The purpose of the project management plan (PMP) is a document that can be used by everyone involved with the project to help communicate and detail information and describe processes that the project will undertake. It will detail the scope, deliverables, timescales and roles and responsibilities of persons involved and be derived in form from the business case created by the Sponsor. It also forms part, or can be used in the contract between the project manager and sponsor, and if not used in the contract, it represents an agreement.
Four plans/policies within the PMP are detailed below;
1.Risk Management Plan
2.Stakeholder Management Plan
3.Change Control Procedure
4.Communications Plan
1. The risk management plan is used to detail the processes such as a SWOT analysis and other methods for identification, assessment, plan response and implement responses. It is used to mitigate any risk to the project & stakeholders and identify who the risk belongs to and how it is to be managed. The risk register (log) would also be detailed in the PMP.
2.A stakeholder management plan is used to help identify, asses, communicate and generally manage the stakeholders of the project. A stakeholder analysis would be detailed to identify which stakeholders are the most influential and position them in a hierarchical order.
3.A change control procedure is used to identify the processes and procedures that are to be undertaken to manage (control) and implement change. It will contain change request forms and detail the required data such as cost, programme and type of change.
4.The communications plan explains what communication will be undertaken surrounding and during the project. It will highlight methods such as reports and the regularity of these, and also list out the various forms communication categories that are accepted such as types of written or verbal.
