Basic project planning techniques

This chapter provides an overview of the project planning process and covers the topics of project scope and work definition and elementary scheduling. The difference between a proposal summary plan and a project execution plan is that the former is aimed at the customer, while the latter is aimed at the project team. The plan in the proposal includes estimates for the project duration, cost, and needed resources—just enough information about the project and its price to enable the customer to make a decision. Contents of execution plans vary depending on the size, complexity, and nature of the project. The Logistical Online System Project project execution plan evolved in stages: it was initially created during proposal preparation but then was expanded and modified after contract signing. Scope definition involves specifying the breadth of the project and the span of its outputs, end results, or deliverables.