Project Management: What Is It? PM Best Practices

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Project management: fundamentals, methodologies and best practices

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Key takeawaysKey takeawaysAn effective project plan aligns scope, time, cost, resources, and communication into one workable roadmap.Scrum helps teams deliver usable increments in short cycles while staying responsive to change.Start with an executive summary that clarifies purpose, outcomes, timing, budget, and headline risks.Define clear roles: Product Owner sets priorities, Scrum Master facilitates and removes impediments, and the Development Team self-organises delivery.

Define scope and acceptance criteria early to prevent scope creep and manage expectations.Plan sprints from a prioritised product backlog, break user stories into small tasks, and agree explicit acceptance criteria for done work.	Use a WBS and a timeline with dependencies to make work, milestones, and the critical path visible.Use a daily standup, timeboxed to 15 minutes, to surface progress, plans, and blockers without drifting off topic.
Allocate resources realistically, including skills, tools, contractors, and contingency budget.End each sprint with a review that demos only completed work and captures feedback to refine the backlog.	Manage risk and change proactively with owners, mitigation actions, and a clear approval process.Run retrospectives to decide what to start, stop, and continue, then apply improvements in the next sprint.
Review and update the plan regularly, supported by consistent stakeholder communication.
	Contents
Contents
Contents	Contents
Introduction	Introduction
What is Scrum?	Project planning process
1) Select Scrum team	Essential elements of a project plan
2) Sprint Planning	Steps to create a project plan
3) The Daily Standup	Project planning tools and templates

4) Sprint Review

Best practices for effective project planning 5) Sprint Retrospective
Common challenges and how to overcome them 6) Product increment
Conclusion Final delivery
FAQsIntroductionIntroductionWhat is Scrum?
What is a project planScrumA is probably the most popular agile development framework used for managing product development. Like all other agile frameworks, Scrum boasts flexibility, team collaboration and iterative delivery. This helps teams adapt to changes easily, especially when customers change their minds about what they want.project planFollow this visual guide to Scrum and find out how it works (click the image to view it on full screen). You can also is a document that outlines the objectives, scope, structure, resources, and timeline of a project. It serves as a roadmap for project managers and team members to guide them through the project lifecycle.download a PDF

Definition and purpose of this graphic ready for printing. If you’re looking for

: A project plan defines the goals of a project and how to achieve them. It provides a structured approach to project execution and management.Scrum trainingKey components such as
: Essential elements include:Scrum Master certificationExecutive summary, then you can find those from the main menu.
Project scopeThe graphic was created to help you learn about Scrum. If you like it, please show your appreciation by linking back to this page.Work Breakdown StructureEnhance your skills with our expert-led courses
(WBS) Timeline and milestones

Resource allocation

BudgetInstructor-ledRisk management plan.Certified Scrum Master courseImportance : Effective project plans:£699 +vat
Keep projectsSee all dates
on track Prevent scope creep

Improve resource management Enhance communicationInstructor-ledIncrease project success rates.Certified Scrum Product Owner courseA project plan is a vital part of project management£699 +vat

, as it outlines the steps needed to complete a project, as well as the resources and stakeholders involved.

Project planning processSee all datesUnderstanding the project planning phase It’s time to understand the project planning phase. This is an essential step in the project management process, and one that will have a significant impact on your chances of successfully completing your project. Let’s look at the project lifecycle in general and then the key tasks that make up the planning phase.

Project management lifecycle overview The four phases of the project management lifecycle are as follows:Self-pacedProject initiationScrum Essentials self-paced online: This is where you first identify a business need or problem, then offer a potential solution. Key activities here include: Preparing a project charter£499 +vat
Identifying project stakeholders1) Select Scrum teamConducting feasibility studies and research.One of the most difficult parts when creating a project is figuring out roles and responsibilities. Begin by identifying the roles people will take for the project.Project planningThe three roles on a Scrum team are:: This is the second phase and an extremely important one. We will be discussing this in more detail below.Product OwnerProject executionThe : This phase sees your team begin to execute the project plan. This involves:Product OwnerAllocating and managing resources should be someone with authority, availability and vision. They represent the customer and continuously communicate the priorities and vision to the team.Tracking progressScrum Master
Communicating with stakeholders.The Project close-outScrum Master: The last phase involves looking back at your project, analysing its success, and determining what can be improved upon next time. Key activities include: acts as a facilitator between the Product Owner and the Development Team. The Scrum Master will also work to remove impediments that may inhibit the Development Team reaching the sprint goal. The person does not, however, provide day-to-day directions or give instructions to the Development Team.Reviewing project performanceDevelopment TeamConducting a post-mortemThe Development Team are self-organized and responsible for developing the product.Archiving documents.Do

Key tasks in the project planning phaseForce anyone to take on the role of the

Scrum Master

. This role is important to the entire Scrum process and an unwilling person might not give enough dedication to the projectTop TipPick a strong Scrum Master. The Scrum Master plays a highly important role in the Scrum process. They ensure that the entire team are focused and have everything they need to get the work done. The Scrum Master is also responsible for removing obstacles that might keep the group from performing optimally or from reaching the deadline. Overall, the Scrum Master determines the success of the whole team.2) Sprint Planning

Once the roles have been identified, it’s time to start planning the sprint. The whole team decide on a sprint length together, overseen by

the Scrum Master. Sprints are typically 2-4 weekly cycles.Product backlog

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By the end of each sprint, the Development Team should deliver a potentially shippable product increment. In other words, the product increment should be in a useable condition. No incomplete work should be presented during a sprint review.

During a sprint review, the team present what they have accomplished during the sprint. They demonstrate the functionality of the product increment to the Product Owner and customer. The purpose of the sprint review is to get feedback from everyone on the product increment. After the feedback is shared, the next set of product backlog items can be discussed.

DoLet everyone provide feedback and suggest new ideas

Make changes to the product backlog when necessary

Don’t

Use the sprint review as a signoff or user acceptance meetingTop TipDon’t forget to focus on the end users. Make sure to fully involve them during the sprint review. It may seem difficult collaborating with your customers because of the fear of making changes or hearing criticism, but it is easier to hear everything sooner rather than later.

5) Sprint Retrospective

Do

Don’t

Point fingers or blame. Try to be constructive instead

Top TipGet creative! Play games and keep people moving. Engage in mentally stimulating activities and help to break down tension

6) Product increment

The product increment is the output of all the product backlog items completed during the sprint (plus any previous sprints). It must be fully functional, in a useable condition and meet the allocated acceptance criteria or definition of done. The Product Owner decides whether to release the product increment.

Interim deliveryDuring an interim delivery, the product increment is tested by the customer. If the product is incomplete, the Development Team return to the product backlog to prepare for another sprint. This cycle repeats until all user stories are completed to the Product Owner’s satisfaction.Do

Remember what was discussed during the sprint retrospective and apply it to the next sprint