Summary of Supplemental Project Plan Components

We introduced several new planning components, in addition to the core work plan, budget and control elements you expect in the previous section and made reference to the impact that several of them have on the overall project planning effort. To help summarize and organize this information, please refer to Table 5.1.

Table 5.1. Summary of Supplemental Project Plan Components

Project Plan Component	Purpose	Key Elements / Notes	Impact on Project Planning
Change Control Plan	Describes how the project success factors (scope, cost, schedule, quality) will be managed and how changes will be integrated.	Can include assessment of expected stability of project scope	Proactive approach; manage expectations.
Communications Plan	Describes how the information and communication needs of project stakeholders will be met.	Often documented and presented in tabular form.	Communications management plan details must be added to WBS and project schedule.
Configuration Management Plan	Describes how changes to project deliverables and work products will be controlled and managed.	Should include both technical work products and project documentation	Proactive approach; manage expectations.
Procurement Management Plan	Describes how the procurement process will be managed.	Contract types Roles of project team and procurement dept.	Remaining procurement management tasks must be added to project schedule. Constraints of scheduling procurement activities with third-party vendors may impact the project schedule.
Quality Management Plan	Describes the project quality system.	Should address both project work products and the project processes.	Cost and schedule adjustments may be needed to meet quality standards. Quality assurance and quality control activities must be staffed and added to the project schedule.
Responsibility Matrix	Lists the project roles and responsibilities. Cross-references roles with assigned resources.	RACI matrix.	Ensure all required resources are accounted for.
Resource Management Plan	Indicates when project resources are needed on the project (start and end dates).	Impact if resource cannot meet all skill requirements. Impact if resource must be acquired at rates higher than estimated.	Cost baseline, work estimates, and project schedule are in flux until the final resources are acquired.
Risk Management Plan	Describes how the risk management process will be structured and performed.	Describes the process to be used.	Ensure risk management tasks are added to WBS and project schedule.
Risk Response Plan	Describes the response strategies for identified risks.	Risk Log. Details action steps to be taken if risk event occurs.	Risk response strategies may entail the allocation of additional resources, tasks, time, and costs. Budget reserves, contingency plans.
Variance Management	Describes how performance (cost, schedule) variances will be managed.	Documents planned responses to different variance levels.	Proactive approach; manage expectations.