2.1 Project Planning

All projects have a number of common characteristics:

•  clear objectives

•  a definitive outcome

•  they run for a fixed period of time

•  they can be broken down into a sequence of smaller tasks.

Projects are unlikely to succeed unless they are properly planned. However, before you can start to plan, you have to be absolutely clear about the purpose of the project and what you are required to produce.

You should read the entire project brief first. There are a number of key questions you need to ask, including:

•  what do I have to produce

•  what is it for

•  who is the intended audience

•  when do I have to have it finished

•  what resources can I use

•  how will the success of the project be judged

•  who will review my work and when?

Once you are clear about your objectives, you should spend some time brainstorming (on your own or with others) in order to generate ideas for achieving them. You will probably come up with several different ideas and will need to weigh up the pros and cons of each before deciding which one to choose.

Once you have decided how you are going to tackle the project you can begin work on a project plan. You may wish to use ICT to help with project planning.

A plan must identify:

•  the main tasks broken down into sub-tasks

•  the order in which you will carry them out

•  how much time you will spend on each

•  when you will ask reviewers for feedback.

You need to be realistic about the amount of time you allocate to each task, bearing in mind that resources may not always be available when you need them. Some tasks need to be completed before others can be started. You will need to make sure that your plan lists the tasks in a logical order.

There is no point in spending time drawing up a plan if you do not use it to help you achieve your objectives and meet the deadline. You should use it to monitor your progress so that you can anticipate problems or delays and take action.