Chapter 3 - Managing the plan and execute phases

Abstract

This chapter primarily discusses the planning and executing phases of project management from a systems engineering point of view. Nine key elements of a team plan are presented and discussed. The team plan must state the team's objectives clearly so that everyone understands their mission, specifying anything considered important or essential by the customer; the project team must name specific results, i.e., reports, products, etc. Principles for setting clear objectives must be realistic and must account for resources available, experience of the team, time available, and any constraints and uncertainties; and should be achievable within a reasonable margin of error. The Integrated Master Plan (IMP) is the foundation for the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS), containing key events and significant accomplishments, including activities to meet technical and agreement/contract requirements. The IMS is an integrated and networked multilayered schedule of program tasks required to complete the work effort captured in a related IMP. The IMS includes all IMP events and accomplishments and supports each accomplishment closure criteria. Top-level tools to show progress during program execution are linked to the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), work packages, and incentives and are performance oriented. The IMP/IMS model helps the team to manage risk and provides inputs for risk assessments; it supports all phases of the program. The project management methodology discussed here consists of five project phases. The initiating and the closing phases occur once in the project lifecycle, whereas the development phases are iterative and include planning, monitoring and controlling, and executing.