The Project Management Plan brings together all the plans for the project. The purpose of the Project Management Plan is to document the outcomes of the planning process and to provide the reference document for managing the project. The project management plan is owned by the project manager and can be used by everyone to help:
1. Explain the nature of the project. Be able to define scope, deliverables, timescales and roles and responsibilities.
2. Provide a baseline on how the project will be managed, which is then periodically reviewed and updated through change control. The project management plan is the baseline document upon which changes are considered.
3. Communicate how the project will be managed:
a. the policies and plans for managing the change
b. how communication will be managed,
c. configuration management
d. project governance
e. health safety and environmental issues
f. procurement
g. quality management
h. risk management
How the project will be managed must be clear and visible to all involved on the project.
4. Continuity – for all working on the project, as people will change as the project progresses through the project lifecycle. It is a document to which can be referred as it contains relevant – and up to date – information to run the project.
5. Form a contract between the project sponsor and other stakeholders with the project manager.
