The planning phase project management templates will help the project manager establish the scope of the project, refine the objectives, and define the course of action required to attain the objectives that the project was undertaken to achieve. The following templates are included. Click on a template for more information about that template.

Activity Attributes
Activity List
Activity Resource Requirements
Communications Management Plan
Cost/Benefit Analysis
Cost Management Plan
Human Resource Management Plan
Make-or-Buy Analysis
Procurement Management Plan
Project Budget
Project Document Update
Project Management Plan
Project Scope Statement of Work (SOW)
Quality Management Plan
Requirements Management Plan
Requirements Traceability Matrix
Responsibility Assignment Matrix
Risk Assessment Questionnaire
Risk Assessment Statement of Work (SOW)
Risk Management Plan
Risk Register
Schedule Management Plan
Source Selection Criteria
Status Meeting Agenda
Teaming Agreement
WBS Checklist
WBS Dictionary
WBS Principles

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The Activity Attributes project management template allows the project manager to capture the following key components for each activity:

• Activity Identification #;
• WBS Identification #;
• Activity Name;
• Activity Codes;
• Activity Description;
• Predecessor Activities;
• Successor Activities;
• Logical Relationships;
• Leads and Lags;
• Resource Requirements;
• Imposed Dates;
• Constraints; and
• Assumptions.

The Activity List project management template captures all scheduled activities required for the project. Each activity will have its own identifier as well as a scope of work description.

The Activity Resource Requirements project management template allows the project manager to document the following key components:

• Work Package Identification #;
• Resource Requirements Description;
• Type of Resource;
• Quantity of Resources; and
• Availability of Resources.

The Communications Management Plan project management template allows the project manager to proactively, efficiently, and effectively communicate with the project stakeholders. Key components of this project management template include identifying the following:

• The audience and their role within your project;
• The required project reports;
• The format vehicle of your various project reports;
• The frequency of the reports;
• The sensitivity of the reports; and
• Means of communication.

The Cost/Benefit Analysis project management template provides adequate cost and benefit information to analyze and evaluate alternative approaches to meeting project objectives. Key components of this project managmenent template include the following:

• Project overview;
• Discussion of alternatives;
• Life cycle costs and benefits;
• Risk analysis; and
• Proper sign-offs.

The Cost Management Plan project management template sets the format and establishes criteria for planning, structuring, estimating, budgeting, and controlling project costs. Those controls may help determine the structure and/or application approach for quantitative analysis of the budget or cost plan. Key components of this project management template include the following:

• Level of accuracy including your activity cost estimates;
• Units of measure including staff hours, days, weeks or sum;
• Organizational processes including the assigning of control account cost codes at the work package level as identified in your baseline estimates, and as linked to the performing organization.s accounting system;
• Control thresholds identifying the level of variance for which a response will be initiated;
• Performance measurement utilizing Earned Value Management (EVM) and allowing the project manager to project estimates at completion (EAC) forecasts;
• Reporting formats identifying the preferred format and frequency for the analysis of various cost reports; and finally
• Process descriptions that go into more detail on the specific documented cost management processes.

The Human Resource Management Plan is a subsidiary management plan of the Project Management Plan. This project management template captures a brief summary of how project human resources are:

• Defined;
• Staffed;
• Managed;
• Controlled; and
• Released.

Additional key components of this project management template include the following:

• Roles and Responsibilities;
• Project Organization Charts; and
• Staffing Management Plan.

The Make-or-Buy Analysis project management template allows the project manager to compare the various direct, indirect, and total costs of making or procuring a product, service, or result. Key components of this project management template include the following:

• Cost item number;
• Cost item description;
• Direct, indirect and total cost to make the product or service;
• Direct, indirect and total cost to buy the product or service; and
• Final notes and recommendations.

The Procurement Management Plan project management template is an excellent communication tool for the project team to manage the procurement process. It describes in specifics what items will be procured and under what conditions. Key components of this project management template include the following:

• Vendor selection process;
• Vendor management;
• Types of contracts the Team will use;
• Decision process to identify which type of contract will be used;
• Contract responsibility; and
• Sets the contract standards.

Project budgets constitute the funds authorized to execute the project. The project cost performance baseline will be measured against the authorized budget.

The Project Budget project management template will allow the project manager to capture the following types of costs:

• Direct Costs;
• Indirect Costs; and
• Project Reserves.

The Project Document Update project management template will assist the project manager with understanding updates and changes to project documents. Key components of this project management template include the following:

• Defining where and what type of plan updates are occurring;
• Details on the update;
• Type of modifications and corrective actions associated with that update; and
• Which stakeholders must be notified.

The Project Management Plan project management template helps to organize and define the project and is a contract between the Project Manager, Executive Sponsor, and Project Team. Key components of this project management template include the following:

• Business and project goals and objectives;
• Scope, expectations, roles and responsibilities;
• Assumptions and constraints;
• Quality Management and Project Management approach;
• Project Baselines and Subsidiary Management Plans;
• Attachments and Appendices; and
• Sponsor Approval.

Defining the Project Scope Statement of Work (SOW) sets the stage for developing the project plan. The Project SOW is a definition of the end result or mission of your project - a product or service for your client or customer. The primary purpose of the Project SOW is to:

• Define as clearly as possible the deliverables for the end user;
• Focus project plans;
• Provide a documented basis for making future project decisions; and
• Confirm or develop a common understanding of project scope among the stakeholders.

The Project Scope Statement of Work (SOW) project management template key components include the following:

• A narrative description of the project scope;
• Major deliverables;
• Project objectives;
• Project assumptions and constraints; and
• A statement of work.

Additionally, the project scope statement of work should define what is in and out of scope.

The Quality Management Plan project management template describes how the project team will implement quality on the project. Key components of this project management template include the following:

• Quality control;
• Quality assurance; and
• Continuous Process Improvement.

The Requirements Management Plan describes the steps for developing requirements for products or services. Requirements are a condition or capability that must be met or possessed by a system, product, service, result, or component to satisfy a contract, standard, specification, or other formally imposed document. Requirements include the quantified and documented needs, wants, and expectations of the sponsor, customer, and other stakeholders. Key components of this project management template include the following:

• Identifying how the requirement's activities will be planned, tracked, and reported;
• Configuration management activities such as how changes will be initiated, impacts analyzed, traced, tracked, reported, and authorized for approval;
• A requirements prioritization process;
• Product metrics and justification;
• Assessment of which requirement attributes will be captured on the traceability matrix and to which other requirements will they be traced.

The Requirements Management Plan project management template will document how requirements will be:

• Analyzed;
• Documented; and
• Managed throughout the project.

The Requirements Traceability Matrix project management template is a table that links requirements to their origin and traces them throughout the project life cycle. Key components of this project management template include the following:

• Unique Identifier;
• Description of the requirement;
• Rationale for inclusion;
• Owner - Individual or group responsible for the requirement;
• Source - What is responsible for the requirement (e.g. strategic opportunity, legal or regulatory requirement, market place demand, customer request, technological advancement);
• Priority;
• Version;
• Current Status - Is it active, cancelled, deferred, added, or approved;
• Date Completed; and
• Additional Requirements - Such as stability, complexity, and acceptance criteria.

The Responsibility Assignment Matrix project management template is a structure that relates the project organizational breakdown structure to the work breakdown structure to ensure that each component of the project scope of work is assigned to the appropriate resource and skill set.

Additionally, each resource is identified by their role within that project (e.g. participant, accountable, reviewer, input provider, and approver).

With this project management template, the project manager will have the option to assign resources either by project management phase (initiating, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and closing) or by development phase (requirements, functional, design, development, build, testing, train, and deploy).

The 23 page Risk Assessment Questionnaire project management template is divided into two sections:

• Section I: Risk assessment questionnaire; and
• Section II: Typical High-Risk Problems/Response Actions.

Use Section I of this project management template to identify risks that will impact the project and the level of threat they pose to the project's success. In this section, characteristics are grouped in typical categories of project risk. High, medium, and low risk ratings are assigned to descriptions of each project characteristic. This list of project characteristics is not exhaustive and is intended to provide a starting point only. Customize the questionnaire by adding to the list specific risk characteristics or criteria that apply to your organization or project. To complete the questionnaire, choose the phrase for each characteristic that best depicts your project at the time of assessment. Be certain to also complete the Project Planning Risk Assessment Checklist.

Use Section II of this project management template to analyze identified risks and plan appropriate responses. Early warning signs and examples of problems that may result from certain types of high risks are listed alongside examples of activities that may be undertaken to mitigate or respond to each risk.

For each high-risk factor identified in Section I, create a response plan in the Risk Response Plan document to ensure that the risk is mitigated and does not impact project success. Consider the example activities in Section II as examples of potential responses. The project team may suggest additional response actions. After creating response plans for all the high-risk factors, look at the medium-level risks to determine whether the impact is severe enough to warrant an entry into the Risk Response Plan as well. If so, create entries in the Risk Response Plan for the medium-risk factors. Low-risk factors may be considered assumptions, that is, there is a potential for problems, but because the risk is low, you are "assuming" that the condition will not occur. The Risk Response Plan is used throughout the project to monitor and control risks.

The Risk Assessment Statement of Work (SOW) project management template is to be utilized when evaluating vendors who perform an independent risk assessment on a project. Key components of this project management template include the following:

• Project background and overview;
• Assessment goals;
• Alignment with organizational goal; and
• Risk management strategies.

The Risk Management Plan is a subsidiary plan of the Project Management Plan and not to be confused with the Risk Register, which merely captures risk in one central location. Information in the Risk Management Plan varies by application area and project size.

The Risk Management Plan project management template formalizes how project risk management will be structured and performed on the project. Key components of this project management template include the following:

• Risk strategy;
• Risk identification;
• Risk analysis; and
• Risk response.

The Risk Register project management template identifies the project's risks, their cause and impact, actions required, and responses. Key components of this project managemenet template include the following:

• Risk #;
• Impacted Deliverable;
• Detailed Description of Risk;
• Submitter and Submitted Date;
• Status (open, closed, and pending);
• Status Update;
• Action Required;
• Cause;
• Event;
• Impact or Effect;
• Assignee and Assigned Date; and
• Due Date.

This Schedule Management Plan project management template establishes the scheduling methodology, rules, and approach for the development of the project schedule. Key components of this project management template include the following:

• Staffing roles and responsibilities;
• Procedure for estimating the project schedule;
• Schedule storage;
• Schedule approval(s);
• Schedule updates;
• Schedule format and content;
• Staffing Matrix and profile; and
• Schedule creation.

The Source Selection Criteria project management template allows the project manager to identify, evaluate, and compare vendor responses and scores in order to make a quantifiable selection. Key components of this project management template include the following:

• Vendor response criteria;
• Criteria description; and
• List of responders and their evaluation scores.

The Status Meeting Agenda project management template provides a routine and periodic structure for the identification of what activities, risks, and issues will be reviewed and updated during that specific reporting period.

The Teaming Agreement project management template identifies the parameters upon which two companies will conduct joint services. It is recommended that the company approved agreement be reviewed and approved by the company's legal counsel.

The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Checklist project management template allows the project manager to validate and determine:

• Project objectives for each individual or group;
• The level of activity and involvement necessary to accomplish those objectives; and
• Who will be responsible for completing those objectives.

The WBS Dictionary is a great way to communicate to your project team members the standard WBS component terms. This standardization will help to foster clearer communications and avoid any confusion between team members by allowing them to understand the same set of terms in exactly the same context and way.

The WBS Dictionary project management template will allow the project manager to describe each component in the WBS including, but not limited to:

• Activity or task name;
• Effort and duration;
• Resource names;
• Defined deliverables;
• Associated activities;
• List of milestones;
• Dictionary description; and
• Cost.

The WBS Principles project management template gives the project manager principles and concepts that apply to work breakdown structures within the following:

• Top level;
• "Product" projects;
• "Service" projects; and
• "Results" projects.