Introduction

The planning process continues with the development of plans for three crucial project components: the procurement management plan, the quality management plan, and the risk management plan. Creation of these components is the next steps you'll take to reach your project development's top speed while remaining firmly in control. Your ability to manage these components will be greatly enhanced after you apply the techniques and tools you'll learn about in this lesson.

Your focus in this lesson is to develop plans that deliver clear direction for your project, your team members, and your other stakeholders. The key function of your plans is to enable you to measure progress and provide meaningful feedback for management control. Furthermore, you'll learn why you need to produce these plans quickly and without hesitation.

As we go through this lesson, keep in mind that plans are guides. They are roadmaps you'll use to navigate through the full life cycle of your project. But plans do not carry out the actions to turn your project into a success—People do that. Your team members play a central role in the development and execution of your well-developed plans. If you enter the planning process with the team members as your partners, you'll finish with a better plan and a more successful project.