Align Your Team and Clients with a Project Plan
Explorers have their maps, architects have their blueprints, and project managers have their Project Plans. Whether you’re building a new product or leading a campaign on behalf of a client, the key to alignment is in this one handy document.
Project Plans get everyone on the same page, lay down the ground rules, and guide execution at every phase. They start with a foundation of where you are now, paint a picture of where you’re going, and outline the steps that will take you to the finish line.
Of course, along the journey, things will change. Roadblocks will appear, new information will unveil smarter strategies, responsibilities will shift -- all hell could break loose. (We’ve all been there, right?). And along the journey of all the ups and downs, guess who’s adapting and evolving right there along with you? Your home base, your copilot, your source of truth; your Project Plan.
What’s in a Project Plan?
A Project Plan is a living, breathing document that serves as the foundation of any new initiative. It aligns the key details of the project scope, budget, deliverables, timeline, etc. -- all in one working document that is shared between all team members and stakeholders.
Below is a list of sections that the Project Plan can and should include. For a full breakdown and some strategic tips for how to use a project plan, you can download our free template below.
Project Plans Include:
Project Overview: A high level overview of the campaign or project you’re managing
Scope: A summary of the statement of work you’ve agreed upon with the client. Includes key deliverables you’ve agreed to complete, as well as project constraints and what you’ve agreed you will not complete.
Requirements: A list of defined requirements from the client/stakeholders that the project must abide by.
Budget: Includes line items for any expenditures that have been approved in order to complete the project.
Project Team Members: A repository of the key team members and stakeholders for the project, what they are responsible for, and their contact information.
Project Phases: For larger projects with several deliverables, or ones that span several months, defining project phases helps manage expectations and organize tasks into strategic execution plans.
Deliverables: A list of project deliverables and their associated due dates.
Milestones: A schedule of key events associated with the project.
Resource Index: An index of links to any other planning documents needed to complete all phases of the project. This can include prototypes, meeting notes, assets/media, evaluation matrices, research, etc.
Glossary: A list of definitions for industry-specific jargon from the client and the agency
Amendments/Deviations: A running list of any changes made to the Project Plan as the project evolves.
For a full breakdown of these sections and strategic tips for how to use them, download our free Project Plan template.
Best Practices for Using Your Project Plan
Ensure Alignment Between Your Team and Clients
At the beginning of the project, all contributors and clients should sign off on the project plan to ensure that all expectations are captured and all deliverables are accounted for. This ensures agreement from the start - making sure everyone is beginning on the same page from the same foundation. More importantly, by doing this upfront it illuminates any potential disagreements or miscommunications upstream before they crash your project and bruise your client relationship.
Don’t Set It and Forget It
As much as we wish plans could be perfect from the jump, oftentimes when reality sets in, the execution plan needs to change. Goals change, new tools are introduced, people are reassigned, priorities shift, inspiration strikes. As these things happen, Project Plans are also a running ledger of these changes. They serve as a record of decisions made, questions answered, budgets deviated, and timelines changed.
Refer to the Project Plan Regularly
Your Project Plan is only as useful if you make it. Keep it top of mind by referring to it regularly. Use it to guide your internal team syncs, progress updates, and client check-ins and make any updates or amendments in real-time.
Customize Your Project Plan
Each project is different, so tailor the template to what fits your needs. Add or remove sections to fit your requirements. To ensure a consistent look and feel, add design elements to the doc that align with your brand. Add your colors, logos, fonts, etc. to make it fit with your branding guidelines. Since project plans are shared with the client, consider adding title pages or graphical elements that will resonate with their company, too.
Analyze Its Effectiveness
At the end of your project, when all deliverables have been accounted for and the client is happy, review your Project Plan. Compare the successes and failures of your project to other ones you’ve completed or have in progress. Are there similarities or patterns for what goes wrong or what goes right? How can you use that to better inform your strategies and processes in the future? How can you adjust the sections of your Project Plan to future-proof against repeating those issues?
Get Started with a Project Plan
You don’t need any fancy software to get started with a Project Plan. Start your own with the descriptions above, or download our free template, which includes:
A formatted outline of all major Project Plan sections
Expanded definitions with tactical applications for each
Bonus strategy tips for aligning your team and your clients
