1. Executive Summary – This is a high-level document that outlines the project's main components.
2. Strategic/Organizational Alignment – This is done to see if the project's start date aligns with the organization's goals. The results of the stakeholder analysis are also included.
3. Scope of the project - The work breakdown structure, product breakdown structure, purpose, objectives, performance criteria for products or services, quality process, and specifications, among other things, will all be defined here. This section will also define and discuss the project assumptions, as well as any grey areas and major deliverables.
4. Feasibility assessments and contingency plans – Technical, organizational, economic, and operational feasibility studies are conducted in this section. In addition, project risks are identified, major risk treatment plans are developed, and contingency plans are developed and discussed.
5. Constraints Evaluation - The primary constraints are the environment and management, both of which must be discussed. Time, limited resources, and a set budget are just a few examples.
6. Human Resources Requirement - The team's roles and responsibilities, as well as who will do what, must be defined in this section. Then, in this section, the personnel training plans must be discussed and studied.
7. Materials/Equipment requirements - The software, hardware, space, cubicles, and other resources are discussed in this section.
8. Project Schedules and Milestones - The three key elements of deliverables, critical dependencies, and duration will be integrated here. The tasks' milestones and schedule are then established.
9. Budget/Estimate - Expense items, labor, and capital items are the three key parameters used to plan the cost estimate. Management creates a budget and a cost estimate for the duration of the project.
10. Risk Management - The risks are identified, and a risk register with risk treatment plans is created.
11. Project Issues - Here, project planning is focused on issue management and how to deal with them if they arise during the project.
12. Change Management – For the change management plan, a plan and process are created.
13. Communication Management - Communication management is one of the most important sections of the project plan; whether it's an exception, issue resolution, escalation, or a progress report, the communication must go to the key stakeholders.
14. Vendor Management - Dependencies on project outsourcing or key vendors for sub deliverables, software, or some project features must be discussed and planned in this section.
15. Approvals - The project plan must be approved in its entirety, as well as various approvals from project stakeholders prior to the project's start.
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