Reading Notes (iii) Project Plan phase (1-before the plan is formulated after the contract is signed)

After the contract is signed, the main purpose of this phase is to prepare a plan that has obtained the consent of the stakeholders of the main project, which has the correct big framework and can guide the project implementation, further improvement, adjustment and updating of the project plan is a continuous activity in the project implementation process. In addition to having sufficient project experience, as a project manager, you must have sufficient information about the organization, customer, market, and many other aspects: information about the organization, market, historical project, and customer

In the project planning stage, the main management activities include:
1. Understand the content of the project contract and prepare the project scope statement
2. Set up a project team and hold internal kick-off meetings
3. Work with the project team to develop the project plan and obtain the approval of key stakeholders of the project.
4. Hold the customer kickoff meeting
5. Release the project benchmark plan and start implementation

This phase of the control pass review includes: whether the project plan is approved by key project stakeholders and is promised by project team members.

Activities before project plan preparation after contract signing:

1. Review the project level, release the project charter, and assign the Project Manager
The higher the project level, the higher the level of the dispatched Project Manager, the frequency of communication, the review frequency of the risk management plan, and the time invested by the project team members.

2. Understand the contract and prepare the Scope statement
After being officially authorized, the primary task of PM is to read and understand the contract.
PM should fully communicate with the customer with the assistance of sales personnel, clarify and supplement vague areas, and form specialized documents or supplementary agreements; at the same time, PM also needs to lead the project team members to read the contract content; after familiarizing themselves with the contract content, pm should talk to the sales manager or visit the customer in various ways to understand the customer's expectations for the project.
PM should also discuss with authorized senior managers or department managers to understand their expectations for the project and whether the project has special strategic significance for the company.

3. Set up a project team and hold internal kick-off meetings 
On the basis of the project scope statement and contract, PM establishes preliminary WBS as the basis for establishing the initial project team. If the project contains complex technologies, PM should confirm the project technical manager in advance and ask him to participate in the preliminary WBS establishment process.

Setting up a project management committee for important projects is one of the factors to ensure the success of the project. After the customer team involved in the project is determined, the principal owner (decision maker) of the customer should be included in the project management board list in a timely manner. Documents should be generated as soon as the initial project team is determined, including the project team's organizational structure and responsibility matrix.
After the project team is set up, the project internal kick-off meeting should be held immediately. main agenda:
A. The management layer introduces the commercial purpose of the project and the company's expectations for the project.
B. The project manager introduces the project content and objectives.
C. The Project Manager announces the establishment of the project team, introduces the division of responsibilities of the project team members, and confirms the report relationship between the members.
D. The managers of relevant functional departments make speeches and promise to support the project.
E. self-introduction by project members to demonstrate their understanding and commitment to assigned project tasks and team collaboration
F. The sales manager speaks
G. pre-sales technical support engineers should introduce the project and customer background and some key details in the negotiation.
H. The project manager introduces the overall idea of project management, including:
--- Applicable to the project life cycle, main project management activities, deliverables at various stages
--- Change control process
--- Problem escalation process
--- Project management tools

Project initial plan discussion the project internal kick-off meeting is the first formal meeting of the project team. It is a good opportunity for the project manager to set an example and build a prestige.
After the project kickoff meeting, PM should lead the project team to prepare the project plan immediately.