3.1 The Project Management Plan
Key Takeaways
- The project management plan is the master document that integrates and consolidates all subsidiary management plans and baselines
- Subsidiary plans include scope, schedule, cost, quality, resource, communications, risk, procurement, and stakeholder engagement management plans
- The three baselines (scope, schedule, cost) form the performance measurement baseline used to measure project performance
- The project management plan is a living document that is progressively elaborated and updated through integrated change control
- Only approved changes through the formal change control process should modify the project management plan
The Project Management Plan
The project management plan is the most important document in project management. It integrates all subsidiary plans and baselines into a single, comprehensive document that guides the project from initiation to closure.
What the Project Management Plan Contains
The plan consists of subsidiary management plans and baselines:
Subsidiary Management Plans
| Plan | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Scope Management Plan | How scope will be defined, validated, and controlled |
| Requirements Management Plan | How requirements will be analyzed, documented, and managed |
| Schedule Management Plan | How the schedule will be developed, managed, and controlled |
| Cost Management Plan | How costs will be planned, structured, estimated, budgeted, and controlled |
| Quality Management Plan | How quality policies, objectives, and responsibilities will be implemented |
| Resource Management Plan | How resources will be estimated, acquired, managed, and released |
| Communications Management Plan | How project communications will be planned, structured, and monitored |
| Risk Management Plan | How risk management activities will be structured and performed |
| Procurement Management Plan | How procurement processes will be managed |
| Stakeholder Engagement Plan | How stakeholders will be engaged based on their needs and expectations |
The Three Baselines
Baselines serve as the approved versions of work products against which actual performance is measured:
| Baseline | What It Measures | Components |
|---|---|---|
| Scope Baseline | Project scope performance | Project scope statement + WBS + WBS dictionary |
| Schedule Baseline | Schedule performance | Approved version of the schedule model |
| Cost Baseline | Cost performance | Approved time-phased project budget (excluding management reserves) |
Together, these three baselines form the Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB), which is used in Earned Value Management to measure project performance.
How the Plan is Developed
The project management plan is created through the Develop Project Management Plan process in the Planning process group. Key inputs include:
- Project Charter — Provides high-level direction and authority
- Outputs from other planning processes — Each subsidiary plan is developed through its own planning process
- Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEFs) — External conditions affecting the project
- Organizational Process Assets (OPAs) — Internal policies, templates, and lessons learned
Progressive Elaboration
The project management plan is not created all at once. It is developed through progressive elaboration — starting with high-level information and adding detail as more is known:
- Initial version: Created early in planning with available information
- Iterative refinement: Updated as requirements are clarified and risks are identified
- Baseline approval: Formally approved as the project baseline
- Controlled updates: Changed only through integrated change control
Key Distinctions for the Exam
| Concept | Description |
|---|---|
| Project Management Plan | How the project will be managed (processes, approaches, decisions) |
| Project Documents | Supporting documents NOT part of the plan (risk register, issue log, stakeholder register) |
| Project Baseline | Approved version of a work product used for comparison |
| Work Performance Data | Raw observations during project execution |
| Work Performance Information | Analyzed performance data in context |
| Work Performance Reports | Compiled performance information for decision-making |
Which three baselines form the Performance Measurement Baseline?
The risk register is considered a:
How should the project management plan be modified after it is baselined?