Planning - Introduction - schedule overview
Programme
This is a matter of scale.
A programme manager may well be managing several Project Managers.
For example, building a passenger jet.
Within this several projects may exist, for example, design and install computer systems, jet engines or heating and ventilation.
The programme management may be responsible for setting the project and may provide initial information such as a Project Brief.
This is described further under PRINCE2® [see ‘The Complete Project Management plus PRINCE2’] in the process 'Starting up a Project (SU)’ and the sub-process 'Preparing a Project Brief (SU4)'.
Where programme management exist they will be responsible for certain decision making that is not within the remit of the Project Board.
Project
This is the level that will actually run the project that has been assigned by the organisation or programme management.
They will defer some decisions upwards.
The focus at this level is on the final product and how to achieve it.
The project will consist of a number of stages.
Stage
The project will be broken down into manageable sections.
These may represent natural breaks towards the final product where milestones will be identified to review progress.
Task
Each stage will consist of particular high level tasks.
These may be the responsibility of a particular department and will consist of many sub-tasks within it.
Sub-task
These will be the list of the key tasks that can be rolled up to the higher level.
Below these will be specific activities that must actually be carried out by someone in order to complete a sub-task.
Work package
These represent the tasks that will be assigned to personnel by a Team Manager or supervisor which must be completed to complete the sub-tasks.
The naming of levels is somewhat arbitrary and represents the fact that any project can be divided into continuing sublevels.
How far you go in a schedule is driven by two things:
- Only go to the level you can manage e.g. if you can manage hourly or daily then develop the schedule to these levels.
- Go to a level needed to gain the accuracy required to estimate the cost.
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