Project Scheduling and Cost Planning

Introduction
The project schedule is the guide for how a project will be completed and finished. Schedules are very critical part of any project because they provide the project team and sponsor a visual picture of the project’s standing at any given time. The purpose of the schedule management plan is to define the technique the project team will use in creating the project schedule. This plan also comprises how the team overseer the project schedule and manages changes after the standard schedule has been approved. This includes identifying, analyzing, documenting, prioritizing, approving or rejecting, and publishing all schedule-related changes.

Schedule Management Approach
Project schedules will be made using MS Project. Activity definition will identify the specific work packages, which must be performed to complete each deliverable. Activity sequencing will be used to determine the order of work packages and assign relationships between project activities. Activity duration estimating will be used to calculate the number of work periods required to complete work packages. Resource estimating will be used to assign resources to work packages in order to complete schedule development.

Once an initial schedule has been developed, the project team and any resources will assess it cautiously assigned to project tasks. The project team and resources must agree to the proposed work package assignments, durations, and schedule. Once this is achieved the project sponsor will review and approve the schedule and it will then be baselined.

The following will be designates as milestones for the project schedule:

· Baseline project schedule

· Approval of final project budget

· Project kick-off

· Approval of roles and responsibilities

· Completion of data mapping/inventory

· Project implementation

· Acceptance of final deliverables

Roles and responsibilities for schedule development are as follows:

The project manager will be responsible for facilitating work package definition, sequencing, and estimating duration and resources with the project team. The project manager will also create the project schedule using MS Project and validate the schedule with the project team, stakeholders. The project manager will obtain schedule approval from the stakeholders and baseline the schedule.

The project team is responsible for participating in work, and duration and resource estimating. The project team will also review and validate the proposed schedule and perform assigned activities once the schedule is approved.

The project stakeholders will participate in reviews of the proposed schedule, assist in its validation and approve the final schedule before it is baseline.

Schedule Control
The project schedule will be reviewed and updated as necessary when new or old information is added or deleted. It will include the actual start, finish and percentages of the completion.

The project manager is responsible for holding schedule updates/reviews. Also determining o schedule modifications. Submitting schedule change requests and reporting schedule status in accordance with the project’s communications plan will be left up to the project manager.

The project team is responsible for participating schedule updates/reviews. The team must communicate any changes of the actual start/finish dates to the project manager. Finally the team will participate in schedule variance resolution activities as needed.

The project stakeholder will maintain awareness of the project schedule status and review/approve any schedule change requests submitted by the project manager.

Schedule Changes and Thresholds
If any member of the project team determines that a modification to the schedule is essential, the project manager and team will meet to assessment and evaluate the change. The project manager and project team must conclude which tasks will be impacted, variance as a result of the potential change, and any alternatives or variance resolution activities they may employ to see how they would affect the scope, schedule, and resources. If, after this evaluation is complete, the project manager determines that any change will surpass the established boundary conditions, then a schedule change request must be submitted.

Submittal of a schedule change request to the project stakeholder for approval is required if either of the two following conditions is true:

· The proposed change is estimated to reduce the duration of an individual work package by 2% or more, or increase the duration of an individual work package by 10% or more.

· The change is estimated to reduce the duration of the overall baseline schedule by 10% or more, or increase the duration of the overall baseline schedule by 2% or more.

Any change requests that do not meet these thresholds must be submitted to the project manager for approval.

Once the change request has been reviewed and approved the project manager is responsible for adjusting the schedule and communicating all changes and impacts to the project team and stakeholders. The project manager must also ensure that all change requests are archived in the project records repository.

Scope Change
Any changes in the project scope, which have been approved by the project stakeholder, will require the project team to evaluate the outcome of the scope changes on the current schedule. If the project manager determines that the scope change will significantly affect the current project schedule, they may demand that the schedule be re-baselined in concern of any changes, which need to be made as part of the new project scope. The project stakeholder must review and approve this request before the schedule can be re-baselined.

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