Chapter Three. Planning and Execution

Just as the Planning phase and Initiation phase are linked, so too are the Planning and Execution phases. The old cliché "Plan the work, work the plan" becomes a truism and a way of life for a project manager. Without a plan, the project can be executed, but there is little chance of knowing how successful the project is at a given time unless there is a plan against which to measure it.

The Planning phase is the phase with the least risk attached. Only planning resources are being used at this point, and in fact the ways in which resources will be used are in question until the project plan is actually finalized. On the exam, you will likely see a question like:

Q.	Which phase of a project has the least risk?
		A.	Closing
		B.	Controlling
		C.	Planning
		D.	Execution

Because you have not committed the major part of your resources, C (Planning) is the correct answer.

At the same time, the Execution phase of the project is when you are using your resources at their highest level and when expenditures and risk are at their highest. Some might argue that risk increases the closer to the end of the project you are, but the reality is that the Execution phase is where you have the most operating functions going on, which makes it the most risky.

Q.	The document that describes the objectives, work content, deliverables, and end product of a project is the:
		A.	Project charter
		B.	WBS
		C.	SOW
		D.	Scope Statement

The answer is D. The Scope Statement controls pretty much everything that goes on in execution. All the rest of the plans are done based on the content of the scope plan, and it is the document that supplies information about what is to be done and what isn't. If you don't look at your Scope Statement often, it's likely you'll have added or subtracted something from the original project plan. Keep it easily accessible.