Project planning techniques

 Project planning techniques 

 

Programme evaluation review technique (PERT) 

A programme evaluation review technique (PERT) chart is a visual graph depicting nodes which represent tasks or milestones in a project’s lifecycle and links between them to represent dependencies. These links can be depicted concurrently to represent tasks that can occur at the same time. 

 

Critical path analysis 

Critical path analysis is a technique of analysing dependant tasks and calculating the total time to complete the project. This allows the project manager to see the shortest time that the project will take to complete (with no delays). It will also show which tasks are critical to the project rather than tasks which may not be necessary to successfully complete the project. 

 

Work breakdown structure 

A work breakdown structure is a visual graph used to break down a project into work packages. This allows the project manager to visualise every task needed to make the project a success and the amount of work required. 

 

 

Responsible, accountable, consulted or informed (RACI) 

A RACI chart is a matrix used to assign responsibility and roles to the accountable personnel in a project. It's a chart stating who is responsible for what tasks in the project and how much responsibility they have. 

 

 

Must have, should have, could have, won’t/would have (MoSCoW) 

This is a technique of understanding and ranking the requirements of the end user in a project. The requirements should be ranked on importance, and it helps when planning out the timeline of the project to see which tasks and requirements must be tackled first. It can also help a project manager decide to skip tasks if there are any restrictions in the project life cycle such as time or budget constraints. 

  • Mo – non-negotiable tasks that MUST be met for the minimum viable project. 

  • S – Important but not as vital. These could be left out if restrictions are a big issue. 

  • Co – Desirable but not vital for a viable project. 

  • W – No real impact if left out of the end project. 

 

Test yourself questions (page 234) 

Explain the purpose of a PERT chart. 

A PERT chart is used to depict a graphical representation of tasks and dependencies in a project. It can show the critical path that needs to be taken and dependent tasks that can be completed simultaneously. 

 

Describe the term ‘work breakdown structure’. 

A work breakdown structure is a graph used to display all the tasks in a project organised into groups. It allows project managers to see which areas require the most work to complete. 

 

What does the ‘A’ in ‘RACI’ stand for? 

Accountable 

 

Describe the MoSCoW prioritisation method. 

The must have, should have, could have, won’t/would have (MoSCoW) prioritisation method allows project managers to rank end user requirements on importance and justify their contribution to the final project. It is vital to use this method when against restrictions such as time and budget restraints. 

 

Explain the purpose of the critical path analysis. 

Critical path analysis allows project managers to understand the most efficient path through tasks for a project. It also allows them to get an idea of the time it will take for the project to be completed if all goes according to the plan. 

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