise Work (current PMP)

Templatetop

Since it is a composite of other documents there is no Product Template for the PMP itself. Product Templates are available for the following parts of the PMP:

Example top

None