Project Planning

Project planning is concerned with development of project for investment. Planning is very important for effective implementation and controlling the project. It identifies and addresses the tasks required for accomplishment of project objectives. It acts as a road map for managing the project. It determines how the project objectives will be accomplished. It involves detailed design,k budgeting, scheduling and allocation of resources.

Project planning is the detail scheme for proper arrangement of necessary action, steps and means. So that the objective of the proposed project's objectives can easily be achieved within stipulated time, cost and quality. Project planning is the process of setting project's goal and defining action to achieve those goals. It is mainly concerned with development of project investment. It identifies all key project task to be accomplished and milestone should be achieved. It prepares detail schedules and then the schedules are used for procuring equipments, materials, organizing the required resources, sequencing and measuring task performance.

Need of project planning

• To establish and obtain greater understanding of project objectives and constraints.
• To arrange the available resources in a coordinated manner.
• To determine standard of performance evaluation and control.
• To avoid confusion and wastage.
• To identify the require time and resources for each task and total project.
• To determine the rules and responsibility of a project team members.
• To ensure greater communication and co-ordination.
• To reduce the risk and uncertainty.
• To provide a basis for project implementation through work down structure, scheduling and sequencing.
• To improve the efficiency of operation.

The tasks involved in project planning are:

• Feasibility Study: It determines the implementability of the project.
• Appraisal: It is evaluation of the project's ability to succeed. It is done after the feasibility study is done.
• Design: It is concerned with the preparation of :
• Detailed engineering design, including blueprints and specifications.
• Detailed implementation plan including schedule, cost estimates and allocation of resources.

Project planning is concerned with looking ahead at the future work plan of a project. It is deciding in advance about:

• What activities need to be done in the project?
• How the activities will be done?
• When the activities are to be done?
• Who will do the activities?