Tool 153: Project Planning Log

AKA

N/A

Classification

Planning/Presenting (PP)

Tool description

The project planning log documents all planned activities to resolve a problem or implement a process improvement opportunity. The log organizes and sequences action items and completion dates; it indicates individual or team responsibility and the review and follow-up requirements.

Typical application

• To plan and schedule a problem-solving or organizational change project.

• To assign and monitor change activities.

• To propose and map out an implementation effort.

Problem-solving phase

	Select and define problem or opportunity
	Identify and analyze causes or potential change
→	Develop and plan possible solutions or change
→	Implement and evaluate solution or change
→	Measure and report solution or change results
	Recognize and reward team efforts

Typically used by

	Research/statistics
	Creativity/innovation
	Engineering
1	Project management
	Manufacturing
	Marketing/sales
3	Administration/documentation
	Servicing/support
	Customer/quality metrics
2	Change management

links to other tools

before

• Action Plan

• Resource Requirements Matrix

• Force Field Analysis (FFA)

• Gap Analysis

• Project Prioritization Matrix

after

• Information Needs Analysis

• Monthly Assessment Schedule

• Influence Diagram

• Measurement Matrix

• Presentation

Notes and key points

• A project planning log can serve as an input or source document for developing a more detailed action plan.

Step-by-step procedure

• STEP 1 A listing of all major activities required to complete the project is developed and recorded on a project planning log. See example Retrain Human Resource Specialists.

• STEP 2 Information is added as to how these activities are to be performed and in what sequence.

• STEP 3 Identification of individuals or teams responsible for completing these activities and associated due dates is completed.

• STEP 4 Follow-up activities and review procedures are added to activities on an as required basis.

• STEP 5 The draft project planning log is reviewed by all team participants and revisions are suggested and completed.

• STEP 6 The project planning log is dated and distributed to all involved parties.

Example of tool application

Retrain Human Resource Specialists Date: xx/xx/xx

Team: Eagles	Solution: Revise/Update HR Training
Major Tasks	Process/Methods	Due	Name	Follow-Up
1. Identify needs	Perform needs study	4/1xx	J.P.	Review docs
2. Review of current HR practices	Review of HR literature	6/1/xx	Team	Sort/file by 6/15/xx
3. Acquire case studies	Consolidate secondary data	7/10/xx	K.L.	—
4. Engage subject matter experts	Identify/contact (3) SMEs	7/30/xx	K.L.	Interviews
5. Identify tasks	Perform task analysis	9/1/xx	J.P.	Contact HR personnel
6. Job descriptions	Update	10/1/xx	K.L.	—
7. Develop training	Build HR modules	12/20/xx	T & D	Interface with T & D
8. Train-the-trainer	Match experience with HR modules for trainer I.D.	1/15/xx	HR staff	Check schedules
Note: SME = subject matter experts