What is Project Management Plan(PMP)?
- Karthick Kumar Rajappan
- Oct 28
- 2 min read
Once the Project Charter gives you the GO signal, the Project Management Plan is the detailed ROADMAP that tells you exactly how to get there.
The Project Management Plan is a comprehensive, formal, and approved document that defines how the project will be executed, monitored, controlled, and closed.
It is the master document that integrates all the subsidiary management plans.
Purpose: To serve as the official roadmap that guides the entire project team and stakeholders through all phases of the project life cycle (from initiation through closure).
Focus: The entire project lifecycle and all management aspects.
Creation: It is developed during the Planning Process Group, after the Project Charter has been approved.
Nature: It is a living document, meaning it gets updated and refined as the project progresses and changes occur.
Key Components of a Project Management Plan
The PMP integrates many subsidiary plans, which cover the key knowledge areas of project management. These typically include:
Scope Management Plan: Defines how the scope will be defined, validated, and controlled (often includes the Work Breakdown Structure - WBS).
Schedule Management Plan: Details how the schedule will be developed, managed, and controlled (including the Schedule Baseline).
Cost Management Plan: Describes how costs will be estimated, budgeted, and controlled (including the Cost Baseline).
Quality Management Plan: Outlines the standards and processes for ensuring deliverables meet quality requirements.
Risk Management Plan: Details how risks will be identified, analyzed, responded to, and monitored.
Communication Management Plan: Defines who needs what information, when they need it, and how it will be delivered.
Resource Management Plan: Addresses how resources (including the project team) will be acquired, managed, and released.
Procurement Management Plan: Lays out how external products or services will be acquired.
Stakeholder Engagement Plan: Describes how to keep stakeholders involved and supportive.
Change Management Plan: Defines the formal process for requesting, reviewing, and approving any changes to the baselines (scope, schedule, cost).
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