project assignments

Project Management Plan: Samples, Examples & Free Template

Learn how to create a project management plan that actually works and ensures you get your project over the line on time and on budget, with samples and examples

Table of Contents

What is a project management plan, what is a project management plan used for, what are the main elements of a project plan, how to write a project management plan, sample project management plan outline, using our project management plan template to build your project plan, project management plan: faq's.

A project management plan is a comprehensive document that outlines how a project will be executed, monitored, controlled and closed. For project managers and their teams, it's the ultimate toolkit for achieving their objectives while managing day-to-day pressures such as time, cost, scope, resourcing and risk. This guide outlines what a project management plan is used for, why it's important , and offers a step-by-step guide on how to make one that actually works.

Your project plan document is where you go deep on the ins, outs, overs, and unders of your project. It's where you break this vision down into the day-to-day execution of your project, covering everything you need to do to reach your project goals.

A detailed project plan will plot out everything from timelines to budget, resourcing to deliverables, and more, giving you a blueprint of what needs to be done (and when) that you can use to guide — and assess — your project.

The key components of a project management plan are:

Project Objectives

Scope Statement

Schedule Management

Cost Management

Resource Management

Communication Plan

Stakeholder Management

Procurement Management

Closure Criteria

Project Organization

Ready to get down to business? Here are 5 key things you need to do when writing a project plan.

1. Identify the baselines for your project

Before you begin writing a project plan, you need to make sure you have the basics down. Start by identifying the baselines for the project’s scope, schedule and cost, as the rest of your project planning will need to fit in around those constraints.

As mentioned above, these baselines should already be roughly outlined in your project charter — but here’s where you really start to map them out and create accurate estimates. And the more detailed, the better, because these are what you’ll be using for comparison to measure how your project performs.

2. Identify your project dependencies

Or in other words, ask yourself: what needs to happen before this other thing can happen? Identifying your project dependencies at the outset of your project means you can plan your timelines more efficiently, spot potential blockers, and ensure that you avoid unnecessary delays.

3. Identify project stakeholders

You’ll already have done the groundwork for this in your stakeholder analysis, but as you flesh out your project management plan and think through the phases of your project in more detail, you’ll likely start to find more project stakeholders at each phase.

Now is also a good time to go deeper on which stakeholders need to be informed and involved at which stages, for a more comprehensive stakeholder management plan you can use at each phase of your project.

4. Identify project milestones

What are the key markers of your project’s progress? It can be a concrete deliverable, the end of a phase in a stage-gate process — whatever milestones make sense to you, breaking your project down into manageable chunks, each with a defined goal, helps to keep the team motivated, allows you to celebrate each achievement, and signposts how the overall progress is coming along.  Learn more about using Milestones here .

5. Identify who’s responsible for what

Once you start to get a big-picture understanding of the work that’s needed and the resources you have to complete it, you can start deciding who should do what. Giving each item an owner is essential to getting things done. No more “oh, was I supposed to do that?” — once you identify who’s responsible for what, you can ensure accountability and transparency.

The 5 Stages of Team Development

All teams develop according to some natural patterns and using that knowledge, you can offer some guidance to build the kind of team that communicates well and finds better ways to collaborate and achieve the goals you’ve established. Here’s what you need to know.

Now let's go through a sample project plan. In the below example, we highlight the main sections of the plan and what needs to be included in each one to set your project up for success.

Section 1: Executive summary

The executive summary offers a concise overview of the entire project. It includes key highlights such as the project's purpose, objectives, scope, timeline, budget, and major stakeholders. It's often the first section stakeholders read to get a high-level understanding of the project.

Section 2: Project introduction

This section sets the stage by providing context and background information about the project. It explains why the project is being undertaken and introduces the main objectives and scope of the project.

Section 3: Project objectives

Here, the project's specific goals and objectives are outlined in detail. Objectives should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to provide clarity and guidance.

Section 4: Project scope

The scope section defines what is included and excluded from the project. It helps prevent scope creep by establishing clear boundaries and also mentions any assumptions and constraints that may affect the project.

Section 5: Schedule management

This section details the project's timeline, including milestones and deadlines. It breaks down the project into tasks and identifies task dependencies. Often, visual representations like Gantt charts are used for clarity.

Section 6: Cost management

Here, the project budget is presented, including cost estimates for various project components. It may also outline cost control measures to ensure the project stays within budget.

Section 7: Quality management

This section focuses on the quality standards and objectives for the project. It describes quality control and assurance processes, as well as any inspection and testing procedures that will be implemented.

Project management template

Save time on setup without sacrificing attention to detail. With our project management template, you can quickly create project management plans that help you complete your project on time and on budget.

Section 8: Resource management

In this section, the project team is introduced, and roles and responsibilities are defined. It addresses resource allocation, scheduling, and, if applicable, procurement needs.

Section 9: Risk management

The risk management section identifies potential risks and uncertainties that could impact the project. It discusses risk assessment, prioritization, and mitigation strategies to reduce the impact of these risks.

Section 10: Communication plan

The communication plan outlines how project information will be shared with stakeholders and team members. It specifies communication methods, frequency, and reporting channels to ensure effective communication throughout the project.

Section 11: Stakeholder management

This section lists project stakeholders and analyzes their interests, influence, and expectations. It also outlines strategies for engaging and managing these stakeholders to ensure their needs are addressed.

Section 12: Procurement management

If procurement of goods or services is involved, this section explains the procurement strategy, vendor selection criteria, and how contracts will be managed.

Section 13: Change management

Change management procedures are detailed here, including how changes to the project scope, schedule, or other aspects will be requested, evaluated, approved, and communicated.

Section 14: Closure criteria

Criteria for determining when the project is complete and ready for closure are specified in this section. It may also include plans for project handover and post-project evaluation.

Section 15: Project organization

This section describes the project team's structure, roles, and responsibilities, ensuring everyone understands their positions and reporting lines. It may also mention external stakeholders and their roles if applicable.

Once you’ve documented your project management plan, bring it to life with a project management tool that will help you to stay on track, keep your team accountable, and promote transparency.

Here are 3 ways you can use Teamwork.com to supercharge your project management plan.

Add your supporting documentation to Teamwork Spaces

Use the Teamwork.com and Teamwork Spaces integration to link a project in Teamwork.com with a space in Teamwork Spaces, so your important project documents are only ever a click away.

Some documents you might want to add in addition to your project charter and project management plan include:

Scoping documents

Risk assessments

Change management plans

SOPs for important project processes

List of stakeholders and their roles

Outline of approval processes

Communications management plan

Any other best practices documentation or supporting info as necessary

You can even embed task lists into your pages and mark tasks as complete right from Teamwork Spaces, so you can keep work flowing without even needing to switch tabs.

Start adding your Milestones

Break down your work into Milestones and task lists that are going to help you reach them. With Teamwork.com, you can assign an owner to each Milestone, map out your Milestone due dates and see them represented in the project calendar, and even get a full change history for milestones so you can track any edits.

Visualize your task dependencies with a Gantt chart

Gantt chart-style views are a useful way to get a visual representation of your tasks and their dependencies, allowing for better scheduling and resourcing. In Teamwork.com, you can drag and drop to quickly rearrange your project schedule , without throwing everything out of order or straying off-plan.

Remember: software should support the way you work, not dictate it. So regardless of methodology or team type, create a project plan that works for you and your team — and find a tool that helps you put it into action.

Use our project plan template

Now that you know how to create a project management plan that actually works, you’re ready to implement using our team management software . To help you get up and running quickly, we’ve created a ready to use project plan template . Our project template will help you quickly create project plans that ensure all of your projects are completed on time and on budget

What is a project management plan template?

A project management plan template is a pre-designed framework that provides a structured format for creating a project management plan. It serves as a starting point for project managers and teams to develop their specific project plans, saving time and ensuring that key project management components are properly addressed.

How can a template help you build a great project management plan?

A template can help you build a great project management plan by saving time, ensuring comprehensive coverage of project management aspects, and incorporating industry best practices and visual aids for clarity. They also support collaboration, version control, and customization to fit the unique needs of each project, making them a valuable tool for project managers in achieving successful project outcomes.

What is the main purpose of a project management plan?

The main purpose of a project management plan is to provide a comprehensive and structured roadmap for successfully executing, monitoring, controlling, and closing a project. It serves as a central document that outlines project objectives, scope, schedule, budget, quality standards, resource allocation, risk management strategies, and communication approaches.

What tools do I need to help manage a project plan?

To effectively manage a project plan, you'll need a set of tools and software that cover various aspects of project management. These include project management software, communication and collaboration platforms, file and document management solutions, time and task tracking apps, and budgeting and financial management tools.

What steps are involved in the project planning process?

The steps involved in the project planning process include defining specific project objectives and scope, identifying deliverables and key milestones, budgets, risk assessment and quality control measures. It should also include a communication plan and stakeholder engagement strategies.

You may also like...

Get started with Teamwork.com

Start working together beautifully. See how Teamwork.com can help your team with our 30-day free trial.

• Jira Service Management
• Atlassian Guard
• Company News
• Continuous Delivery
• Inside Atlassian
• IT Service Management
• Work Management
• Project Management

How to write an effective project plan in 6 simple steps

Contributing writer

If you’re a Type A personality, project planning might sound like music to your ears. Setting deadlines, organizing tasks, and creating order out of chaos — what’s not to love?

The reality is that project planning isn’t for everyone. In one survey by Association for Project Management, 76% of project professionals said their main project was a source of stress . Poor planning, unclear responsibilities, and overallocation are often the culprits behind the stress. 

An effective project plan helps teams stay within budget, scope, and schedule, while delivering quality work. In short, it gets you to the finish line without the stress.  

What is a project plan?

A project plan, also known as a work plan, is a blueprint of your project lifecycle. It’s like a roadmap — it clearly outlines how to get from where you are now (the beginning of the project) to where you want to go (the successful completion of the project). 

“A project plan is an action plan outlining how…[to] accomplish project goals,” says Jami Yazdani , certified Project Management Professional (PMP), project coach, project management consultant, and founder of Yazdani Consulting and Facilitation . 

A comprehensive project plan includes the project schedule, project scope, due dates, and deliverables. Writing a good project plan is key for any new, complex project in the pipeline.

Why Are Project Plans Important?

Project plans allow you to visualize your entire project, from beginning to end—and develop a clear strategy to get from point A to point B. Project plans steer stakeholders in the right direction and keep team members accountable with a common baseline.  

Project plans help you stay agile

Projects are bound by what is traditionally called the “iron triangle” of project management . It means that project managers have to work within the three constraints of scope, resources (project budget and teams), and schedule. You cannot make changes to one without impacting the other two.    

Modern-day project management has shifted to a more agile approach, with a focus on quality. This means that resources and schedules remain unchanged but a fixed number of iterations (flexible scope) helps teams deliver better quality and more value. 

A project plan puts this “agile triangle” in place by mapping out resources, schedules, and the number of iterations — sprints if you’re using a Scrum framework and work in progress (WIP) limits if you’re using the Kanban methodology . 

As Yazdani points out, “Project plans help us strategize a path to project success, allowing us to consider the factors that will impact our project, from stakeholders to budget to schedule delays, and plan how to maximize or mitigate these factors.” 

Project plans provide complete visibility

A project plan, when created with a comprehensive project management software , gives you 360-degree visibility throughout the project lifecycle. 

As a project manager, you need a single source of truth on team members and their project tasks, project scope, project objectives, and project timelines. A detailed project plan gives you this visibility and helps teams stay on track.

Project plans also help to get everyone involved on the same page, setting clear expectations around what needs to be accomplished, when, and by who. 

“Project plans create a framework for measuring project progress and success,” says Yazdani. “Project plans set clear expectations for…stakeholders by outlining exactly what…will [be accomplished] and when it will be delivered.”

Project plans boost engagement and productivity

A well-written project plan clarifies how each individual team member’s contributions play into the larger scope of the project and align with company goals. When employees see how their work directly impacts organizational growth, it generates buy-in and drives engagement , which is critical to a project’s success. 

“Project plans provide…teams with purpose and direction,” says Yazdani. “Transparent project plans show team members how their individual tasks and responsibilities contribute to the overall success of the project, encouraging engagement and collaboration.”

How To Write A Project Plan in 6 Steps

Writing a project plan requires, well, planning. Ideally, the seeds for a project plan need to be sowed before internal project sign-off begins. Before that sign-off, conduct capacity planning to estimate the resources you will need and if they’re available for the duration of the project. After all, you want to set your teams up for success with realistic end dates, buffer time to recharge or catch up in case of unexpected delays, and deliver quality work without experiencing burnout .

Based on organizational capacity, you can lay down project timelines and map out scope as well as success metrics, outline tasks, and build a feedback loop into your project plan. Follow these project planning steps to create a winning plan:      

1. Establish Project Scope And Metrics

Defining your project scope is essential to protecting your iron, or agile, triangle from crumbling. Too often, projects are hit with scope creep , causing delays, budget overruns, and anxiety.

“Clearly define your project’s scope or overall purpose,” says Yazdani. “Confirm any project parameters or constraints, like budget, resource availability, and timeline,” says Yazdani.

A project purpose statement is a high-level brief that defines the what, who, and why of the project along with how and when the goal will be accomplished. But just as important as defining your project scope and purpose is defining what metrics you’re going to use to track progress.

“Establish how you will measure success,” says Yazdani. “Are there metrics, performance criteria, or quality standards you need to meet?”

Clearly defining what your project is, the project’s overall purpose, and how you’re going to measure success lays the foundation for the rest of your project plan—so make sure you take the time to define each of these elements from the get-go.

2. Identify Key Project Stakeholders 

Get clarity on the team members you need to bring the project to life. In other words, identify the key stakeholders of the project. 

“List individuals or groups who will be impacted by the project,” says Yazdani. 

In addition to identifying who needs to be involved in the project, think about how they’ll need to be involved—and at what level. Use a tool like Confluence to run a virtual session to clarify roles and responsibilities, and find gaps that need to be filled. 

Let’s say you’re managing a cross-functional project to launch a new marketing campaign that includes team members from your marketing, design, and sales departments. 

When identifying your key stakeholders, you might create different lists based on the responsibility or level of involvement with the project:

• Decision-makers (who will need to provide input at each step of the project)
• Managers (who will be overseeing employees within their department) 
• Creative talent (who will be actually creating the project deliverables for the campaign) from each department. 

Give your project plan an edge by using a Confluence template like the one below to outline roles and responsibilities.

Define roles, discuss responsibilities, and clarify which tasks fall under each teammate’s purview using this Confluence template. 

Getting clarity on who needs to be involved in the project—and how they’re going to be involved—will help guide the rest of the project plan writing process (particularly when it comes to creating and assigning tasks).

3. Outline Deliverables

Now is the time to get granular.

Each project milestone comprises a series of smaller, tangible tasks that your teams need to produce. While a big-picture view keeps teams aligned, you need signposts along the way to guide them on a day-to-day or weekly basis. Create a list of deliverables that will help you achieve the greater vision of the project. 

“What will you create, build, design, produce, accomplish or deliver?” says Yazdani. “Clearly outline your project’s concrete and tangible deliverables or outcomes.” Centralize these deliverables in a Trello board with designated cards for each one, like in the example below, so you keep work moving forward.

Each card on a board represents tasks and ideas and you can move cards across lists to show progress.

Defining the concrete items you need your project to deliver will help you reverse-engineer the things that need to happen to bring those items to life—which is a must before moving on to the next step.

4. Develop Actionable Tasks

Task management is an important component of any project plan because they help employees see what exactly they need to accomplish. Drill down those deliverables into actionable tasks to assign to your team. 

You can use either Confluence or Jira for different task management needs. If you want to track tasks alongside your work, like action items from a meeting or small team projects, it’s best to use Confluence. But if a project has multiple teams and you need insight into workflows, task history, and reporting, Jira makes it easy.      

“Let your deliverables guide the work of the project,” says Yazdani. “Break down each deliverable into smaller and smaller components until you get to an actionable task.” If a major deliverable is a set of content pieces, the smaller actionable tasks would be to create topic ideas, conduct research, and create outlines for each topic.  

Once you’ve broken down all of your deliverables into manageable, assignable subtasks, analyze how each of those tasks interacts with each other. That way, you can plan, prioritize, assign, and add deadlines accordingly.  

“Highlight any dependencies between tasks, such as tasks that can’t be started until another task is complete,” says Yazdani. “List any resources you will need to accomplish these tasks.”

When a task has multiple assignees, you need to streamline the workflow in your project plan. Say the content pieces you outlined need to be edited or peer-reviewed. A couple of articles may need an interview with a subject matter expert. Lay down a stage-by-stage process of each piece of content and pinpoint when each team member comes into play so you prevent bottlenecks and adjust timeframes.     

5. Assign Tasks And Deadlines

Assign tasks to your team and collaborate with employees to set deadlines for each task. When you involve employees in setting workloads and deadlines , you increase ownership and boost the chances of delivering quality work on time.  

After all, you want to move projects forward at a steady pace, but you also want to make sure your teams stay motivated and engaged. So, when writing your project plan, make sure to “set realistic and achievable deadlines for completing tasks and deliverables,” says Yazdani. “Highlight dates that are inflexible and factor in task dependencies. Add in milestones or checkpoints to monitor progress and celebrate successes .”

Use Jira and Confluence to create tasks that live alongside your project plan or meeting agendas.

Once you map out all of your tasks and deadlines, you should have a clear picture of how and when your project is going to come together—and the initial writing process is just about finished.

But that doesn’t mean your project plan is complete! There’s one more key step to the process.

6. Share, Gather Feedback, And Adjust The Project Plan As Necessary

While steps 1 through 5 may make up your initial writing process, if you want your project plan to be as strong and complete as it can be, it’s important to share it with your team—and get their input on how they think it can be improved.

“Share the plan with your project team and key stakeholders, gathering feedback to make adjustments and improvements,” says Yazdani. 

A tool like Confluence helps knowledge flow freely within teams and departments, leading to better teamwork, higher collaboration, and a shared understanding of priorities. Coworkers can use comments, mentions, notifications, and co-editing capabilities to provide and discuss feedback. 

After you gather your team’s feedback —and make any necessary adjustments based on that feedback—you can consider your project plan complete. Hooray! 

But as your project progresses, things may change or evolve—so it’s important to stay flexible and make changes and adjustments as needed.

“Expect to update your plan as you gather more information, encounter changing requirements and delays, and learn from feedback and mistakes,” says Yazdani. “By using your project plan to guide your activities and measure progress, you’ll be able to refine and improve your plan as you move through the project, tweaking tasks and deadlines as deliverables are developed.”

Download a  template to create your project plan and customize it based on your needs.

Example of a simple project plan 

A project plan doesn’t have to be a complicated spreadsheet with multiple tabs and drop-down menus. It’s best to use a project planning tool like Confluence — or at least a project plan template — to make sure you cover every aspect of the project. A simple project plan includes these elements:

• Project name, brief summary, and objective.
• Project players or team members who will drive the project, along with their roles and responsibilities.
• Key outcomes and due dates.
• Project elements, ideally divided into must-have, nice-to-have and not-in-scope categories.
• Milestones, milestone owners, and a project end date.
• Reference material relevant to the project.

Best Practices For Writing Effective Project Plans

A project planning process can quickly turn into a mishmash of goals and tasks that end up in chaos but these best practices can give you a framework to create a project plan that leads to success.

Use Other Project Plans For Inspiration

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel for every new project! Instead, look to other successful project plans for inspiration—and use them as a guide when writing the plan for your project.

“Review templates and plans for similar projects, or for other projects within your organization or industry, to get ideas for structuring and drafting your own plan,” says Yazdani.

To get started, use a Trello project management template and customize it for your project plan by creating unique lists and adding cards under each list.

Build your team’s ideal workflow and mark each stage of the project plan as a list, with cards for each task. 

Get Your Team Involved In The Process

You may be in charge of spearheading the project. But that doesn’t mean that you have to—or even that you should—write the project plan alone. 

“Collaborate with your project team and key stakeholders on crafting a project plan,” says Yazdani. “Input into the project plan supports buy-in to project goals and encourages continued engagement throughout the project.”

With Confluence , you can organize project details in a centralized space and build a project plan collaboratively.

Don’t Let Perfect Be The Enemy Of The Good

You may be tempted to write (and rewrite) your project plan until you’ve got every detail mapped out perfectly. But spending too much time trying to get everything “perfect” can actually hold up the project. So don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good—and instead of getting caught up in getting everything perfect from the get-go, stay willing and flexible to adjust your project plan as you move forward.

“Focus on outcomes, not plan perfection,” says Yazdani. “While it would be awesome for the first draft of our plan to require no changes while also inspiring our team and ensuring project success, our goal shouldn’t be a perfect plan. Our goal is a plan that allows us to successfully deliver on project goals. Responsiveness to changing needs and a shifting environment is more important than plan perfection.”

Use the right tools to succeed with your project plan

Writing a project plan, especially if you’re new to the process, can feel overwhelming. But now that you know the exact steps to write one, make sure you have the tools you need to create a strong, cohesive plan from the ground up—and watch your project thrive as a result. 

Atlassian Together can help with project planning and management with a powerful combination of tools that make work flow across teams.

Guide your team to project success with Atlassian Together’s suite of products.

Advice, stories, and expertise about work life today.

Free Project Task List Templates for Project Management

By Kate Eby | September 22, 2022

• Share on Facebook
• Share on LinkedIn

Link copied

We’ve compiled the most useful project task list templates for project managers, project team members and stakeholders, IT teams, and construction personnel.  

On this page, you’ll find six essential project task list templates, including a simple project task list template , a project task list with Gantt chart , a project task checklist template , an IT project task list template , and a construction project task list template . Plus, find tips on creating a successful project task list template .

Simple Project Task List Template

Download a Sample Simple Project Task List Template for  Excel | Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF | Google Docs | Google Sheets

Download a Blank Simple Project Task List Template for Excel | Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF | Google Docs | Google Sheets

Use this simple project task list template to list each project task and set its status, deadline, assignee, and priority. The template includes columns that help you track the percentage done, fixed cost, estimated cost, and actual hours for each task. You can also use the template to list tasks for several projects and to track their real-time progress. This template is the perfect solution for project teams looking to clarify task ownership, as well as create and accurately track tasks. Download the blank version to begin tracking tasks for your project, or review the template with sample data to help you get started.

For more project task list template resources, read this comprehensive article on free task list and checklist templates .

Project Task List with Gantt Chart Template

Download a Project Task List with Gantt Chart Template for  Excel | Google Sheets  

Clarify project tasks for team members by using this project task list with Gantt chart template. The template enables you to list each task, the team member responsible for completing it, its due date, and its status. As you populate the template with your project data, the Gantt chart section creates a visual representation of your project’s tasks so that you, your team, or project sponsors can get up-to-date information on project progress.

Project Task Checklist Template

Download a Project Task Checklist Template for  Excel | Google Sheets

Improve your project delivery success rate with this easy-to-use project task checklist template. Enter individual tasks along with their status and priority, assignee, due date, and any relevant notes. This fully customizable template lets you edit column titles to suit your project team’s needs and ensures that you successfully check each project task off your to-do list. 

For more resources and templates for tracking project tasks, see this helpful list of free project checklist templates .

Project Task Tracker Template

Download a Project Task Tracker Template for  Excel | Google Sheets

This template provides color-coded Status and Priority columns where you can easily track important project tasks. Designed to help you monitor tasks across multiple projects, this template indicates whether a task is at risk of not being completed. The Cost / Hours section tabulates fixed costs, estimated hours, and actual hours for each task. Regardless of your industry or type of work, this customizable project task tracker template will help ensure that you are able to account for and successfully complete every project task. 

Check out this comprehensive project task list template to ensure that you’re optimizing your project to-do list and keeping it in a single, shareable location.

IT Project Task List Template

Download an IT Project Task List Template for  Excel | Microsoft Word | Google Sheets  

Keep all IT project team members and stakeholders informed of task statuses with this comprehensive IT project task list template. The template includes space to enter your project name, project manager, key IT project deliverables, scope statement, start and end dates, and percentage of overall progress. This completely customizable template enables you to list each task, who it’s assigned to, start and end dates, and statuses. This template can help you and your IT team optimize your project delivery standards and increase your IT project success rate.

Construction Project Task List Template

Download a Construction Project Task List Template for  Excel | Google Sheets

Use this construction project task list template to ensure that your team completes all construction tasks in a timely manner. The template comes pre-filled with construction-specific task sections ( Sitework, Concrete, Masonry, Doors and Windows, etc . ), under which you can list each specific task, assign team members, select a due date, and add key details. The template also doubles as a construction punch list and includes a Punch ID column to identify key construction project tasks and contract specifications.

How Do I Create a Project Task List?

A project task list includes every task required for successful project completion. To create a project task list, use an application such as Excel or Google Sheets. Task lists also include such information as statuses, timelines, and team member information. 

A project task list typically includes the name of each project task, which team member is responsible for completing it, and its due date, status, priority, and any relevant notes. This document helps project managers, team members, and other stakeholders ensure that every required task is accounted for, assigned, and completed on time. By creating a project task list, you can help make sure that everyone involved in the project understands the status of each individual task and the project as a whole. 

In an application such as Excel, you can create a simple task list table by inserting rows such as Task Name, Status, Priority, Due Date, Assignee, and Notes . A simple task list like this can help ensure that you account for all of your project’s to-do items. 

You can also use a project task list template, which includes the primary elements to ensure that your team completes each task by project’s end. Project task list templates are designed to help you capture and track your project’s tasks so that you complete high-quality deliverables on time. 

Though project task list templates vary, they typically include the following universal elements:

• Task: Enter the name of each task so that it’s clear to every team member and stakeholder what needs to be accomplished. 
• Due Date: Provide a date by which each task must be completed so that the project can be delivered on time. 
• Status: Set a status for each task (e.g., Not Started, In Progress, On Hold, or Complete ) so that everyone can track project progress. 
• Priority: Select a priority for each project task. 
• Assignee: List the name of the team member responsible for completing each task. 
• Notes: Provide any additional notes that are relevant to the task. 

Depending on their function and their industry, project task list templates might also include the following column components: 

• At Risk: Select this check box if the individual task is in jeopardy of not being completed by the project’s due date.  
• Description: Provide a detailed description for each task so that, in addition to the task title, every project team member and stakeholder understands what the task requires for completion. 
• Deliverable: Specify the primary project deliverable, or feature, that the task is related to. 
• Percentage Complete: Provide a percentage completed for each project task. 
• Cost / Hours: Enter fixed costs, estimated hours, and actual hours for each task so you can track expenses and effort. 
• Duration: Review the duration between each project task’s start and end dates to ensure that teams have adequate time to complete each task.

Stay on Track of Project Tasks with Real-Time Work Management in Smartsheet

Empower your people to go above and beyond with a flexible platform designed to match the needs of your team — and adapt as those needs change. 

The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed. 

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time.  Try Smartsheet for free, today.

Discover why over 90% of Fortune 100 companies trust Smartsheet to get work done.

We use essential cookies to make Venngage work. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.

Manage Cookies

Cookies and similar technologies collect certain information about how you’re using our website. Some of them are essential, and without them you wouldn’t be able to use Venngage. But others are optional, and you get to choose whether we use them or not.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are always on, as they’re essential for making Venngage work, and making it safe. Without these cookies, services you’ve asked for can’t be provided.

Show cookie providers

• Google Login

Functionality Cookies

These cookies help us provide enhanced functionality and personalisation, and remember your settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers.

Performance Cookies

These cookies help us analyze how many people are using Venngage, where they come from and how they're using it. If you opt out of these cookies, we can’t get feedback to make Venngage better for you and all our users.

• Google Analytics

Targeting Cookies

These cookies are set by our advertising partners to track your activity and show you relevant Venngage ads on other sites as you browse the internet.

• Google Tag Manager
• Infographics
• Daily Infographics
• Popular Templates
• Accessibility
• Graphic Design
• Graphs and Charts
• Data Visualization
• Human Resources
• Beginner Guides

Blog Marketing What is a Project Management Plan and How to Create One

What is a Project Management Plan and How to Create One

Written by: Midori Nediger Dec 11, 2023

Have you ever been part of a project that didn’t go as planned?

It doesn’t feel good.

Wasted time, wasted resources. It’s pretty frustrating for everyone involved.

That’s why it’s so important to create a comprehensive project management plan   before your project gets off the ground.

In this guide, we’ll explore how to create and design a successful project management plan.

We’ll also showcase easy-to-customize project plan templates you can create today with our user-friendly drag-and-drop editor. Let’s get started!

  Click to jump ahead:

What is a project management plan?

5 things you need to know before creating a project management plan, what should a project management plan include, how do you write a project plan, project plan best practices, project management plan templates and examples, common mistakes to avoid when creating a project management plan.

A project management plan is a formal document that defines how a project is going to be carried out by outlining the scope, goals, budget, timeline and deliverables of a project. Its crucial role lies in ensuring the project stays on course.

You write a project plan  during the project planning stage of the  project life cycle , and it must be approved by stakeholders before a project can move on the execution stage.

If some of these terms are new to you, you can get up to speed with this post on project management terms . 

This means your project plan must be engaging, organized, and thorough enough to gain the support of your stakeholders.

Further Reading : New to project management? Read our blog post on the 4 stages of the project life cycle .

The importance of a project management plan

A well-developed project management plan sets the foundation for a successful project by providing a roadmap that guides the project team toward successful project completion. A good project management plan can ensure that:

• Project objectives and goals are clearly defined and understood
• Project scope is effectively managed
• Resources are allocated efficiently to maximize productivity and minimize waste
• Risks are identified, assessed and mitigated
• Project tasks and activities are well-organized and executed in a timely manner.
• Communication among team members , stakeholders and project sponsors is effective and transparent
• Changes to the project are properly evaluated, approved and implemented
• Lessons learned and best practices are documented for future reference and improvement
• Stakeholders are engaged and satisfied with the project outcomes
• The project is delivered within the specified timeline, budget and quality standards

Before diving into creating a project management plan, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of the project objectives and the expectations of stakeholders involved.

Without a firm grasp of these fundamental elements, your project may face significant challenges or fail to deliver the desired outcomes.

Here are key points to consider when creating a project management plan:

• Project Objectives: Clearly understand the project objectives and what you want to achieve. Identify the desired outcomes, deliverables and the purpose of the project.
• Scope of the Project: Determine the boundaries and extent of the project. Define what is included and excluded to ensure clarity and prevent scope creep .
• Stakeholders: Identify all stakeholders who will be impacted by or have an interest in the project. Understand their needs, expectations and level of involvement.
• Resources: Assess the resources required to execute the project successfully. This includes human resources, budget, equipment and materials. Determine their availability and allocation.
• Risks and Constraints: Identify potential risks, uncertainties and constraints that may affect the project. Understand the challenges, limitations and potential obstacles that need to be addressed.

Now that you have these key areas identified, let’s get started with creating your project plan.

Before you start assembling your own plan, you should be familiar with the main components of a typical project plan .

A project management plan should include the following sections:

• Executive summary: A short description of the contents of the report
• Project scope & deliverables: An outline of the boundaries of the project, and a description of how the project will be broken down into measurable deliverables
• Project schedule: A high-level view of project tasks and milestones ( Gantt charts are handy for this)
• Project resources: The budget, personnel, and other resources required to meet project goals
• Risk and issue management plan: A list of factors that could derail the project and a plan for how issues will be identified, addressed, and controlled
• Communication management plan: A plan for how team and stakeholder communication will be handled over the course of the project
• Cost and quality management plan: This section encompasses the project’s budget, cost estimation,and cost control mechanisms. It also includes quality assurance testing and control measures as well as any testing or verification activities to be performed.

Basically, a project plan should tell stakeholders what needs to get done, how it will get done, and when it will get done.

That said, one size doesn’t fit all. Every project management plan must be tailored to the specific industry and circumstances of the project. You can use a project management app for smoother project planning.

For example, this marketing plan looks client facing. It is tailored to sell the client on the agency:

Whereas this commercial development plan focuses on specific objectives and a detailed timeline:

With those basics out of the way, let’s get into how to write a project management plan that’s as engaging as it is professional.

Further Reading : If you’re looking to create a proposal, read our in-depth business proposal guide. Then try our job proposal templates or business proposal templates .

To write a successful project plan, follow these 5 steps below to create an effective project plan that serves as a valuable tool for project management:

1. Highlight the key elements of your project plan in an executive summary  

An executive summary is a brief description of the key contents of a project plan .

I t’s usually the first thing stakeholders will read, and it should act like a Cliff’s-notes version of the whole plan.

It might touch on a project’s value proposition, goals, deliverables, and important milestones, but it has to be concise (it is a summary, after all). First, make sure you develop a proof of concept .

In this example, an executive summary can be broken into columns to contrast the existing problem with the project solution:

The two-column format with clear headers helps break up the information, making it extremely easy to read at a glance.

Here’s another example of a project management plan executive summary. This one visually highlights key takeaways with big fonts and helpful icons:

In this case, the highlighted facts and figures are particularly easy to scan (which is sure to make your stakeholders happy).

But your executive summary won’t always be so simple.

For larger projects, your executive summary will be longer and more detailed.

This project management plan template has a text-heavy executive summary, though the bold headers and different background colors keep it from looking overwhelming:

It’s also a good idea to divide it up into sections, with a dedicated header for each section:

Regardless of how you organize your executive summary, it should give your stakeholders a preview of what’s to come in the rest of the project management plan.

2. Plot your project schedule visually with a Gantt chart

A carefully planned project schedule is key to the success of any project. Without one, your project will likely crumble into a mess of missed deadlines, poor team management, and scope creep.

Luckily, project planning tools like Gantt charts and project timelines make creating your project schedule easy. You can visually plot each project task, add major milestones, then look for any dependencies or conflicts that you haven’t accounted for.

For example, this Gantt chart template outlines high-level project activities over the course of an entire quarter, with tasks color-coded by team:

A high-level roadmap like the one above is probably sufficient for your project management plan. Every team will be able to refer back to this timeline throughout the project to make sure they’re on track.

But before project kickoff, you’ll need to dig in and break down project responsibilities by individual team member, like in this Gantt chart example:

In the later execution and monitoring phases of the project, you’ll thank yourself for creating a detailed visual roadmap that you can track and adjust as things change.

You can also use a project management tool to keep your team organized.

Further Reading:   Our post featuring  Gantt chart examples  and more tips on how to use them for project management.

3. Clarify the structure of your project team with a team org chart

One of the hardest aspects of project planning is assembling a team and aligning them to the project vision.

And aligning your team is all about communication–communicating the project goals, communicating stakeholder requests, communicating the rationale behind big decisions…the list goes on.

This is where good project documentation is crucial! You need to create documents that your team and your stakeholders can access when they have questions or need guidance.

One easy thing to document visually is the structure of your team, with an organizational chart like this one:

In an organizational chart you should include some basic information like team hierarchy and team member contact information. That way your stakeholders have all of the information they need at their fingertips.

But in addition to that, you can indicate the high-level responsibilities of each team member and the channels of communication within the team (so your team knows exactly what they’re accountable for).

Here’s another simple organizational structure template that you can use as a starting point:

Create an organizational chart with our organizational chart maker .

4. Organize project risk factors in a risk breakdown structure

A big part of project planning is identifying the factors that are likely to derail your project, and coming up with plans and process to deal with those factors. This is generally referred to as risk management .

The first step in coming up with a risk management plan is to list all of the factors at play, which is where a risk breakdown structure comes in handy. A risk breakdown structure is a hierarchical representation of project risks, organized by category.

This risk breakdown structure template, for example, shows project risk broken down into technical risk, management risk, and external risk:

Once you’ve constructed your risk breakdown structure, you’ll be ready to do a deep dive into each risk (to assess and plan for any triggers and outcomes).

Streamline your workflow with business process management software .

5. Plan ahead: create project status reports to communicate progress to stakeholders

As I mentioned earlier, communication is fundamental in any project.

But even so, something that’s often overlooked by project managers is a communication management plan–a plan for how the project team is going to communicate with project stakeholders . Too often, project communication defaults to ad-hoc emails or last-minute meetings.

You can avoid this by planning ahead. Start with a project kickoff meeting and include a project status report template as part of your communication plan.

Here’s an example of a simple project status report that you might send to stakeholders on a weekly basis:

This type of report is invaluable for communicating updates on project progress. It shows what you’ve accomplished in a clear, consistent format, which can help flag issues before they arise, build trust with your stakeholders , and makes it easy to reflect on project performance once you’ve reached your goals.

You might also want to include a broader status report for bigger updates on a monthly or quarterly basis, like this one:

The above template allows you to inform stakeholders of more major updates like new budget requirements, revised completion dates, and project performance ratings.

You can even include visualization of up-to-date project milestones, like this example below:

Want more tips on creating visuals to enhance your communications? Read our visual communication guide for businesses . 

Before you dive in, remember: a clear and adaptable plan is crucial for project success. Here are some best practices to keep your project plan on track:

• Use headers, columns and highlights to make your executive summary easy to read
• Plot your project schedule with a Gantt chart (with tasks color-coded by department or team member)
• Use visuals like organizational charts and risk breakdown structures to communicate across your team and with stakeholders
• Pick a flexible template that you can update to align with stakeholder requests

A project management plan is probably the most important deliverable your stakeholders will receive from you (besides the project itself).

It holds all of the information that stakeholders will use to determine whether your project moves forward or gets kicked to the curb.

That’s why it’s a good idea to start with a project management plan template. Using a template can help you organize your information logically and ensure it’s engaging enough to hold your stakeholders’ attention.

Construction project management plan template

Time is money, especially with construction projects. Having a construction plan template brings order to the chaos.

Instead of staring at a messy pile of construction stuff, you’ve got a plan that breaks everything down into bite-sized pieces.

And let’s not forget the paperwork. Construction projects have rules and regulations to follow. Your project plan helps you stay on the right side of the law with all the necessary documentation and compliance measures.

Start with a meticulous project overview, like in the second page of this template:

Though you may think this project will be similar to others you’ve done in the past, it’s important to nail the details.

This will also help you understand the scope of work so you can estimate costs properly and arrive at a quote that’s neither too high or low. Ontario Construction News has great advice on this process.

Simple project management plan template

This simple project management plan template that clearly lays out all of the information your stakeholders will need:

Simple project management communication plan template

A key part of project management is making sure everyone’s in the loop. A project communication plan ensures everyone knows how, where, who and when the team will communicate during the course of the project. Also construction scheduling is a critical aspect of the project management plan as it helps to ensure that all necessary tasks are completed within the allocated time frame and budget.

The key is to figure out what kind of communications is valuable to stakeholders and what is simply overwhelming and won’t lead to better decisions.

This template clearly outlines all of these factors to help manage expectations and eliminate confusion about what will get communicated and when:

Commercial development project plan template

The below project management plan template is simple and minimal, but still uses a unique layout and simple visuals to create an easy-to-read, scannable project overview.

This template is perfect for building or construction management , or any technical projects:

When picking a project plan template, look for one that’s flexible enough to accommodate any changes your stakeholders might request before they’ll approve the project. You never know what might change in the early planning stages of the project! You can also use project management tools to help you with your planning !

Creating a solid project management plan is crucial for setting your project up for success. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:

• Lack of clear goals: Don’t just have a vague idea of what you want to achieve. Define clear, SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound) for your project. That way, everyone will be on the same page and it’ll be easier to measure progress effectively.
• Unrealistic timelines: Be optimistic, but also realistic. Don’t underestimate the time required for tasks. Factor in potential delays and buffer time when creating your project schedule.
• Scope creep: New requirements mid-project can affect deadlines and budgets. Plan the project clearly upfront, and take into consideration any changes that might come up.
• Poor communication: Communication is key throughout the project lifecycle. Regularly update stakeholders, team members and clients on progress, roadblocks and changes.
• Ignoring risks: Things don’t always go according to plan. Identify potential risks upfront and have a mitigation strategy in place for each one.
• Not involving stakeholders: Get key stakeholders involved early on. This helps manage everyone’s expectations and that you have the buy-in you need for success.
• Neglecting resource constraints: Don’t overload your team or underestimate the resources needed. Carefully consider the skills, time and budget available when planning your project.
• Micromanaging: Trust your team! Delegate tasks effectively and give them the autonomy they need to do their jobs.
• Failing to document: Keep good records. Document project decisions, plans and communication. This helps maintain transparency and ensures everyone has access to the latest information.
• Not adapting to change: Be prepared to adapt your plan as needed. Projects are rarely static, so be flexible and willing to adjust your approach based on new information or developments.

So, that’s the scoop on project management plans! I hope this piece will help you to avoid confusion, keep expectations in check and be ready to tackle any bumps for your upcoming projects.

If you ever need a revision, just follow the steps we talked about, use those best practices and you’ll have a plan that sets your project up for a win. Just remember, even the best plans need some tweaking sometimes. Be flexible and adjust as needed and you’re good to go!

Discover popular designs

Infographic maker

Brochure maker

White paper online

Newsletter creator

Flyer maker

Timeline maker

Letterhead maker

Mind map maker

Ebook maker

• Product overview
• All features
• Latest feature release
• App integrations

CAPABILITIES

• project icon Project management
• Project views
• Custom fields
• Status updates
• goal icon Goals and reporting
• Reporting dashboards
• workflow icon Workflows and automation
• portfolio icon Resource management
• Capacity planning
• Time tracking
• my-task icon Admin and security
• Admin console
• asana-intelligence icon Asana AI
• list icon Personal
• premium icon Starter
• briefcase icon Advanced
• Goal management
• Organizational planning
• Campaign management
• Creative production
• Content calendars
• Marketing strategic planning
• Resource planning
• Project intake
• Product launches
• Employee onboarding
• View all uses arrow-right icon
• Project plans
• Team goals & objectives
• Team continuity
• Meeting agenda
• View all templates arrow-right icon
• Work management resources Discover best practices, watch webinars, get insights
• Customer stories See how the world's best organizations drive work innovation with Asana
• Help Center Get lots of tips, tricks, and advice to get the most from Asana
• Asana Academy Sign up for interactive courses and webinars to learn Asana
• Developers Learn more about building apps on the Asana platform
• Community programs Connect with and learn from Asana customers around the world
• Events Find out about upcoming events near you
• Partners Learn more about our partner programs
• Support Need help? Contact the Asana support team
• Asana for nonprofits Get more information on our nonprofit discount program, and apply.

Featured Reads

• Project planning |
• What is project planning? (Plus, 7 ste ...

What is project planning? (Plus, 7 steps to write a successful project plan)

Organize your projects with project plans to keep things on track—before you even start. A project plan houses all the necessary details of your project, such as goals, tasks, scope, deadlines, and deliverables. This shows stakeholders a clear roadmap of your project, ensures you have the resources for it, and holds everyone accountable from the start. In this article, we teach you the seven steps to create your own project plan.

Project plans are essential to keeping your project organized and on track. A great project plan will help you kick off your work with all the necessary pieces—from goals and budgets to milestones and communication plans—in one place. Save yourself time (and a few headaches) by creating a work plan that will make your project a success.

What is project planning?

Project planning is the second stage in the project management process, following project initiation and preceding project execution. During the project planning stage, the project manager creates a project plan, which maps out project requirements. The project planning phase typically includes setting project goals, designating project resources, and mapping out the project schedule.

What is a project plan?

3 ways to transform your enterprise project management.

Watch a live demo and Q&A session to help you streamline goal-setting, accelerate annual planning, and automate how teams intake strategic work.

If you're still unsure about what a project plan is, here's how it differs from other project elements:

Project plan vs. work plan: A project plan and a work plan are the same thing. Different teams or departments might prefer one term or another—but they both ultimately describe the same thing: a list of big-picture action steps you need to take to hit your  project objectives .

Project plan vs. project charter: A project charter is an outline of your project. Mostly, you use project charters to get signoff from key stakeholders before you start. Which means your project charter comes before your project plan. A project charter is an outline of a simple project plan—it should only include your project objectives, scope, and responsibilities. Then, once your charter has been approved, you can create a project plan to provide a more in-depth blueprint of the key elements of your project.

Project plan vs. project scope: Your project scope defines the size and boundaries of your project. As part of your project plan, you should outline and share the scope of your project with all project stakeholders. If you’re ever worried about scope creep , you can refer back to your pre-defined scope within your project plan to get back on track.

Project plan vs. agile project: Agile project management is a framework to help teams break work into iterative, collaborative components . Agile frameworks are often run in conjunction with scrum and sprint methodologies. Like any project, an Agile project team can benefit from having a project plan in place before getting started with their work.

Project plan vs. work breakdown structure: Similar to a project plan, your work breakdown structure (WBS) helps you with project execution. While the project plan focuses on every aspect of your project, the WBS is focused on deliverables—breaking them down into sub-deliverables and project tasks. This helps you visualize the whole project in simple steps. Because it’s a visual format, your WBS is best viewed as a Gantt chart (or timeline), Kanban board , or calendar—especially if you’re using project management software .

Why are project plans important?

Project plans set the stage for the entire project. Without one, you’re missing a critical step in the overall project management process . When you launch into a project without defined goals or objectives, it can lead to disorganized work, frustration, and even scope creep. A clear, written project management plan provides a baseline direction to all stakeholders, while also keeping everyone accountable. It confirms that you have the resources you need for the project before it actually begins.

A project plan also allows you, as the person in charge of leading execution, to forecast any potential challenges you could run into while the project is still in the planning stages. That way, you can ensure the project will be achievable—or course-correct if necessary. According to a study conducted by the  Project Management Institute , there is a strong correlation between project planning and project success—the better your plan, the better your outcome. So, conquering the planning phase also makes for better project efficiency and results.

7 steps to write a project plan to keep you on track

To create a clear project management plan, you need a way to track all of your moving parts . No matter what type of project you’re planning, every work plan should have:

Goals and project objectives

Success metrics

Stakeholders and roles

Scope and budget

Milestones , deliverables , and project dependencies

Timeline and schedule

Communication plan.

Not sure what each of these mean or should look like? Let’s dive into the details:

Step 1: Define your goals and objectives

You’re working on this project plan for a reason—likely to get you, your team, or your company to an end goal. But how will you know if you’ve reached that goal if you have no way of measuring success?

Every successful project plan should have a clear, desired outcome. Identifying your goals provides a rationale for your project plan. It also keeps everyone on the same page and focused on the results they want to achieve. Moreover, research shows that employees who know how their work is contributing to company objectives are 2X as motivated . Yet only 26% of employees have that clarity. That’s because most goal-setting happens separate from the actual work. By defining your goals within your work plan, you can connect the work your team is doing directly to the project objectives in real-time.

What's the difference between project goals and project objectives?

In general, your project goals should be higher-level than your project objectives. Your project goals should be SMART goals that help you measure project success and show how your project aligns with business objectives . The purpose of drafting project objectives, on the other hand, is to focus on the actual, specific deliverables you're going to achieve at the end of your project. Your project plan provides the direction your team needs to hit your goals, so you can create a workflow that hits project objectives.

Your project  plan  provides the direction your team needs to hit your goals, by way of your project objectives. By incorporating your goals directly into your planning documentation, you can keep your project’s North Star on hand. When you’re defining your project scope, or outlining your project schedule, check back on your goals to make sure that work is in favor of your main objectives.

Step 2: Set success metrics

Once you’ve defined your goals, make sure they’re measurable by setting key success metrics. While your goal serves as the intended result, you need success metrics to let you know whether or not you’re performing on track to achieve that result. The best way to do that is to set  SMART goals . With SMART goals, you can make sure your success metrics are clear and measurable, so you can look back at the end of your project and easily tell if you hit them or not.

For example, a goal for an event might be to host an annual 3-day conference for SEO professionals on June 22nd. A success metric for that goal might be having at least 1,000 people attend your conference. It’s both clear and measurable.

Step 3: Clarify stakeholders and roles

Running a project usually means getting  collaborators  involved in the execution of it. In your project management plan, outline which team members will be a part of the project and what each person’s role will be. This will help you decide who is responsible for each task (something we’ll get to shortly) and let stakeholders know how you expect them to be involved.

During this process, make sure to define the various roles and responsibilities your stakeholders might have. For example, who is directly responsible for the project’s success? How is your project team structured (i.e. do you have a project manager, a project sponsor , etc.)? Are there any approvers that should be involved before anything is finalized? What cross-functional stakeholders should be included in the project plan? Are there any  risk management factors  you need to include?

Consider using a system, such as a  RACI chart , to help determine who is driving the project forward, who will approve decisions, who will contribute to the project, and who needs to remain informed as the project progresses.

Then, once you’ve outlined all of your roles and stakeholders, make sure to include that documentation in your project plan. Once you finalize your plan, your work plan will become your cross-functional source of truth.

Step 4: Set your budget

Running a project usually costs money. Whether it’s hiring freelancers for content writing or a catering company for an event, you’ll probably be spending some cash.

Since you’ve already defined your goals and stakeholders as part of your project plan, use that information to establish your budget. For example, if this is a cross-functional project involving multiple departments, will the departments be splitting the project cost? If you have a specific goal metric like event attendees or new users, does your proposed budget support that endeavor?

By establishing your project budget during the project planning phase (and before the spending begins), you can get approval, more easily track progress, and make smart, economical decisions during the implementation phase of your project. Knowing your budget beforehand helps you with resource management , ensuring that you stay within the initial financial scope of the project. Planning helps you determine what parts of your project will cost what—leaving no room for surprises later on.

Step 5: Align on milestones, deliverables, and project dependencies

An important part of planning your project is setting milestones, or specific objectives that represent an achievement. Milestones don’t require a start and end date, but hitting one marks a significant accomplishment during your project. They are used to measure progress. For example, let’s say you’re working to develop a  new product for your company . Setting a milestone on your project timeline for when the prototype is finalized will help you measure the progress you’ve made so far.

A project deliverable , on the other hand, is what is actually produced once you meet a milestone. In our product development example, we hit a milestone when we produced the deliverable, which was the prototype. You can also use project dependencies —tasks that you can’t start until others are finished. Dependencies ensure that work only starts once it’s ready. Continuing the example, you can create a project dependency to require approval from the project lead before prototype testing begins.  

If you’re using our free project plan template , you can easily organize your project around deliverables, dependencies, and milestones. That way, everyone on the team has clear visibility into the work within your project scope, and the milestones your team will be working towards.

Step 6: Outline your timeline and schedule

In order to achieve your project goals, you and your stakeholders need clarity on your overall project timeline and schedule. Aligning on the time frame you have can help you better prioritize during strategic planning sessions.

Not all projects will have clear-cut timelines. If you're working on a large project with a few unknown dates, consider creating a  project roadmap  instead of a full-blown project timeline. That way, you can clarify the order of operations of various tasks without necessarily establishing exact dates.

Once you’ve covered the high-level responsibilities, it’s time to focus some energy on the details. In your  work plan template , start by breaking your project into tasks, ensuring no part of the process is skipped. Bigger tasks can even be broken down into smaller subtasks, making them more manageable.

Then, take each task and subtask, and assign it a start date and end date. You’ll begin to visually see everything come together in a  cohesive project timeline . Be sure to add stakeholders, mapping out who is doing what by when.

Step 7: Share your communication plan

We’ve established that most projects include multiple stakeholders. That means communication styles will vary among them. You have an opportunity to set your expectations up front for this particular project in your project plan. Having a communication plan is essential for making sure everyone understands what’s happening, how the project is progressing, and what’s going on next. And in case a roadblock comes up, you’ll already have a clear communication system in place.

As you’re developing your communication plan, consider the following questions:

How many project-related meetings do you need to have? What are their goals?

How will you manage project status updates ? Where will you share them?

What tool will you use to manage the project and communicate progress and updates?

Like the other elements of your project plan, make sure your communication plan is easily accessible within your project plan. Stakeholders and cross-functional collaborators should be able to easily find these guidelines during the planning and execution phases of your project. Using project planning tools or task management software that integrates with apps like Slack and Gmail can ensure all your communication happens in one easily accessible place. 

Example project plan

Next, to help you understand what your project management plan should look like, here are two example plans for marketing and design projects that will guide you during your own project planning.

Project plan example: annual content calendar

Let’s say you’re the Content Lead for your company, and it’s your responsibility to create and deliver on a content marketing calendar for all the content that will be published next year. You know your first step is to build your work plan. Here’s what it might look like:

Goals and success metrics

You establish that your goal for creating and executing against your content calendar is to increase engagement by 10%. Your success metrics are the open rate and click through rate on emails, your company’s social media followers, and how your pieces of content rank on search engines.

Stakeholders and each person’s role

There will be five people involved in this project.

You, Content Lead: Develop and maintain the calendar

Brandon and Jamie, Writers: Provide outlines and copy for each piece of content

Nate, Editor: Edit and give feedback on content

Paula, Producer: Publish the content once it’s written and edited

Your budget for the project plan and a year’s worth of content is $50,000.

Milestones and deliverables

Your first milestone is to finish the content calendar, which shows all topics for the year. The deliverable is a sharable version of the calendar. Both the milestone and the deliverables should be clearly marked on your project schedule.

You’ve determined that your schedule for your content calendar project plan will go as follows:

October 15 - November 1: The research phase to find ideas for topics for content

November 2 - November 30: Establish the topics you’ll write about

December 1 - January 1: Build the calendar

January 1 - December 31: Content will be written by Brandon and Jamie, and edited by Nate, throughout the year

January 16 - December 31: Paula will begin publishing and continue to do so on a rolling basis throughout the year.

You’ll have a kick-off meeting and then monthly update meetings as part of your communication plan. Weekly status updates will be sent on Friday afternoons. All project-related communication will occur within a  project management tool .

How ClassPass manages project plans from start to finish

Kerry Hoffman, Senior Project Manager of Marketing Operations at  ClassPass , oversees all marketing projects undertaken by the creative, growth, and content teams. Here are her top three strategies for managing project plans:

Identify stakeholders up front: No matter the size of the project, it’s critical to know who the stakeholders are and their role in the project so you ensure you involve the right people at each stage. This will also make the review and approval process clear before the team gets to work.

Agree on how you want to communicate about your project: Establish where and when communication should take place for your project to ensure that key information is captured in the right place so everyone stays aligned.

Be adaptable and learn other people’s working styles: Projects don’t always go according to plan, but by implementing proper integration management you can keep projects running smoothly. Also, find out how project members like to work so you take that into account as you create your plan. It will help things run smoother once you begin executing.

Write your next project plan like a pro

Congratulations—you’re officially a work planning pro. With a few steps, a little bit of time, and a whole lot of organization, you’ve successfully written a project plan.

Keep yourself and your team on track, and address challenges early by using project planning software like Asana . Work through each of the steps of your project plan with confidence, and streamline your communications with the team.

Related resources

15 creative elevator pitch examples for every scenario

Timesheet templates: How to track team progress

Scaling clinical trial management software with PM solutions

Data-driven decision making: A step-by-step guide

• How-to Guides

Tips for Students: Writing Project Management Assignments

by MyMG Team · Published March 23, 2020 · Updated July 4, 2024

Is it confusing for you to kickstart the writing process for your project management assignment? Does all that jargon like sustainability strategies, project feasibility, or risk mitigation make you feel stressed?

What is the best way to highlight your challenging project management topic acceptably?

‘Phew, what a challenging paper! How can I find a professional writer to deal with these boring assignments?”

Ok, we hear you. You can do it online in a matter of minutes. In fact, assignment writing help services can take all your project management paper worries away and deliver you a custom essay or even a 5-star dissertation without any hassle for you.

Sounds fantastic? That’s exactly what they do.

“Ok, cool. Is this a reliable way to deal with my papers?” Sure. Unless you are super lazy and want to turn them in without any modifications.

“What do you mean?” If you want to avoid any troubles in your college or university and have no time/desire to write your assignment on your own, you can look for expert help online.

However, once you get a well-written paper on your topic from the expert writer in that subject area, you need to rewrite it and modify it to some extent.

If you do this, nobody will ever accuse you of cheating or plagiarism, and you’ll save tons of time instead of completing your assignment from scratch.

Now, let’s explore the top tips for writing your project management assignments.

Get Enough Time for Writing

Essay writing is an essential academic skill. To create amazing papers, it’s crucial to have a great essay writing competence. How do you get it? Through practice. Write often. Write a lot.

One of the golden rules of writing any kind of essay is to make sure you get enough time in your schedule for research and writing.

Understand that you need some time to complete the work without being in a rush. Rarely, you can come up with an exceptional essay overnight. For this, you need to be really motivated, inspired and loaded with facts, arguments, and brilliant ideas.

Of course, there needs to be adequate time for choosing a topic, doing the research, reading all the materials and taking notes, gathering the notes into a logical order to form an outline, and writing the essay. Without doing all these things, you won’t be able to submit a top-grade paper on time.

Once you finish writing your paper, you still need to put in some work. What does it mean? Your essay needs to be proofread, edited, and polished up.

Every student works at a different pace, so discovering how much time is needed is an individual thing, and the first most crucial essay writing skill.

Choosing a topic

This step is central to a knockout essay. That’s because the topic can make or break the article. Choose it carefully if you have such an opportunity. If the instructor has assigned a topic, then it is up to you to find a perfect angle on the topic to base your essay on.

Photo by Dollar Gill on Unsplash

Research and taking notes

The research phase is where the student dives into what others have written about the general topic. This step could be done before step 2 if the student needs help narrowing down the topic or the angle on the topic.

Jotting down notes during the reading and referencing the source for the notes will save tons of time later on in writing.

Forming the Outline and Writing the Essay

The notes are organized into groups that logically fit together. A description for each set is like a subheading. These can be arranged in chronological order or organized in a fashion that flows well from one idea to the next. This is the outline of the body of the essay.

Writing the essay consists of filling in the details for each of the sections in the outline. It includes writing a captivating opening paragraph and a memorable summary at the end.

Proofreading and editing

Unfortunately, this important step is often missed. Even the best essays will fail without detailed proofreading and in-depth editing.

It is best if this step is done by another person, as it is easy for a writer to overlook their own mistakes in assignment writing.

The proofreader and editor should be someone who is really good at writing, not just a neighbour or friend because they are available and free.

So now you know all the basic steps that you need to take to be able to submit a winning project management assignment on time. Don’t just sleep on these tips. Put them into work and you will see the results.

Alternatively, you may always choose a service for you to assist.

Tags: project manager student tasks writing

We are a small group of professionals specializing in project management. We wish you success in your career, business, studies, or whatever else you think is worth your time and effort—we are pleased to know that our advice is helpful.

• Next story  How do HR personnel change workplace culture? Five Tips to change it today too
• Previous story  How to Stay Organized: Five Ways for Project Managers

You may also like...

Project Pre-Charter as a Sub-Phase of the Initiation Phase

November 24, 2010

 by Daniel Linman · Published November 24, 2010 · Last modified June 26, 2023

A Project Manager’s Role – Key Responsibilities and Duties

August 4, 2010

 by Eric Morkovich · Published August 4, 2010 · Last modified June 26, 2023

The Basic Checklist for Project Managers

February 27, 2013

 by MyMG Team · Published February 27, 2013 · Last modified June 26, 2023

Worth Reading

How to Choose an Accounting Software System for Your Business

July 13, 2011

How to Organize Collaboration with Your Web Design Agency

January 25, 2021

4 Rules that Make Your Content Marketing Project Effective

July 24, 2012

Use Project KPI Library to Improve Performance Analysis

March 20, 2013

Want a Successful Business? Here’s Why You Need to Focus on Social Media

September 3, 2021

#ezw_tco-3 .ez-toc-title{ font-size: 120%; ; ; } #ezw_tco-3 .ez-toc-widget-container ul.ez-toc-list li.active{ background-color: #ededed; } Table of Contents Toggle

PM Framework

How Scope is Defined in Project Management

Website Project Planning: Six Steps to Success

Project initiation stage – Project Initiation Document (PID). Duties of project owner and project team

Organizing Procurement and Purchasing Activities in a Project

Two Common Mistakes in Project Procurement Contracts

Project Sponsor – The Role and Responsibilities

Project management goal: Add people and assign them to tasks

Project management tips before you start . . .

If you’re new to project management If you’re new to project management, you might realize there’s more to worry about than just adding tasks, like how many people to put on them, how to account for people’s holidays and vacation time, and how and where to put in personal information like phone numbers, email addresses, and salary information.

Here are tips to get you started.

Learn what types of resources you can assign to tasks     After you gather the information you need about project tasks, identify the types of resources you’ll need.

People resources     These are resources we normally think of as working on tasks. Project managers sometimes call these work resources, as opposed to materials and equipment.

Enterprise resources     These resources are work resources managed and shared across an organization. Enterprise resources are used with Project Professional.

Material resources     These resources include computers or machinery used to complete work on tasks.

Generic resources     These resources specify staffing requirements for tasks and not specific individuals, such as carpenters, or developers.

Consider how the number of resources changes durations When you put multiple resources on a task, you’d expect the duration of a task to shorten. In many cases, however, adding people to a task can have the opposite effect. It can add extra costs, extra communication, and other inefficiencies. For example, the design for a new toll bridge probably isn’t going to go faster if you double the number of architects on the project. Project allows you to control what happens to task durations after you add to tasks.

Consider how a person's capabilities affect task durations A person’s experience can directly affect the duration of the task. You might expect a person with five years’ experience to complete a task in less time than someone with two.

If you’re a seasoned project manager As projects get bigger, there are more things to think about. You now worry about using resources in other departments, hiring vendors, tracking a hundred peoples’ work, generating reports for executives, and numerous other complexities you haven’t even thought about yet. Fortunately, Microsoft Project has the expert tools you’ll need.

Here are a tips to grow your expertise.

Review and refine the duration estimates     Use the information that you collect about your current project and similar projects to refine your duration estimates. The accuracy of your estimates for resource requirements (and ultimately project costs) depends largely on the accuracy of your task duration estimates.

Track resource progress     Make sure the people on your project send in regular task status updates. The views and reports in Microsoft Project help you not lose track of what everyone is doing.

Identify resource overallocation problems     Project can help you identify when people are working on too many tasks at the same time.

Keep an eye on your baselines     Baselines give you a snapshot of your project so that you compare current progress with what you planned at the beginning.

Distribute work by leveling     When people are working on too many tasks at the same time, Project can adjust assignments to a more realistic workload. Leveling resource assignments is one way to even out the load.

Step 1: Add people to your project

Top of Page

Step 2: Assign people and other resources to tasks

Step 3: Manage people and other resources

Return to The project management road map

Need more help?

Want more options.

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

Microsoft 365 training

Microsoft security

Accessibility center

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

Ask the Microsoft Community

Microsoft Tech Community

Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

Was this information helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

Filter by Keywords

Project Management

5 real project management examples for your team.

Content Partnership Specialist

October 4, 2022

Whether it’s a home or a business project, simple or complex by nature, the secret sauce to delivering successful projects is starting strong with the right strategy and execution plan .

You can do this (and do it well) with a go-getter mindset, proper project management approaches, and the right tools.

In this article, you’ll learn about the building blocks of project management, including the key success factors and phases, as well as how project management tools can keep them together. Then we’ll show you how it all works in practice with five real project management examples! 👌

The 4 Phases of the Project Management Life Cycle

Key factors for successful project management .

• 1. Marketing Project
• 2. SEO Project
• 3. Customer Enablement Project
• 4. Education Project
• 5. Product Launch Project

Managing projects from start to finish can come with long and complex processes . So, to help make everyone’s job easier, the concept of the project life cycle was introduced. 

The project life cycle, or project management process, consists of four phases: initiating, planning, executing, and closing. It’s a structured path your projects go through to help move them from conception to completion and ensure project objectives are delivered in each phase.

Let’s take a look at what the project manager is responsible for in each phase:

1. The initiation phase

Get everyone onboard. The project manager defines the organization, client, or customer’s goal, identifies key stakeholders, the project team, and the scope of work of the project , and determines measurable objectives for the team.

2. The planning phase

Strategically prepare and map out the project. The project manager is responsible for creating a detailed project plan and outlining the project schedule that includes the major project milestones and describes what tasks or deliverables make up each milestone. This is important because the project plan provides a strategy and project checklist to help properly manage resources, budget, and timeline along the project life cycle.

3. The execution phase 

It’s go time. In this phase, the project manager’s main job is to oversee the team’s efforts and ensure everyone understands what’s expected of them, what tasks need to be done, and how and when to complete those tasks to ensure everything is done within the project schedule. 

4. The closing phase

Time to wrap up the project. The project manager must identify that their team has completed all of the requested outcomes, then present the final product to the stakeholders to sign off and officially close the project.

📌 Key takeaway:

By following the project life cycle, you’re ensuring that you are: 

• Capturing the expectations of your customer
• Setting your project up for success with a plan
• Executing project tasks and addressing any issues or project risks that arise
• Closing out your project to capture any lessons learned and improve the next projects

Critical factors for successful project management can vary from one project to another, but here are a few factors that should remain constant no matter the type of project or what industry you’re in:

✅ Set SMART goals  

✅ Understand the project scope and prevent scope creep

✅ Identify project risks and create a risk management plan

✅ Clearly defined roles and responsibilities

✅ Effective team communication

✅ Maintain a high level of project visibility

How project management software gives teams flexibility 

With so many factors that can impact project success, using project management software can help to keep everyone and everything on track and ahead of curveballs.

A good project management app can take so much of the burden of managing projects off your shoulders by providing teams with the tools they need to get a high-level overview of their work, streamline business processes, create efficient workflows, communicate more effectively, and make collaboration seamless and more enjoyable. 

ClickUp , for one, helps project managers and teams plan, manage, track projects, and collaborate with each other—all in one place. Its fully customizable platform gives teams the flexibility and the advanced tools they need to create the most efficient workflow that best suits their project needs and preferences. 

And because the platform is fully customizable, teams in ClickUp are fully equipped to handle any type of project and support any type of project management methodology , including the most common approaches such as Waterfall, Agile (Scrum and Kanban), Lean, Six Sigma, and more. 

Key ClickUp features for effective project management include :

• Customizable views : View your projects your way; choose from 15+ views, including Gantt Chart, Timeline, and Workload view
• Custom automation : Save time, keep your processes consistent, and streamline your workflow
• Custom task statuses : Add and assign different stages to your tasks to improve project visibility 
• Custom Fields : Add more context to your tasks and display important information 
• Goals : Stay on track to hit your SMART goals with clear timelines, measurable targets, and automatic progress tracking 
• Project milestones : Easily set milestones to help you stay on top of important deadlines and track your team’s progress against major checkpoints
• Dependencies : Add “blocking” or “waiting on” dependencies between tasks to set a clear order of operations, so your team always knows what to work on first
• Task checklist : Create a to-do list within each task to ensure all steps are completed before moving the task forward
• Dashboards : Build a mission control center for each project, team member, and more to  ensure every project stakeholder has the information they need to control any project risk and keep the project delivery within its timeline
• Global time tracking : Track time spent on tasks, set estimates, add notes, and view reports of your time from anywhere
• Assigned comments : Create and assign action items directly within a comment 
• Mobile app : Keep your projects accessible wherever you go with the ClickUp mobile app
• Integration : Connect ClickUp to over 1,000 of your favorite work tools to streamline your workflow  

Now, let’s take a look at a few real-life project management examples and learn how other industry experts have successfully delivered projects using the right methodology and tools!

5 Project Management Examples and Tips for Successful Project Delivery

1. marketing project example: creating a cross-functional workflow.

Jakub Grajcar , a Marketing Manager at STX Next, leads a team of content and social media specialists, spearheads the Marketing department’s lead generation and brand recognition strategy and works with multiple departments to deliver projects. A typical day for the team includes executing upwards of five content deliverables, with Jakub often reviewing 10+ different projects at a time.

The problem?

Working with our Product Design department was a chaotic process. Our teams struggled with communication because we lacked project visbility—we often didn’t have clear information about whether tasks were still under review or needed more work.  We absolutely needed a system that would allow me and the Head of Product Design to get an overview of the entire process and come to grips with all the work in progress and upcoming tasks.

The goal? To help improve global collaboration across departments , and content marketing processes, speed up project completion and delivery, and keep the teams aligned on goals, project timelines, and so on by creating a cross-functional workflow and standardizing processes in ClickUp.

Here’s how Jakub and his team carried out this initiative: 

Initiation phase

• Identify the project: To create Marketing Sprints templates and team Dashboards 
• Define the desired outcome: Manage multiple projects, streamline partner outreach, and speed up the content production process

Planning phase

• Project management methodology: Agile  

Execution phase

Task checklist:

• Create Folders for each department and set up Lists within each Folder
• Within each List, create tasks and subtasks to breakdown the work even further 
• Save tasks as a template that can be reused as many times as needed
• Set up Custom Task Statuses to give each stage of the project a designated name 
• Add Custom Fields to each List to display and keep key information easily accessible
• Added custom automation to automatically trigger an action and push the project to the next step 
• Save the Folder as a template to be reused for the next Sprint and to keep processes consistent 
• Build a custom Dashboard with real-time reporting to display key data and improve task visibility

Closing phase

• At the end of the project, Jakub and the teams within STX Next tested the new Marketing Sprints template and Dashboard to ensure the process was smooth for everyone involved in the project and all of the custom automation in ClickUp was set up properly.

📌 Use this Marketing Sprint Folder template to help with project planning, keep project activities visible and organized, and streamline your processes. Hit the ground running with pre-set Board and List views, task estimation capabilities, and customizable automation!

2. SEO project example: Scaling content production

Adele Payant , ClickUp’s SEO Specialist, is responsible for researching opportunities and creating content briefs for the writers to use as a guide when drafting articles for the blog page. And to write compelling content briefs, she has to perform keyword research, competitive analysis , and other important related tasks, and ensure the content brief is detailed and easy to follow for the writers. 

The biggest challenge in our SEO blog workflow was focusing on scaling our content production without impacting the quality of each blog.

To create a clear and repeatable system to help our SEO team ramp up the volume of briefs without compromising the quality of the brief and reduce unnecessary back-and-forth communication.

Here’s how Adele executed this project:

Initiation phase 

• Identify the project : Create a detailed and structured SEO content brief template
• Define the desired outcome: Create a structured and consistent workflow for researching and creating content briefs, and speed up the approval process

Planning phase 

• Connect with the writing team to capture feedback about the current process 
• Start a new Doc and use the rich-editing tools to structure your page
• Add headers to define the sections in your Doc clearly
• Embed links to example articles and other key data from keyword research
• Add nested pages to capture notes for the assigned writer to review before drafting the article
• Save the Doc as a template 

Closing phase 

• To ensure the content blog brief is up to par, the Sr. SEO Manager, Sr. SEO Specialist, and Sr. Content Managers reviewed the Doc and presented the template to the content writers to review for readability and to gather feedback. The project is officially closed after all stakeholders have approved it.

📌 Use this SEO Content Brief template to clearly state your goals and objectives, and share it with your writers to improve content delivery.

For more SEO project management tips, check out ClickUp’s Sr. SEO Manager’s article: Tips to Optimize Your Workflow . 

3. Customer enablement project: Launching a new program

Robin Wisner , ClickUp’s LMS Administrator, is responsible for delivering a new initiative to give ClickUp customers a fun and interactive way to learn how to use ClickUp and maximize the features within the platform.

The Customer Enablement team, of which Robin is a member, launched ClickUp University (CUU) in November 2021. The new program received an overwhelmingly positive response from ClickUp users and ultimately gave the team the green light to launch another option to help further enhance user experience.

To accomplish this, she led the initiative to launch CUU Certificates—a program intended to recognize the ClickUp users’ product knowledge and reward them for completing the course exams.

The biggest challenge for a project of this scale was managing across so many teams with competing priorities .

To delegate work effectively and launch the new certification program on time to provide a measurable process for customers to successfully onboard and enhance their experience as a ClickUp user.

Here’s how Robin and the project team members made it happen:

• Identify the project : Launch and promote the new certification program 
• Define the desired outcome: To collaborate with different teams to design and launch the new certification program.
• Project management methodology: Waterfall
• Outline objectives for each certification level and course in ClickUp Docs
• Develop beta test group and SOP for testing in ClickUp Docs
• Outline the diagram taxonomy and customer journey in ClickUp Whiteboards
• Create ClickUp Tasks for content development and assign them to the designated team members 
• Use the ClickUp Form to submit a design request for the certificates
• Submit a request to create a new help center overview article
• Collaborate with the Dev Ops team to code and manage website design
• Run tests with the beta test group and collect feedback 
• Create internal and external enablement materials
• Submit a request for marketing promotional materials 
• To finalize and close this project, the project stakeholders reviewed the creative designs and tested the website’s performance and user experience. The approval was given once project requirements are met. 

📌 Use this Feedback Form template to customize your feedback collection, view all your feedback in one place, and improve your products and services.

Bonus: Project Management Software for Freelancers

4. Education project example: Building company-wide data reporting dashboards

Morey Graham , the Director of Alumni and Donor Services (ADS) at Wake Forest University, leads and manages fundraising campaigns , alumni relationships, brand identity, and publications within the Wake Forest community. 

Because teams worked on separate platforms, it created work silos that led to duplicated efforts and poor team communication. We also lacked visibility into our data which impacted our ability to make strong business decisions for the organization.

To find a new project management tool that is user-friendly for all the departments and to create a business dashboard that displays and updates data in real-time to help improve project visibility across the organization.

Here’s how Morey and the ADS department delivered this project:

• Identify the project : Create an accurate and reliable project dashboard for leadership and team members
• Define the desired outcome: Improve data reporting and task visibility across departments, and align team goals

Task checklist

• Consolidate work tools and integrate apps together to streamline the data reporting process
• Set an all-hands meeting with the department to collect feedback about the current process and document meetings notes in a Doc or Notepad
• Create a Space for each department to organize work by departments
• Within each Space, create a Folder for each project
• Within each Folder, create a List for each team member 
• Create Custom Statuses for every stage of the project
• Set up and add tags to tasks to categorize and link related tasks together 
• Establish goals and document targets for each in ClickUp Goals  
• Define your Dashboard audience and data story
• Choose the right KPIs to support the data story
• Select the widget that matches your reporting requirements
• Present the project to the department head and key stakeholders for review and approval to close the project. 

📌 Create custom Dashboards in ClickUp to get a high-level overview of all your initiatives, highlight KPIs, project status, and progress, to keep everyone on track and aligned at all times.

5. Product launch project example: Launching a new product feature

To further expand ClickUp’s list of features for project management, the company set out a huge initiative to build and successfully launch a new product feature, ClickUp Whiteboards . Spearheading the project is ClickUp’s Group Product Manager, Zach Blodgett .

The company’s vision was to create a powerful yet easy-to-use digital collaboration tool that project managers, executives, and team members could use to level up their brainstorming, planning, and execution processes.

The problem? 

The biggest challenge was team size and a rapidly approaching deadline. The deadline was immovable and we had a ton of stakeholders from GTM, sales, pricing & packaging, growth, support, CSMs, EPD. We had to ensure they knew what was going out, what was next, and how to talk about Whiteboards.

To use a project management tool to help manage tasks, communicate with stakeholders across the globe, and minimize risks and bottlenecks to deliver the new and highly-anticipated product feature within the agreed-upon timeline.

Here’s how Zach and the company launched a successful project launch:

• Identify the project : New feature rollout 
• Define the desired outcome: To successfully deliver a responsive and functional new feature and create GTM campaigns for launch day
• Project management methodology: Lean
• Delegate tasks to the respective team members within the Product and Engineering team
• Use the ClickUp-Github integration to preview branches populated in the tasks
• Create Clip videos to report bugs in development and to easily relay complex issues to other teams
• Connect with the Creative team to shoot promotional videos and ads
• Connect with the entire company to run beta testing and collect feedback
• Run tests with the Security team
• Collaborate with Sales to determine the pricing model
• Work with the Product Marketing GTM team to create a marketing campaign plan for the launch
• Set important milestones and schedule for beta release

Closing Phase 

• The CEO, Sr. VP of Engineering, and other key project stakeholders reviewed the product feature, and approved the final product before launch day.

Here’s the final look—check it out!

📌 Create a step-by-step approach to how your organization will bring a product to the market, and use this Go to Market Strategy template to help you ship faster!

Handle Any Project With Confidence By Using ClickUp

Successful project management starts with understanding what the ultimate goal of the project is, understanding the key elements that go into an intelligent project plan, and creating a smooth and actionable strategy to get there—refer to the project management examples above to help spark ideas.

You’ll also need to ensure to implement the appropriate methodology to guide you through the entire process and utilize the project lifecycle to keep you on track. 

And to make your life as a project manager as easy as humanly possible, you need to use a project management tool like ClickUp to help keep everything in order and bring all your work to one centralized place. Use it to track project progress, manage project risks and resources effectively, collaborate with your entire organization, and so much more. 

With its extensive list of customizable and functional features, you’ll be fully equipped to handle any type of project management approach, manage multiple complex projects at once, set up the most streamlined workflow, support your remote and hybrid teams, and confidently deliver quality projects on time, every time. 

(cue “That was easy” sound effect 😉)

Questions? Comments? Visit our Help Center for support.

Receive the latest WriteClick Newsletter updates.

Thanks for subscribing to our blog!

Please enter a valid email

• Free training & 24-hour support
• Serious about security & privacy
• 99.99% uptime the last 12 months

• Contact sales

Start free trial

12 Key Project Management Principles & How to Use Them

Project management is a highly complex field. There are many things that a project manager must understand to be successful such as the methodologies, reports and tools that exist.

To help you simplify things, we’ve listed the top 12 project management principles that any project manager should know. These principles are a great starting point as you go through the journey of becoming a successful project manager.

Once you learn about the key project management principles, you’ll need a robust tool with the features needed to keep track of your project plan, budget and schedule. ProjectManager offers Gantt charts, kanban boards, project calendars and other project management tools to help you and your team achieve more. Get started for free today.

What Are the Principles of Project Management?

These project management principles cover the major areas when managing a project. At ProjectManager, we have tons of project management templates , blogs, tools and other resources to help you manage your projects better.

1. Define a Project Organization Structure

This is the first thing you’ll have to think about when managing a project. The project organization structure is the framework that facilitates the planning, execution and tracking of project activities. To set up your structure, you’ll need to create a project organization chart that specifies the roles and hierarchy of every team member. Then, think about the procedures and guidelines that will be followed by them.

2. Set Clear Project Goals & Objectives

Before you can start the project planning phase, you’ll need to define the main goals and objectives of your project. The project goals define the expected benefits of the project while the project objectives are the steps that you’ll need to take to achieve them. Defining your goals and objectives will set the stage to plan your project scope, schedule and budget.

3. Create a Communication Plan

While reporting to the various participants in the project is key, there must be a primary communication plan to regulate communications between yourself and the project sponsor. This is the only way to ensure those project decisions are properly implemented.

Without having a singular way to disseminate what the sponsor wants to the project manager, you’re not being effective in administrating the project. Even if there are multiple sponsors, they must speak with one voice or risk sending the project into chaos.

You have the responsibility to set this line of communication in place. This entails finding the right person with the right skills, experience, authority and commitment in the executive team to facilitate this important task.

4. Define Roles & Responsibilities

To move forward, a project must have well-defined roles, policies and procedures in place. That means everyone must know what they’re responsible for and to whom they answer. There needs a delegation of authority for any project to function.

It also means that you must know how you’re going to manage the scope of work , maintain the quality of the project, define its schedule and cost, etc. Without these things sorted from the jump, you’re putting the project at risk.

Get your free

RACI Chart Template

Use this free RACI Chart Template for Excel to manage your projects better.

5. Create a Risk Management Plan

Risk is part of life, and it’s certainly a part of any project. Before the project even starts, figure out the potential risks inherent in the work ahead. Identifying them is not an exact science, of course, but you can use historic data and knowledge from your team and sponsors to uncover where the risk lies. Using a risk register template helps you capture all of this information.

It’s not enough to know that risk might rise at certain points in a project; you also should put in place a plan to resolve the issue before it becomes a problem. That means giving each risk a specific team member who’s responsible for watching for it, identifying it and working towards its resolution.

Naturally, you’re not going to foresee every risk, but hopefully, you’ll have at least identified the big ones. That’s why you must keep an eye out for any irregularities and train your team to keep an eye out for risks.  The sooner you identify a risk, whether expected or not, the faster you can mitigate it and keep the project on track.

6. Set a Project Performance Baseline

As you progress through your project, you’ll need project performance metrics to measure success. This is how you can hold your team and yourself accountable, so you should always have ways to measure the various aspects of your project and determine if the actual figures reported are in line with the ones you planned.

The great thing about accountability in a project is that it gives you the means to identify team members who are top performers and reward them accordingly. Other team members may require more training or direction to improve their performance.

7. Create a Change Management Plan

As a project manager, you’ll need to know that project plans will likely change as your team starts the project execution phase. Delays, issues, and risks might make it necessary to make changes to your project scope, budget or schedule.

Keeping track of these changes and establishing an approval process it’s called change management, a critical facet to project success as it helps to avoid scope creep and other issues. The change management process is simple. You’ll simply need to create a change management plan , a document where you specify how changes will be handled.

This will guarantee that whenever a stakeholder or a member of the project management team wishes to make a change to the project plan, there will be a change management process in place. In most projects a change request must be created, filed and approved.

8. Focus on Value Delivery

In any project, it’s always important to focus on your clients’ and stakeholders’ expectations and meet their project requirements . As a project manager, you need to make sure that the project goals and objectives are realistic and agreed upon by the project team and project stakeholders.

Then once you’ve reached an agreement with clients and stakeholders you can think about your value chain, supply chain, milestones, deliverables and quality standards and evaluate whether you’re delivering the expected value. During the project life cycle, you’ll be constantly making decisions that could either increase or hinder the value you deliver with your project.

Some examples of decisions that increase value can be creating a quality management plan  or choosing a methodology that allows constant customer feedback and communication for value delivery such as agile or scrum.

Free Project Management Templates

We have dozens of templates to help you implement the project management principles that we just learned about. Our project management templates will help you at every stage of the project management life cycle, speeding up the process and helping you achieve more.

Project Plan Template

Our project plan template is a great place to start planning your projects. Simply download the file and start putting together your project plan. Then you can start using our many project management features such as our Gantt charts, kanban boards and project calendars to keep track of your project scope, schedule and budget.

Project Budget Template

Your project budget must cover all project costs, otherwise, you won’t be able to execute the work that was planned. It’s important to estimate costs as accurately as possible and document them all. Our project budget template for Excel is the perfect tool for that. However, if you need advanced project budgeting features, give ProjectManager a try.

Gantt Chart Template

Gantt charts are the most versatile project management tools there are. They’re helpful for project planning, scheduling, resource management, task management and more. Our Gantt chart template for Excel is ideal to get familiarized with this tool. Then you can import your data into ProjectManager’s Gantt chart, which allows you to identify the critical path, set task dependencies, set milestones and collaborate with your team in real time.

Put Principles Into Action with ProjectManager

Now that you know the principles, it’s time to get the tools that turn those principles into reality. But the last thing you want is to shuffle through a multitude of apps. ProjectManager is an all-in-one project management software that can help you control projects from initiation to close.

Balance Your Resources

Once the project is executed, it can quickly get out of hand if you don’t have resource planning tools . ProjectManager automates much of your resource management with a workload page that is color-coded, allowing you to see resources at a glance and make adjustments accordingly. There are also task management and collaboration tools to empower teams to work more productively together.

Get Live Progress Updates

Progress is the name of the game, of course, but if you’re not able to track progress as it happens, then you’re behind before you’ve even started. ProjectManager is cloud-based software with a real-time dashboard that automatically updates to reflect task progress, costs and other metrics. These numbers are automatically calculated and shown in colorful graphs and charts that make great visuals for stakeholder presentations.

There are more principles to project management. The list might even be endless, but these give you a roadmap to success. But you can’t get there without the right tools for the job. The cloud-based software of ProjectManager has the features you need to implement these principles through every phase of the project’s life cycle. Try it out yourself for free with this 30-day trial, and see how it can help make your job easier and increase project productivity.

Deliver your projects on time and on budget

Start planning your projects.

Get started

• Project management
• CRM and Sales
• Work management
• Product development life cycle
• Comparisons
• Construction management
• monday.com updates

What is a task? and how to get more of them done

While the word “task” might bring about feelings of despair related to chores or undesirable actions, this is usually related more so to the way you have to manage your time than the task itself.

In this article, we’ll do a deep dive into tasks, show you the best ways to break down larger projects into them, while covering efficient approaches to manage and distribute tasks.

Try monday.com

What is a task in a project?

In project management, a task is a work item or activity with a specific purpose related to the larger goal. It’s a necessary step on the road towards project completion.

For example, it could be something as complex as a mobile app bug fix.

Or it could be something as simple as photocopying the latest brochure for distribution.

Single tasks are typically assigned to a single person or team, while the larger project could be a company-wide endeavor.

The task may or may not include a start and end date or a series of subtasks—this all depends on the complexity of the project at hand, which could be related to industry.

How do you break down a project into smaller tasks?

Even long term Scrum projects that last  11.6 weeks on average make use of task management to get their work done efficiently and effectively.

Part of task management includes creating manageable workloads, considering task dependencies, and of course, communicating across teams to avoid double work or roadblocks.

To avoid these issues, you need some way to break down the high-level project deliverables and goals into tangible tasks.

In the next section, we’ll show you two of the most popular methodologies, Waterfall, and Scrum.

Work Breakdown Structure

The work breakdown structure (WBS) is the official method of breaking down projects in the PMI Guidebook.

To figure out how to break the entire project into tasks, you first need to divide it into the actual deliverables required to hand over the final product or result to the client.

For example, if you’re planning to make a mountain bike, you can break that down into the frame, handlebars, pedals, wheels, chains, and so on.

( Image Source )

You also need to work out the dependencies of the project (aka which deliverables require another one for completion).

If we were to simplify the WBS, the section on manufacturing the bike frame might look something like this.

Of course, each item contains multiple tasks such as sourcing vendors, reviewing designs, picking materials, and more.

But if you assign these tasks to teams who have the necessary skills to complete all of them, that’s what the top-level plan might look like.

If you use an Agile framework, like Scrum, you won’t bother breaking down the entire project into detailed tasks at an early stage. Avoiding this large-scale exercise in prediction is one of the primary principles of Agile.

Instead, you’ll focus on planning out a deliverable increment of your product in Scrum sprints . These are 2–4 week periods of focused work dedicated to delivering a working product version of the final deliverable.

The basis for planning out these iterations is a backlog of features or user stories (functionality from the user’s perspective). You may also have a product roadmap to outline the long-term product direction as well.

The product backlog is continually pruned and optimized before, during, and after sprints. Even if you’re not planning software projects, you can often single out elements that you can deliver in increments.

Before each Sprint, you meet with your team and stakeholders (invested parties) to discuss which user stories are the most important. You select a few items and create a dedicated sprint backlog .

Each user story is then further divided into tasks, and team members take ownership of the specific tasks they can handle.

It’s not ideal for all organizations or projects, but it’s an antidote against micromanagement in complex projects.

What size should a project task be?

So how granular should you get? What should the scope and length of the task in your project be?

It depends on the size of your project and your PM framework, but here are some rules of thumb.

The 8/80 rule for WBS

In traditional project management , a rule of thumb is that no task should be shorter than 8 hours or longer than 80 hours in the WBS.

That’s why the PMI recommends keeping tasks between 20–80 hours in the WBS.

Your individual teams can then have more granular task boards to manage their own to-do lists and/or break 2-week tasks down into daily sub-tasks.

Task length in Scrum

While user stories generally have no specified length, they’re often broken down into manageable chunks, usually one workday or less.

The official Scrum Guide doesn’t use the word tasks, but instead uses the term work unit:

“ Work planned for the first days of the Sprint by the Development Team is decomposed by the end of this meeting, often to units of one day or less. ”

On a Scrum board , you can use story points (at monday.com, we equate 1 SP to a workday) to estimate the length of the task.

Tasks shouldn’t require more than one resource

When you break down deliverables into individual tasks, time isn’t the only consideration. The best approach is to make sure the person (or resource) who’s assigned the task can complete it from start to finish.

For example, a graphic designer could create a wireframe for an app, but wouldn’t be able to create a working prototype.

So you should split the larger deliverable of a working feature prototype into wireframe/design and development (at the very least).

For larger companies, a resource could be an entire team that includes designers, developers, and software testers. In which case, you don’t have to get as granular when planning and assigning tasks.

Accurately estimating task durations

The best way to predict the duration of tasks is to involve the actual resources who will handle the task in the planning process.

You don’t need to switch to Agile or Scrum to make this happen. You just need to involve the actual project implementers in the planning process, not just management.

Not only can they help with task durations, but they can also help with dependencies and expecting potential bottlenecks.

What is the best way to organize project tasks?

There are hundreds of different frameworks and methods for managing projects and breaking them down into tasks.

A few stand out because of their efficiency and ease of adoption and have become popular as a result.

Let’s take a closer look at these industry-leading options.

Waterfall refers to the traditional “predictive” project management approach. It’s called predictive because you plan every phase of the project from start to finish before even getting started.

The reason it’s called waterfall is that the projects are planned to follow a sequential order.

First, you start out by figuring out the requirements of the project. What deliverables do you need to deliver a finished product?

Then you move on to designing and creating (implementing) it. Finally, you verify that the product works as intended, and launch it. The last stage includes the long-term maintenance of the product.

While berating waterfall is a popular pastime among younger management professionals, it has its place.

For physical products with a lot of dependencies and high costs associated with actual production time, mapping out the entire project in detail can be the best approach.

Instead of a specific methodology, Agile outlines a core set of values and principles to apply to your projects. As a result, Agile is an umbrella term that covers many different methodologies and frameworks .

The most famous principle is to deliver working iterations of your project frequently. That’s in contrast to planning out an entire product from start to finish like with waterfall.

Lean, like Agile, is not a specific framework that details a project management approach. Instead, it refers to a management philosophy with a core set of principles.

The focus of Lean is eliminating waste in processes throughout each stage of production. The execution is what controls the outcome, after all.

Fixing bottlenecks between departments to speed up the final assembly is a good example.

Not to be confused with Agile, which is more about high-level concepts and principles, Scrum is an actual framework for project management.

It outlines clear rules, meetings (ceremonies), and deliverables (artifacts), not just values.

For example, Scrum teams should only include a maximum of 9 regular team members. Daily Scrum meetings should only last 15 minutes.

The entire process of designing and completing a sprint is laid out in detail. That’s what makes the Scrum framework so useful for teams that want to implement more Agile principles into practice.

How to use a project management platform for effective task management

Instead of slowing down your managers and teams with an inefficient process, take advantage of the latest task management software .

monday.com is a digital workspace with all the functionality a project manager could ever want, wrapped in a package that’s actually easy to learn and use.

Pick the framework or methodology you want to work with

If you want to reach a completely new target level of productivity, basic task management won’t cut it. You need to introduce a project management framework that goes beyond daily tasks.

Luckily, monday.com makes it easy to make the switch. We offer dedicated templates for everything from WBS to Scrum.

Develop the high-level project roadmap

For consistent results, you should develop a high-level project roadmap. It will help guide all decisions and priorities as the project progresses.

Get more granular with a WBS and other task boards

This is where you break the larger goals into smaller deliverables and start to establish the workload for each team or department that’s involved.

It should outline the overall process but may not specify every activity or task, depending on the scale of the project.

But it’s not the best for planning individual tasks within the involved teams or departments.

Which is why monday.com also offers more basic task boards that these teams can use to manage the day-to-day.

You can easily divide larger items into smaller subtasks and assign them as well.

Use integrations and automations to automate menial tasks

If you want to perfect your workflow , it’s not enough to create some new task boards. You also need to eliminate repetitive menial tasks.

For example, with our smart integrations, you can automatically update a card or create a new task when you receive an email or message.

It’s a useful feature for a wide variety of teams and use-cases. For example, your software team could get a new task with every bug report.

By automating menial tasks, you give your managers and team the time and space to focus on crucial high-level decisions.

Keep managers up to speed with dashboards and reports

Want to see at a glance if tasks are being completed on schedule, or which people (or teams) are available for last-minute work?

You can easily create and customize a dashboard that will give your managers instant access to all the information they need.

Master your tasks

Breaking down a project into tasks and assigning them effectively requires a bit of balance.

Finding the framework that works best for your industry and internal workflows and pairing them with the tips above can help you find the happy medium of management and autonomy that will allow your teams to thrive.

Whichever you choose, monday.com has the right templates and tools to help your projects succeed.

21 Mar 2023

Project team roles and responsibilities (with examples)

Written by Jo Johansson

In this article 📖

Your project outcome is only going to be as good as the team behind it. There are no two ways about it—your project’s success depends on the skills, expertise, and experience of the project team you assemble.

That starts with an understanding of project team roles and responsibilities. 

And that’s exactly what we’re here to do today.

What is a project team?

A project team is a group of individuals brought together to work on a specific project or initiative. The team will include roles needed for project planning, development, and implementation.

The team members collaborate to achieve a set of predetermined goals as stated in the project scope . This could be the launch of a product or service, or delivering a new design or feature for a client. 

Each member of the team has a unique set of skills and responsibilities that contribute to the success of the project —ultimately, completing the project on schedule and on budget.  

Establishing a project team helps you ensure important projects have a dedicated group made up of various skills and experiences so the work can be completed as efficiently as possible. 

Team roles can be assigned to full-time or part-time employees, contractors, subject matter experts, or other external stakeholders.

Roles and responsibilities definition 

Roles and responsibilities are related concepts. This article will cover the roles of a project team (what specific positions and functions make up a project team), as well as the responsibilities (the duties and tasks tied to each specific role).

5 key project team roles and responsibilities

Every project has different requirements, so team structure can vary. But the five major roles in a project team are project sponsor, project manager, business analyst, resource manager, and project team member.  

Let’s dive into the roles and responsibilities of each, and how they work together.

1. Project sponsor: The person driving the vision

The sponsor is the in-house champion of a project, overseeing operations from a high level. This person works directly with the project manager, clearing any obstacles that threaten to stall the project and signing off on all major components. 

A member of senior management typically fills this role. A project sponsor’s responsibilities include the following: 

• Creating the project vision
• Earning buy-in from executive leadership
• Making critical decisions
• Approving the project budget 

2. Project manager (or leader): The person managing day-to-day operations

Project managers or leaders are responsible for day-to-day operations and ensuring the project is completed on time, on budget, and achieves its objectives. 

On a small project, the manager might oversee each team member. On a larger-scale project, they are more likely to oversee team leaders, who each manage their own group. 

The project manager is responsible for the following:

• Creating the project plan and schedule
• Recruiting project staff
• Managing the budget
• Managing the project schedule
• Delegating project tasks to team members
• Managing all project deliverables
• Communicating with upper management and other stakeholders

3. Resource manager: In charge of resource allocation and utilization

The resource manager is critical when putting together your project team. Now, if your project isn’t big enough to require a resource manager, you’ll simply have to act as one. So what does that mean exactly?

• Identify the right people for a project
• Match project team roles and skills with project needs
• Allocate and schedule the right resource within the project timeline and budget
• Stay on top of resource availability and utilization
• Monitor and optimize the use of resources throughout the course of the project to make sure it can be completed successfully

4. Business analyst: Makes sure you have the data you need

The business analyst is responsible for gathering and analyzing data related to the project. They help identify the project’s requirements and determine the best approach to achieve the project’s objectives. They work with stakeholders to ensure that the project’s deliverables meet the organization’s needs.

The business analyst ensures the project team has the technology and tools to do their jobs effectively. They might also recommend new tools for streamlining workflows and improving quality, such as resource scheduling software . 

A business analyst:

• Helps define the project and its goals
• Gathers technical requirements from team members
• Documents and analyzes project requirements
• Helps project team solve equipment management problems
• Tests solutions to ensure their effectiveness

5. Project team member (or project delivery team): Individual contributors assigned to different project tasks

Project delivery team responsibilities vary between projects and roles (which may include anything from developers and engineers, to designers and copywriters). 

At a high level, all project team members are assigned the tasks required to complete the project, and are responsible for: 

• Contributing to the project goals and objectives
• Completing individual tasks within the expected time frame
• Collaborating with other team members 
• Communicating with the project manager about roadblocks

Other roles in a project team

Some larger projects require additional project management roles and responsibilities to support the core project team. These may include: 

• An executive sponsor is a senior owner of the project (with more authority than the project sponsor) and the ultimate decision-maker
• A project owner is usually the person who proposed the project. They assist the project manager in ensuring successful implementation
• A project lead is someone who carries out a lot of the tasks of the project manager but doesn’t have as much experience or official qualifications
• A team leader is responsible for training team members and monitoring progress toward project objectives
• A functional manager’s responsibility can vary, but the primary function is to ensure the project team has the resources it needs, and address problems that slow down the project
• A program manager coordinates all projects related to a specific program and provides guidance to the project manager
• A subject matter expert (SME) has advanced knowledge of a specific area, practice, or process. They provide guidance and strategy to the project team
• A project coordinator or project management office (PMO) offers administrative support to the project team and establishes standards to ensure the team’s processes align with broader organizational goals
• Project stakeholders are people (internal or external to the project) who have an interest in and influence over the project. Their responsibilities and interests vary between (and even within) projects
• A steering committee includes senior-level stakeholders (such as the project sponsor) and company managers, and provides strategic support to help define business needs and achieve project outcomes

Project team roles and responsibilities example

Roles in a team project can get confusing (fast). So to demonstrate how project team roles work together, let’s use the example of an in-house marketing team undertaking a website redesign. 

Project sponsor: This is the person who “owns” the project. In this case, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) might decide the website needed an overhaul as part of a big rebranding initiative. For this project, the responsibilities of the project sponsor could look something like the following:

• Ensures the redesign aligns with strategic business goals 
• Assigns with the project manager
• Provides resources and support for the redesign
• Serves as an escalation point when problems arise

Project manager: This person oversees the execution of the project and manages the team. In this case, let’s say it’s the creative director. The project manager:

• Communicates with the sponsor and project team
• Sets milestones and deadlines
• Ensures the redesign stays on schedule and on budget
• Monitors the progress of the project

Resource manager: As the name implies, this person ensures the team has everything it needs to complete the redesign. In this case, let’s say it’s the chief information officer. 

• Identifies the best project team roles based on the project scope
• Plans and allocates people and resources ( meeting rooms , equipment , etc.)
• Monitors utilization throughout the project and tracks billable hours

Project team members: These are the folks responsible for executing the redesign. They report to the project manager. The following roles need to be assigned:

• Front-end and back-end engineers
• QA engineer
• UX/UI designer
• Visual designer

Project team role and responsibilities matrix

Because roles and responsibilities can vary between projects, it can be helpful to create a RACI project team matrix at the very beginning of the project to clarify the expectations of each position.

RACI stands for responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed. It helps define the roles within a project management team and then identifies who needs to be looped in or assigned to each task.

It’s simple really, if everyone knows their roles within a project team , your project is much more likely to run smoothly.

The project team roles and responsibilities table below shows an example RACI matrix for project sponsors, project managers, resource managers, and project team members, but can be expanded to include more roles and tasks.

Now that we know more about what project team roles to include in a project along with their different responsibilities, find out how you actually go about building your project team here.

Project team roles FAQs

How do you decide what roles are needed on a project team.

To define the team roles needed for your project, outline the goals and key deliverables of the project. Think about the skills you need to ensure those deliverables are high quality, and then match and assign team members accordingly.

What are the benefits of defining project team roles?

The benefits of clearly defined roles include: 

• Increase individual accountability 
• Reduce confusion and overlap
• Give team members a feeling of ownership and clarity around expectations
• Enable project managers to delegate tasks and assess team members’ performance
• Establish a structure for effective problem-solving and collaboration

Can required project roles vary from project to project?

They absolutely can, depending on the nature of the project, the team structure, and the availability of specific skills and expertise. What matters is that the responsibilities for each role are clearly defined before work begins on the project. 

What are the best practices when putting together a project team?

You’ll want to:

• Create a project scope
• Develop and follow a clear project plan 
• Identify the project team roles needed for your project, and schedule your resources
• Establish some core project team values 
• Encourage a collaborative project team culture 

What are the roles in a project team?

To summarize, the roles on a project team can include:

• Project sponsor 
• Executive sponsor 
• Project owner
• Project manager
• Project lead
• Team leader
• Project team member or project delivery team 
• Resource manager 
• Business analyst 
• Functional manager
• Program manager 
• Subject matter expert (SME) 
• Project coordinator or project management office (PMO)

Clearly defined project team roles mean a greater chance of project success

With the right project team, you’ve instantly increased the chances of project success (because let’s not forget— 70% of projects fail ). So you’ll want to invest in getting the right people on board from the get-go.

While it’s tempting to grab whoever’s available to get started faster and track against timelines, the wiser thing to do is to wait, assess, and carefully put together your team. As we said earlier—your project will be better for it.

Find the right people—faster—with Resource Guru

Whether you’re working with a big or small project team, resource management software can help find and allocate the right resources, monitor utilization, and create more accurate resource forecasting .

Try Resource Guru for free for 30 days . (No credit card required. No strings attached.)

Join 27,511 subscribers and get an update from us every month or so :)

Jo Johansson

👋 I'm Jo, Senior Content Marketing Manager at Resource Guru. I spend my days creating educational content that helps people be more productive at work, so they can enjoy their time off work. Got any ideas or requests? Drop me a line at [email protected].

Recommended

Time Management | 02 May 2024

Project and project management timesheets: 101 guide

Successful projects require clear scope definition, effective resource management, and accurate time tracking. This is where project and project management timesheets come into the picture. Both enable data-driven decision-making, and help optimize resource allocation for projects.…

Written by Eleanor Hope Jones

Time Management | 29 Apr 2024

Project and project management time tracking: 101 guide

Believe it or not, 53% of projects are run by non-certified project managers. But if you think all that’s standing between you and delivering successful projects is a piece of paper—think again.  The more likely blocker?…

Software Reviews | 14 Jan 2024

Best project scheduling software in 2024

If your organization is struggling to keep projects on track with spreadsheets, emails, and files that seem to vanish right when you need them – you’ll be pleased to know that there’s a huge variety of…

Written by Stuart McLachlan

Join over 30,000 subscribers and get exclusive updates on:

• Project management best practices
• All things team scheduling
• Work-life balance and productivity

This browser is no longer supported.

Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.

Assignments object (Project)

• 5 contributors

Contains a collection of Assignment objects for a task or resource.

Using the Assignment Object

Use Assignments ( index ), where index is the assignment index number, to return a single Assignment object. The following example displays the name of the first resource assigned to the specified task.

Using the Assignments Collection

Use the Assignments property to return an Assignments collection. The following example displays all the resources assigned to the specified task.

Use the Add method to add an Assignment object to the Assignments collection. The following example adds a resource identified by the number 212 as a new assignment for the specified task.

Project Object Model

Support and feedback

Have questions or feedback about Office VBA or this documentation? Please see Office VBA support and feedback for guidance about the ways you can receive support and provide feedback.

Was this page helpful?

Coming soon: Throughout 2024 we will be phasing out GitHub Issues as the feedback mechanism for content and replacing it with a new feedback system. For more information see: https://aka.ms/ContentUserFeedback .

Submit and view feedback for

Additional resources

• CORE Help Center
• Project Management
• Assignment FAQs

What is project assignment?

CORE users often utilize project assignments or employee assignments. When you use employee assignment from the Manage Access screen in CORE (Settings > Access & Permissions), you assign specific projects, activities and expenses to employees. When you use project assignment, you assign specific employees, activities and expenses to a project.

The Assignment tab of a project profile is where of Team Members, Activities, and Expenses are assigned to a project record. When assigned, these members, activities, and expenses are the only ones available for use for that project. Note that this feature works only on time and expense entry features. Check out this article on assigning teams and projects for details.

Related articles

• Project Assignments
• Can we assign multiple fee schedules to a project?
• How do I restrict projects from showing up in Time Entries?
• Viewing time regardless of project status
• Pre-filling time cards

Teaching with Digital Assignments

• Types of Digital Assignments
• Classroom Considerations
• Digital Pedagogy

Assignments by Format

• Tools and Technologies
• Digital Storytelling This link opens in a new window
• Open Educational Resources (OERs) This link opens in a new window
• Writing for Digital Assignments
• Digital Projects Toolkit This link opens in a new window
• Digital Assignment Consultation

Digital Pedagogy Librarian

This page provides links to stand-alone assignments grouped by format. It is a brief snapshot intended to serve as both a source of reusable assignments and as a resource for educators seeking examples. Each linked assignment includes a note about assignment size and included materials. 

Audio and Video

• Media Law Newscast Assignment A final project assignment in which students present research in a video or audio format. Includes individual and group work. Large; Assignment and Rubric provided.
• Project Audio: Teaching Students How to Produce Their Own Podcasts Suggested lesson plans for the creation or scaffolding of a podcast assignment, created by the New York Times. Scalable; Handouts and Lesson Plans provided.
• “Lend Ears!”: Creating Audio Recordings of Final Drafts to Develop Rhetorical Awareness Assignment in which students record themselves reading a polished draft and submit the audio recording along with the written version. Small; Assignment provided.
• Applying Gender Norms: Innovative Research and Reporting An assignment in which students write both observational narratives and analysis pieces and create a simple video to share information with a general audience. Small; Student Assignment provided.

Web Publications

• The Digital Storytelling/8 Key Questions Assignment A scaffolded, semester-long assignment culminating in the creation of a website, Pecha Kucha presentation, and facilitated discussion. Large; Student Assignment and Rubric provided .
• Group ePortfolio Project A final project assignment based on course content and skills. Students gather, analyze, and synthesize information on a specific topic in an ePortfolio with wiki-style multimedia content. Large; Assignment, Rubric, and Course Syllabus provided
• Rhetorical Analysis: Creating an App Casebook Collaborative project; students use rhetorical analysis to survey, collect, and analyze smartphone apps and produce a collection using a web platform. Medium; Assignment provided.
• StoryMaps Projects Templates for StoryMaps assignments of varying size and approach and examples of assignments build using the templates at University of Minnesota. Small, Medium, and Large; Assignments, Instructional Guides, and Rubrics provided.

Data Visualization, Graphics, and Visual Projects

• IT/Business Research PowerPoint Presentation A final research project in which students develop a polished, professional PowerPoint presentation to communicate their research. Medium; Assignment and Rubric provided.

Maps and Timelines

• Creating a Timeline with Knightlab Introductory timeline assignment that is adaptable to many topics, tools, and disciplines; can stand alone or be used as part of larger projects. Scalable; Lesson Plan, Assignment, and Instructor Notes provided.
• Digital Maps with HistoryPin Assignment in which students build an interactive collection using digital maps; adaptable to various topics and mapping tools. Medium; Assignment and Lesson Plan provided.
• Evolution of International Policy and Policy Areas Policy analysis assignment; students analyze and plot policy changes over time on a digital timeline. Medium; Student Assignment provided.
• Deep Digital Reading with Google Docs Course readings are moved into Google Docs, where students can read and annotate text collaboratively. Small; Assignment Provided.

Digital Exhibits

• Collaborative Digital Exhibit A detailed assignment plan for digital exhibits from UD Libraries; applicable to courses of all disciplines. Large; Assignment included.
• << Previous: Assignments & Teaching Materials
• Next: Tools and Technologies >>
• Last Updated: Aug 1, 2024 5:47 PM
• URL: https://libguides.udayton.edu/digital_assignments

Difference Between Assignment and Project

It’s important to know the difference between these two terms.

Academics have now set sail to project-based work in schools worldwide. Students can now learn in a fun and exciting way.

Please enable JavaScript

Main Differences Between Assignment and Project

Assignments are textbook focused while project encourages hands-on learning.

One could relate a project to simply designing a model to explain a scientific phenomenon, or watching a movie to ascertain its relevance. The freedom it brings, and the lessons learned from its processes are thrilling. Imagine the feeling a student gets from building a science model of real-life outcomes. Assignment, on the other hand, is all cut and dry.

As such, it is not a good judge of a student’s capabilities. Unlike a project, an assignment is also a significant pointer to a student’s weakness and a guide in correcting it.

For a college or a university, engaging students with both assignments and projects would help create balanced progress and exposure thereby ensuring an ideal learning experience.

Assignment vs. Project — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Assignment and Project

Table of contents, key differences, comparison chart, compare with definitions, common curiosities, can assignments be used to assess understanding or proficiency in a subject, do projects typically involve extensive research, planning, and execution, is an assignment a specific task or piece of work allocated to someone, is the scope of an assignment typically more focused and specific than that of a project, is a project a larger and more complex undertaking than an assignment, do projects often encourage collaborative efforts and integration of various skills, can a project require more time, resources, and effort compared to an assignment, is an assignment usually of shorter duration compared to a project, can projects involve multiple stages and components, can an assignment have clear and defined objectives, share your discovery.

Author Spotlight

Popular Comparisons

Trending Comparisons

New Comparisons

Trending Terms

The assignment of project managers to projects in an uncertain dynamic environment

• Original Research
• Published: 02 August 2024

Cite this article

• Aidin Rezaeian 1 ,
• Hamidreza Koosha   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5155-0040 1 ,
• Mohammad Ranjbar 1 &
• Saeed Poormoaied 2  

Explore all metrics

In this paper, we consider a project-based organization that deals with an assignment problem in which a set of projects must be assigned to a group of project managers. This assignment is done based on the relative contributions of projects to the organizational mission and a matching score between each pair of a project and a project manager. We assume that some projects are deterministic, and the organization has signed their corresponding contracts while others are stochastic, i.e. the organization has submitted bids for these projects and may or may not win them in the future. Furthermore, we consider a finite planning horizon and presume a predetermined start time for each deterministic and stochastic project. We develop two models including a multi-stage stochastic integer programming model and a stochastic dynamic programming model to solve the problem. The latter shows better performance for small-size and less complex instances whereas the former gives better performance for more complex instances. We also developed a heuristic algorithm to solve large-size and more complex instances. Computational results indicate that the developed heuristic algorithm can reach near-optimal solutions in reasonable CPU run times and dominates the two other solution approaches particularly for large-size instances.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Subscribe and save.

• Get 10 units per month
• Download Article/Chapter or eBook
• 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
• Cancel anytime

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Rent this article via DeepDyve

Institutional subscriptions

Albareda-Sambola, M., Vlerk, M. H., & Fernández, E. (2006). Exact solutions to a class of stochastic generalized assignment problems. European Journal of Operational Research, 173 (2), 465–487.

Article   Google Scholar  

Castanon, D. A., & Wohletz, J. M. (2009). Model predictive control for stochastic resource allocation. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 54 (8), 1739–1750.

Crawford, L., Hobbs, B., & Turner, J. R. (2006). Aligning capability with strategy: Categorizing projects to do the right projects and to do them right. Project Management Journal, 37 (2), 38–50.

Dvir, D. O., Sadeh, A., & Malach-Pines, A. (2006). Projects and project managers: The relationship between project managers’ personality, project types, and project success. Project Management Journal, 37 (5), 36–48.

Fricke, S. E., & Shenbar, A. J. (2000). Managing multiple engineering projects in a manufacturing support environment. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 47 (2), 258–268.

Hadad, Y., Keren, B., & Laslo, Z. (2013). A decision-making support system module for project manager selection according to past performance. International Journal of Project Management, 31 (4), 532–541.

Hauschildt, J., Keim, G., & Medcof, J. W. (2000). Realistic criteria for project manager selection and development. Project Management Journal, 31 (3), 23–32.

Heydar, M., O’Reilly, M. M., Trainer, E., Fackrell, M., Taylor, P. G., & Tirdad, A. (2022). A stochastic model for the patient-bed assignment problem with random arrivals and departures. Annals of Operations Research, 315 , 813–845.

IPMA. (2015). ICB-IPMA competence baseline version 4.0. Nijkerk: International Project Management Association

Kang, K., Shanthikumar, J. G., & Altinkemer, K. (2016). Postponable acceptance and assignment: A stochastic dynamic programming approach. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 18 (4), 493–508.

Kerzner, H. (2017). Project management: A systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling . John Wiley & Sons.

Google Scholar  

Kuhn, H. W. (1955). The Hungarian method for the assignment problem. Naval Research Logistics Quarterly, 2 (1–2), 83–97.

LeBlanc, L. J., Randels, D., & Swann, T. K. (2000). Heery International’s spreadsheet optimization model for assigning managers to construction projects. Interfaces, 30 (6), 95–106.

Müller, R., & Turner, R. (2010). Leadership competency profiles of successful project managers. International Journal of Project Management, 28 (5), 437–448.

Oliveira, E. C., Alencar, L. H., & Costa, A. P. (2018). Decision process of allocating projects to project managers. Production Planning & Control, 29 (8), 645–654.

Palmowski, Z., & Sidorowicz, A. (2020). An application of dynamic programming to assign pressing tanks at wineries. European Journal of Operational Research, 287 (1), 293–305.

Patanakul, P. (2011). Project manager assignment and its impact on multiple project management effectiveness: An empirical study of an IT organization. Engineering Management Journal, 23 (4), 14–23.

Patanakul, P., Milosevic, D. Z., & Anderson, T. R. (2007). A decision support model for project manager assignments. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 54 (3), 548–564.

Pentico, D. W. (2007). Assignment problems: A golden anniversary survey. European Journal of Operational Research, 176 (2), 774–793.

Pinedo, M. L. (2016). Scheduling: Theory, algorithms, and systems . New York: Springer.

Book   Google Scholar  

Pinto, J. K., & Slevin, D. P. (1987). Critical factors in successful project implementation. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, EM-34 (1), 22–27.

Project Management Institute. (2021). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK guide) (7 ed.). Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute

Russell, L. (2015). Project management for trainers . American Society for Training and Development.

Seboni, L., & Ssegawa, J. (2022). Does a project manager assignment process affect project management performance indicators? An empirical study. Sustainability, 14 (13), 7637.

Varajão, J., & Cruz-Cunha, M. M. (2013). Using AHP and the IPMA Competence Baseline in the project managers selection process. International Journal of Production Research, 51 (11), 3342–3354.

Ward, S., & Chapman, C. (1988). Developing competitive bids: A framework for information processing. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 39 (2), 123–134.

Xu, Y., & Yeh, C. H. (2014). A performance-based approach to project assignment and performance evaluation. International Journal of Project Management, 32 (2), 218–228.

Xue, M., Fu, C., & Yang, S.-L. (2020). Group consensus reaching based on a combination of expert weight and expert reliability. Applied Mathematics and Computation, 369 , 124902.

Yang, J., He, F., Lin, X., & Shen, M.Z.-J. (2021). Mechanism design for stochastic dynamic parking resource allocation. Production and Operations Management, 30 (10), 3615–3634.

Zavadskas, E. K., Turskis, Z., Tamošaitiené, J., & Marina, V. (2008). Multicriteria selection of project managers by applying grey criteria. Technological and Economic Development of Economy, 14 (4), 462–477.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Industrial Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

Aidin Rezaeian, Hamidreza Koosha & Mohammad Ranjbar

Department of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Saeed Poormoaied

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hamidreza Koosha .

Additional information

Publisher's note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Rezaeian, A., Koosha, H., Ranjbar, M. et al. The assignment of project managers to projects in an uncertain dynamic environment. Ann Oper Res (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-024-05958-x

Download citation

Received : 04 February 2023

Accepted : 15 March 2024

Published : 02 August 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-024-05958-x

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Project management
• Stochastic generalized assignment problem
• Multi-stage stochastic programming
• Stochastic dynamic programming
• Heuristic algorithm
• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research

Quick Access

• About PolyU
• Study at PolyU
• Research at PolyU
• PolyU A to Z
• LEARN@PolyU
• Online Teaching Delivery
• IT Support for Research
• Login PolyU Connect Email
• Login PolyU Email
• PolyU Student Mobile App

• Software tools for students
• Essential IT information
• Teaching and Learning
• IT Services for Alumni

Researchers

• IT Services for Researchers
• IT Services for Departments

Useful Information

• Classroom Facilities
• License Software Available in Student Computer Centre (SCC)
• Handbook on IT Facilities & Services
• Leverage Campus Digital Displays for Promotion
• Recommendation on IT Equipments
• Acceptable Use Policy for University IT Facilities and Services
• Baseline Information Security Policy
• Update on O365 storage and email services for A1 Subscription Users
• Update on O365 storage and email services for Alumni and Retiree
• Update on O365 storage and email services for Staff
• Update on O365 storage and email services for Students
• News & Events
• ITS eNewsletter
• IT Service Notification
• Vision and Strategy
• Performance Pledge
• Service and Support Provisioning Approach
• Digital Framework
• Aspirations
• Service Contact

Enrich Assignment and Project Presentation with Canva

Workshop/ Training/ Webinar

• Google Calendar
• Yahoo! Calendar
• iCal Calendar
• Outlook Calendar

05 Sep 2024

14:30 - 16:00

Online  

IT HelpCentre (Hotline) 2766 5900 / (WhatsApp/ WeChat) 6577 9669

Date: 5 Sep 2024 (Thu)

Time:  14:30 - 16:00

Venue:  Online

Target Audience:  All students

Medium of Instruction:  Cantonese

Key Takeaways:

• Getting start using Canva
• Learn Canva tools to enrich presentation and assignment layout
• Canva AI tools and prompt engineering to boost
• Self-learning with Canva blogs

We use Cookies to give you a better experience on our website. By continuing to browse the site without changing your privacy settings, you are consenting to our use of Cookies. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy Statement .

Your browser is not the latest version. If you continue to browse our website, Some pages may not function properly. You are recommended to upgrade to a newer version or switch to a different browser. A list of the web browsers that we support can be found here

What are you looking for?

Popular Search

• Online Learning Platforms
• PolyU GenAI
• Remote access from Mainland
• Orientation New Students
• Alumni Campus Access

• Français
• Español

Associate Project Development Officer (UN-HABITAT - International ICA)

Kyiv, UKRAINE

Type of Contract :

Starting date :, application deadline :.

13-Aug-24 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

Duration of initial contract :.

Eight months (with possibility of extension)

Time left :

Languages required :.

English  

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Contract Modality:    International ICA Grade:    IICA-1 equivalent UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable and resilient towns and cities. It is the focal point agency for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system. UN-Habitat envisions well-planned, well-governed and efficient cities and towns, with adequate housing, infrastructure and universal access to employment and basic services such as water, energy, and sanitation. Responding to crisis and post-crisis context is part of UN-Habitat’s mandate and strategic plan.

In Ukraine, UN-Habitat is supporting national and subnational governments in their recovery efforts, linking short term reconstruction needs to longer term resilience solutions. At national level, UN-Habitat provides support to the government of Ukraine on the development of national policies and instruments that guide regional and local governments’ recovery. The programme also strives to increasing Ukrainian urban planning and design capacities, through support to academia, think tanks and practitioners among others. At local level, UN-Habitat provides support to recovery planning efforts of local governments, through its Urban Lab established in Kyiv.

UN-Habitat’s support builds upon three main inter-linked components; 1) support to the national government and ministries for the improvement of regulatory frameworks and instruments for a sustainable urban recovery; 2) support to urban and territorial recovery towards more inclusive, green and healthy urban recovery in selected regions and municipalities; 3) strengthened urban planning capacity among urban stakeholders, and specifically within public institutions.

Rationale and context of the assignment

UN-Habitat is now planning to engage an associate project development officer to support with the development of its portfolio of projects and activities in Ukraine.

The incumbent will be supporting with the identification and formulation of projects in order to achieve the following objectives:

• Effective formulation of projects for mobilization of funding; and
• Enhancement of partnerships with relevant stakeholders to increase opportunities for joint programming and for funding of projects.

Duties and Responsibilities

The incumbent will report directly to the Head of UN-Habitat Country Office in Ukraine and the designated technical lead on programme development. The incumbent is expected to fulfill the following general duties and responsibilities:

• Participate in the conceptualization of new projects and programmes for UN-Habitat in Ukraine;
• Draft concept papers, project documents and other written materials in support of project development and fundraising;
• Produce meetings notes and reports, stories, presentations, publications and visibility materials lay-out and design etc. as required;
• Research, compilation, analysis, summaries and presentation of basic information/data on wide range of topics on the local context relevant for urban recovery;
• Consultation and close coordination with the technical advisors in Ukraine and at headquarters in Nairobi;
• Consultation with relevant counterparts in Ukraine (Government, Ukrainian experts, UN agencies, etc.);
• Effective application of UN-Habitat policies and tools in project formulation, including budget drafting;
• Thorough analysis and research of information on funding windows and any other potential funding sources;
• Mapping and preparation of short substantive briefs on possible opportunities for project funding and joint programming;
• Coordination of activities and communications with all relevant stakeholders to strengthen relationships, including preparation of reports for donors.

Results Expected

The ultimate result of this assignment is to provide technical contributions in support of effective formulation of projects for resource mobilization, and enhancement of partnerships with relevant stakeholders to increase opportunities for joint programming and for funding of projects.

Reporting requirements

The incumbent will report directly to the Head of UN-Habitat Country Office in Ukraine and the designated technical lead on programme development. The incumbent will collaborate closely with the technical teams based in Ukraine as well as technical advisors at UN-Habitat’s headquarters, Nairobi, Kenya.

Outputs and Expected Deliverables

The incumbent is required to provide various project outputs as above and submit a monthly report that details the project activities and achievements, ensuring transparency and accountability throughout the assignment.

Working location and travel

The assignment is expected to be conducted from the UN-Habitat office in Kyiv. Travel to field locations required for site visits, technical missions and engagement with stakeholders and partners will be covered by UN-Habitat. In the event that the consultant cannot relocate to Ukraine, alternative work arrangements, including missions, reporting, and communication methods, will be discussed and agreed upon.

Competencies

Professional : Demonstrates conceptual, analytical and evaluative skills to conduct research and analysis using various resources; Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; observes deadlines and achieving results; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, respecting deadlines and achieving results.

Communication : Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed; Excellent drafting ability and communications skills, both oral and written; proven ability to communicate complex concepts orally; Ability to prepare written reports that are clear, concise and meaningful.

Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Planning and Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently. 

Required Skills and Experience

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Political Science, Business Administration, Development studies, Economics or a related field.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• No working experience is required for candidates with a Master's Degree. 2 years of working experience is required for candidates with a Bachelor's Degree;
• Excellent writing skills in English is required;
• Understanding of and experience in programme development is an asset;
• Working knowledge and understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (and their monitoring/evaluation) and of the New Urban Agenda is an asset;
• Working experience with international development agencies and in particular the United Nations is an asset.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

Special Considerations:

The candidate should be familiar with, and committed to the goals of UN-Habitat, and have:

• Basic knowledge and understanding of approaches to urban development particularly in an international development context including crisis and/or post-crisis contexts;
• Strong communications skills, including writing and presenting;
• Ability to develop concise written outputs and analysis, as well as substantive reports;
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team in multi-national/ cultural environment and flexibility in understanding and accepting different assignments;
• Ability to work under pressure, prioritize and meet deadlines; work well under time constraints while retaining attention to detail, and;
• Ability to manage data, documents, correspondence and reports information and workflow.

What has Kamala Harris accomplished as vice president? Here's a quick look.

Vice President Kamala Harris and her meteoric rise as the successor to President Joe Biden, 81, as the Democratic presidential candidate in the Nov. 5 election is the most significant seismic shift in presidential politics in recent history.

As she gears up to secure the Democratic presidential nomination in Chicago this August, we examine some of Harris’ most significant accomplishments and policy initiatives.

More: Biden drops out of 2024 presidential race: What to know as America looks to election

Immigration

In response to immigration concerns, Harris’ call to action was the public-private partnership Central America Forward (CAF). The idea behind CAF is to support the creation of local jobs and other measures in order to slow the flow of mass migration.

CAF has generated more than $5.2 billion since its launch in 2021, and its partners include more than 50 companies and organizations that have committed to supporting economic growth in the Central America region. The entities represent the financial services, textiles, apparel, agriculture, technology, telecommunications, nonprofit sectors, and others, according to the White House.

Voting rights

Harris was at the forefront of the administration’s pursuit to enshrine voting rights protection throughout the U.S. according to White House transcripts . She pushed for Congress to pass the John R Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act , which would’ve extended the protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and required federal approval for some local election law changes.

In 2021, the bill did not receive the 60 votes needed to overcome a Republican filibuster, preventing the start of debate on the Senate floor where Harris would have cast the deciding vote in the evenly split chamber.

Harris visited a Planned Parenthood clinic on March 14, a historic first for any president or vice president while in office, according to previous reporting by USA TODAY.

Walking through the clinic in Minnesota, the vice president spoke with staff members and health care providers as part of her nationwide “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour earlier this year.

Gun violence

In September 2023, Biden established the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention to reduce gun violence, overseen by Vice President Harris, as announced by the White House.

The Office of Gun Violence Prevention builds upon actions taken by the Biden-Harris administration to end gun violence, which include the signing of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

Heralded by the White House as the most impactful gun violence prevention measure in almost three decades, the now law bars individuals under the age of 21 from buying firearms, grants the Justice Department additional powers to prosecute gun traffickers, provides mental health services in schools to assist youth affected by gun violence trauma and grief and funds community-based violence intervention programs.

Maternal health

In her previous role as U.S. Senator for California, Harris introduced the Maternal CARE Act and the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act , which would direct multi-agency efforts to improve maternal health, particularly among racial and ethnic minority groups, veterans, and other vulnerable populations as well as maternal health issues related to COVID-19.

The vice president’s prior work on maternal and infant health care was a key component of the Build Back Better Act , passed in 2022. The legislation expands access to maternal care and makes new investments to drive down mortality and morbidity rates.  

Broadband expansion

In 2023, Harris and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo traveled to Kenosha, Wisconsin to celebrate the announcement of new electronics equipment production made possible by the Biden-Harris Administration’s “ Investing in America ” agenda and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law requires the use of American-made materials and products for federally funded infrastructure projects, with the goal of bringing hundreds of new jobs to the U.S. The law also notably includes a historic $65 billion investment to expand affordable and reliable high-speed Internet access in communities across the U.S.

“Our investments in broadband infrastructure are creating jobs in Wisconsin and across the nation and increasing access to reliable, high-speed internet so everyone in America has the tools they need to thrive in the 21st century,” said Harris.

In 2021, President Biden declared Juneteenth a federal holiday. Often referred to as the “Second Independence Day,” it commemorates June 19, 1865, the day when 2,000 Union troops reached Galveston, Texas, to announce that enslaved African Americans were freed by executive order two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture .

“As a United States Senator, I was proud to co-sponsor a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday,” said Harris during the Juneteenth concert at the White House. “This [day], we will hold a national day of action on voting.  And I call on all the leaders here to please join us in helping more Americans register to vote.”

Reuters contributed to the reporting of this story.