Summary

A successful project requires a specification and a plan. The task list is the beginning of the plan. The core of a project plan describes the task sequence needed to complete the project, the task's timing, and the people and other resources needed for each task. The Gantt chart has been proven a very useful format for displaying a complete project plan.

There are several approaches that project managers can take when planning a project. The major difference in these approaches is whether the project manager plans the project or whether the project manager leads and facilitates the workers, who will execute the tasks, in creating the plan. The IPM approach opts for the participation of each task leader when creating the project's plan. This participation centers around a series of team meetings where each team member reports his or her task data for the Gantt chart. A procedure using project management software with a data entry specialist and a viewing screen is recommended. The Gantt chart, which can be created using this project management software, provides a detailed task breakdown, resource management, and budgeting in one operation.