What's in a Good Work Plan

Many people throw around the terms Project Plan and Work Plan. Sometimes when people say project plan, they're really referring to the project schedule. Personally, I use Work Plan and Project Plan synonymously, and the Project Schedule is a very specific item and only one element of a successful project. A Work Plan should essentially tell you how this project is going to get done, across many topics. I have a Work Plan template that I'd like to share here. It incorporates the following elements:

• Project Objectives


• Success Criteria


• Overall Project Strategy


• Project Scope


• What's In Scope


• What's Out of Scope


• Project Phases – High-level descriptions


• Key Project Deliverables


• Communication Plan Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)


• Project Schedule


• Risk Management Plan


• Project Organization & Staffing


• Team Organization Model & Core Responsibilities


• Individual Roles & Responsibilities


• Deliverable Review Matrix


• Technical Overview


• Project Budget

Any of the above might refer out to a supporting document as needed.