How to Write a Project Plan [Step by Step Guide & Examples]

A project plan sets all phases and steps of a project in detail such as roles and responsibilities, budget, milestones, timelines, tasks, sub-tasks, project goals etc. Project planning is critical for stakeholders, investors, and members to see and understand the entire project.

According to a research report by the Project Management Institute (PMI), 46% of organizations prioritize project plannng. The project planning phase is the foundation for successful project execution. If you are wondering how to write a project plan, we’ve got you covered!

In this article, we will explain project planning and how you can craft one.

Ready? Let’s dive in!

TL; DR

• A project plan is a document that you will use to divide and monitor your entire project into actionable steps. 
• Project plan phases include initiation, planning, project execution, control, and project closure. 
• To create a project plan, you must first create an outline, then complete steps such as project objectives and scope. 
• After creating a project plan, you can organize a meeting with stakeholders and team members and execute the project. 
• If you are looking for an AI co-pilot to help you create a project plan from scratch or enhance your existing project plan, ZenoChat is designed for you.

What is a Project Plan?

A project plan breaks down the sections of your project into actionable sizes. It's a formal document that outlines your entire process of the project including tasks, steps, and milestones. A project plan document is a single knowledge repository where team members and stakeholders can find answers to their questions.

Project managers regularly check the project plan document and update its status, alert team members in case of possible risks, and inform project stakeholders and investors.

Pulse data show that when it comes to value delivery, organizations that are highly mature in theircapabilities outperformed those that are not, across a number of key project metrics:

Phases of Project Plan

Each project plan comes with 5 different topics to be conducted. Starting a project, completing it, and analysing the results of the project are all part of project planning. 

Project plan phases include:

• Concept and initiation: The first part of your project is the brainstorming and idea-listing part that you will do with your team members.
• Definition and planning: In this phase, you need to establish the goals, timeline, and responsibilities of your project plan.
• Project execution: This is the phase where you transform your planning and brainstorming phases into action and actively start your project.
• Control: This is the phase where you evaluate your project's performance and whether it meets expectations.
• Project close: This is the phase where you successfully close your project after completing all project phases. In this phase, you can document all the information and create a document that summarizes the other phases of the project.

How to Write a Project Plan?

The project planning phase and documenting it both increases the chance of success of the project and makes it easier for team members and stakeholders to follow the project. If you are wondering how to write a project plan, we have prepared a guide for you!

1-) Outline the Project Objectives

The project goals and objectives will be a source of information that you will check throughout the project. Both stakeholders and team members will frequently look at the project goals and objectives and evaluate the current status of the project. When outlining the project objectives, it is important to identify milestones, identify required resources, and create a schedule for the project timeline.

After determining the project objectives, breaking them down into actionable steps and creating frameworks for the tasks will help employees work more efficiently. You can also specify how the goals will be measured to effectively inform stakeholders.

2-) Define the Project Scope

The project scope heading that you will add to your project plan is useful for outlining all aspects of your project in detail. At this stage, resources, timelines, deliverables, and any other related documentation should be added to this section. You can also add milestone markers, documents related to tasks, and resources to this section.

3-) Create the Project Plan Framework

The most important step in the process of writing a project plan is to document it. At this stage, you should create a project plan using the metrics you collected for your project plan. The first thing you need to do in your project plan is to determine the deliverables. Deliverables can include designs, proposals, reports, analyses, and technical assessments.

Identify Tasks and Set Expectations  

During the project plan creation process, you need to assign tasks to team members and leaders involved in the operation and set expectations that will measure their success. At this stage, you can create a separate framework for each member or create a task list that appeals to the whole team. 

4-) Allocate Project Resources

Before starting a project, it is essential to check your resources and find out if you have the resources needed to complete the project. At this stage, you can research whether your company has done a project in the past that you can reference to list the resources you may need.

If your project resources are insufficient, you can create a budget management plan to access the necessary resources. Also, even if your resources are sufficient, you can manage your project more successfully by creating a project management plan.

5-) Establish a Project Timeline

Now that the task list, objectives, and resources are ready, it is time to create the project timeline. Every project requires a certain amount of time to be completed, and it is your responsibility as the project manager to provide this time to your employees. In a project timeline, you should include:

• Duration of activities or tasks
• Start and end dates of project activities and tasks
• Individual roles and responsibilities
• Milestones and phases
• Project roadmap

6-) Meet with Team and Stakeholders

After completing project planning, you should arrange meetings with both employees and stakeholders to evaluate the plan and gather their opinions. These meetings can be conducted in group settings or as individual sessions. This process provides an opportunity for key players to ask questions, offer suggestions, and provide feedback before executing the project.

At this stage, you should inform team members by explaining their roles, tasks, expectations, and timelines, while also listening to their suggestions. As in every area of the company, communication is critical in project planning.

7-) Execute Project

Once you have completed the planning phase, all that remains is to execute it. Once you execute the project, it is important to monitor performance throughout the project lifecycle and provide performance updates to stakeholders. For this, you can use regular check-ins, use performance metrics as measurement tools, and check your budget management plan.

ZenoChat – Create Customized Project Plans

If you are looking for an AI assistant that will accompany you from the project planning phase to the project lifecycle, ZenoChat by TextCortex is designed for you. ZenoChat offers its users features such as paraphrasing, simplified language, summarizer, and text generation, which will enhance the project plan writing process.

Moreover, ZenoChat offers its users knowledge bases where they can upload internal documents and data and facilitate knowledge management tasks. With knowledge bases, you can integrate all your project data into ZenoChat and create a wide range of documents from project plan creation to project budget management. In other words, with ZenoChat, you can both create project plans from scratch and enhance existing project plans.

ZenoChat offers features that not only help with project plan creation but also boost employees’ productivity by assisting them with all their tasks. See the results from one of our case studies:

• TextCortex was implemented for Kemény Boehme Consultants as a solution to tackle these challenges and today employees report increased efficiency and productivity (saving 3 work days per month per employee on average).
• AICX, an ecosystem partner of TextCortex, was integral to the onboarding and helped achieve a 70% activation rate of the team within the first weeks.
• Employee confidence in using and working with AI increased by 60%.‍
• The implementation results in a 28x return on investment (ROI).

Project Plan Template

Let’s take a look at a project plan template created by ZenoChat:

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