management plan in a business plan pdf

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Writing a Business Plan: The Basics

By: HBS Press, Harvard Business School Press

Every entrepreneur is encouraged to write a business plan; those who don't quickly learn that future operations can be derailed without a cohesive printed mission and that obtaining outside funding…

• Length: 43 page(s)
• Publication Date: Oct 30, 2004
• Discipline: Entrepreneurship
• Product #: 5344BC-PDF-ENG

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Every entrepreneur is encouraged to write a business plan; those who don't quickly learn that future operations can be derailed without a cohesive printed mission and that obtaining outside funding is nearly impossible without one. This chapter discusses the managerial purposes of a business plan and describes the key points that potential investors look for.

This chapter is excerpted from Harvard Business Essentials: Entrepreneur's Toolkit.

Learning Objectives

To discuss the individual components of a business plan and the considerations that management must undertake in the plan's formulation and long-term success.

Oct 30, 2004

Discipline:

Entrepreneurship

Harvard Business Press Chapters

5344BC-PDF-ENG

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Write your business plan

Business plans help you run your business.

A good business plan guides you through each stage of starting and managing your business. You’ll use your business plan as a roadmap for how to structure, run, and grow your new business. It’s a way to think through the key elements of your business.

Business plans can help you get funding or bring on new business partners. Investors want to feel confident they’ll see a return on their investment. Your business plan is the tool you’ll use to convince people that working with you — or investing in your company — is a smart choice.

Pick a business plan format that works for you

There’s no right or wrong way to write a business plan. What’s important is that your plan meets your needs.

Most business plans fall into one of two common categories: traditional or lean startup.

Traditional business plans are more common, use a standard structure, and encourage you to go into detail in each section. They tend to require more work upfront and can be dozens of pages long.

Lean startup business plans are less common but still use a standard structure. They focus on summarizing only the most important points of the key elements of your plan. They can take as little as one hour to make and are typically only one page.

Traditional business plan

Lean startup plan

Traditional business plan format

You might prefer a traditional business plan format if you’re very detail-oriented, want a comprehensive plan, or plan to request financing from traditional sources.

When you write your business plan, you don’t have to stick to the exact business plan outline. Instead, use the sections that make the most sense for your business and your needs. Traditional business plans use some combination of these nine sections.

Executive summary

Briefly tell your reader what your company is and why it will be successful. Include your mission statement, your product or service, and basic information about your company’s leadership team, employees, and location. You should also include financial information and high-level growth plans if you plan to ask for financing.

Company description

Use your company description to provide detailed information about your company. Go into detail about the problems your business solves. Be specific, and list out the consumers, organization, or businesses your company plans to serve.

Explain the competitive advantages that will make your business a success. Are there experts on your team? Have you found the perfect location for your store? Your company description is the place to boast about your strengths.

Market analysis

You'll need a good understanding of your industry outlook and target market. Competitive research will show you what other businesses are doing and what their strengths are. In your market research, look for trends and themes. What do successful competitors do? Why does it work? Can you do it better? Now's the time to answer these questions.

Organization and management

Tell your reader how your company will be structured and who will run it.

Describe the  legal structure  of your business. State whether you have or intend to incorporate your business as a C or an S corporation, form a general or limited partnership, or if you're a sole proprietor or limited liability company (LLC).

Use an organizational chart to lay out who's in charge of what in your company. Show how each person's unique experience will contribute to the success of your venture. Consider including resumes and CVs of key members of your team.

Service or product line

Describe what you sell or what service you offer. Explain how it benefits your customers and what the product lifecycle looks like. Share your plans for intellectual property, like copyright or patent filings. If you're doing  research and development  for your service or product, explain it in detail.

Marketing and sales

There's no single way to approach a marketing strategy. Your strategy should evolve and change to fit your unique needs.

Your goal in this section is to describe how you'll attract and retain customers. You'll also describe how a sale will actually happen. You'll refer to this section later when you make financial projections, so make sure to thoroughly describe your complete marketing and sales strategies.

Funding request

If you're asking for funding, this is where you'll outline your funding requirements. Your goal is to clearly explain how much funding you’ll need over the next five years and what you'll use it for.

Specify whether you want debt or equity, the terms you'd like applied, and the length of time your request will cover. Give a detailed description of how you'll use your funds. Specify if you need funds to buy equipment or materials, pay salaries, or cover specific bills until revenue increases. Always include a description of your future strategic financial plans, like paying off debt or selling your business.

Financial projections

Supplement your funding request with financial projections. Your goal is to convince the reader that your business is stable and will be a financial success.

If your business is already established, include income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements for the last three to five years. If you have other collateral you could put against a loan, make sure to list it now.

Provide a prospective financial outlook for the next five years. Include forecasted income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, and capital expenditure budgets. For the first year, be even more specific and use quarterly — or even monthly — projections. Make sure to clearly explain your projections, and match them to your funding requests.

This is a great place to use graphs and charts to tell the financial story of your business.  

Use your appendix to provide supporting documents or other materials were specially requested. Common items to include are credit histories, resumes, product pictures, letters of reference, licenses, permits, patents, legal documents, and other contracts.

Example traditional business plans

Before you write your business plan, read the following example business plans written by fictional business owners. Rebecca owns a consulting firm, and Andrew owns a toy company.

Lean startup format

You might prefer a lean startup format if you want to explain or start your business quickly, your business is relatively simple, or you plan to regularly change and refine your business plan.

Lean startup formats are charts that use only a handful of elements to describe your company’s value proposition, infrastructure, customers, and finances. They’re useful for visualizing tradeoffs and fundamental facts about your company.

There are different ways to develop a lean startup template. You can search the web to find free templates to build your business plan. We discuss nine components of a model business plan here:

Key partnerships

Note the other businesses or services you’ll work with to run your business. Think about suppliers, manufacturers, subcontractors, and similar strategic partners.

Key activities

List the ways your business will gain a competitive advantage. Highlight things like selling direct to consumers, or using technology to tap into the sharing economy.

Key resources

List any resource you’ll leverage to create value for your customer. Your most important assets could include staff, capital, or intellectual property. Don’t forget to leverage business resources that might be available to  women ,  veterans ,  Native Americans , and  HUBZone businesses .

Value proposition

Make a clear and compelling statement about the unique value your company brings to the market.

Customer relationships

Describe how customers will interact with your business. Is it automated or personal? In person or online? Think through the customer experience from start to finish.

Customer segments

Be specific when you name your target market. Your business won’t be for everybody, so it’s important to have a clear sense of whom your business will serve.

List the most important ways you’ll talk to your customers. Most businesses use a mix of channels and optimize them over time.

Cost structure

Will your company focus on reducing cost or maximizing value? Define your strategy, then list the most significant costs you’ll face pursuing it.

Revenue streams

Explain how your company will actually make money. Some examples are direct sales, memberships fees, and selling advertising space. If your company has multiple revenue streams, list them all.

Example lean business plan

Before you write your business plan, read this example business plan written by a fictional business owner, Andrew, who owns a toy company.

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Key Sections Included in our Example Business Plans:

Executive Summary : A quick overview of your plan and entices investors to read more of your plan.

Company : Describes the ownership and history of your business.

Products and Services : Reviews what you sell and what you’re offering your customers.

Market Analysis : Describes your customers and the size of your target market.

Strategy and Implementation : Provides the details of how you plan on building the business.

Management Team : An overview of the people behind the business and why they’re the right team to make the business a success.

Financial Plan : A complete set of forecasts including a Profit and Loss Statement, Cash Flow Statement, and Balance Sheet.

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• The Basics of Writing a Business Plan
• The Benefits and Risks of Writing a Business Plan
• The Main Objectives of a Business Plan
• What to Include and Not Include in a Successful Business Plan
• The Top 4 Types of Business Plans
• A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Your Business Plan Deck
• 6 Tips for Making a Winning Business Presentation
• 12 Ways to Set Your Business Goals and Objectives
• 3 Key Things You Need to Know About Financing Your Business
• How to Use Your Business Plan Most Effectively
• How to Pitch Your Business Plan in 6 Minutes
• How to Fund Your Business With Angel Investors
• How to Assess the Potential of Your Business Idea
• How to Fund Your Business Through Friends and Family Loans and Crowdsourcing
• How to Fund Your Business Using Banks and Credit Unions
• How to Fund Your Business With an SBA Loan
• How to Fund Your Business With Bonds and Indirect Funding Sources
• How to Use Your Business Plan to Track Performance
• How to Make Your Business Plan Attractive to Prospective Partners
• When to Update Your Business Plan
• How to Fund Your Business With Venture Capital
• How to Raise Money With Your Business Plan's Executive Summary
• What Is Your Unique Selling Proposition? Use This Worksheet to Find Your Greatest Strength.
• How to Write the Management Team Section to Your Business Plan
• How to Create a Strategic Hiring Plan
• How to Write a Business Plan Executive Summary That Sells Your Idea
• How To Build a Team of Outside Experts for Your Business
• Use This Worksheet to Write a Product Description That Sells
• Customers and Investors Don't Want Products. They Want Solutions.
• Who Is Your Customer? 4 Questions to Ask.
• How to Determine the Barriers to Entry for Your Business
• How to Define Your Product and Set Your Prices
• How to Get Customers in Your Store and Drive Traffic to Your Website
• 5 Essential Elements of Your Industry Trends Plan
• How to Identify and Research Your Competition
• How to Identify Market Trends in Your Business Plan
• How to Effectively Promote Your Business to Customers and Investors
• How to Write an Operations Plan for Retail and Sales Businesses
• How to Write an Operations Plan for Manufacturers
• How to List Personel and Materials in Your Business Plan
• What Equipment and Facilities to Include in Your Business Plan
• What Technology to Include In Your Business Plan
• How to Write an Income Statement for Your Business Plan
• How to Make a Balance Sheet
• How to Make a Cash Flow Statement
• How to Use Financial Ratios to Understand the Health of Your Business
• How to Make Realistic Financial Forecasts
• How to Write a Letter of Introduction
• What To Put on the Cover Page of a Business Plan
• How to Format Your Business Plan
• 6 Steps to Getting Your Business Plan Seen
• The Best Ways to Follow Up on a Buisiness Plan
• The Best Books, Sites, Trade Associations and Resources to Get Your Business Funded and Running
• How to Hire the Right Business Plan Consultant
• Business Plan Lingo and Resources All Entrepreneurs Should Know

The Basics of Writing a Business Plan Here's why you need a business plan and everything you need to know to get started writing yours.

By Entrepreneur Staff • Oct 27, 2023

Key Takeaways

• Finding the purpose of a business plan
• How to know if you need a business plan
• Writing a back-of-the-napkin plan.

This is part 1 / 11 of Write Your Business Plan: Section 1: The Foundation of a Business Plan series.

Writing a business plan is like the architectural plan for a home or a brick-and-mortar building. You need to know what materials you need, how you're going to construct the building, and when you need to build each piece of the building. You start by building the foundation because your business can't stand up without it.

What is a business plan?

A business plan is a written description of the future of your business. It is a document that tells the story of what you plan to do and how you plan to do it. If you jot down a paragraph on the back of an envelope describing your business strategy, you've written a plan, or at least the germ of a plan.

Business plans are inherently strategic. You start here, today, with certain resources and abilities. You want to get to a "there," a point in the future (usually three to five years out) at which time your business will have a different set of resources and abilities as well as greater profitability and more assets. Your plan shows how you will get from here to there. In essence, it is a road map from where you are now to where you want to be later on.

Building your business plan brick-by-brick

If you've done any research about business plans online or through an agency like the Small Business Administration (SBA), you've probably heard about some generally accepted conventions about what a business plan should include and how it should be presented. In sum, a plan should cover all the important matters that will contribute to making your business a success, including:

1. Your basic business concept. This is where you discuss the industry, your business structure, your particular product or service, and how you plan to make your business a success. To use the analogy of building a brick-and-mortar building, this is the concrete you use for your foundation.

2. Your strategy and the specific actions you plan to take to implement it. What goals do you have for your business? When and how will you reach your goals? After all, you need to know how you plan to construct your building.

3. Your products and services and their competitive advantages. Here is your chance to dazzle the readers with good, solid information about your products or services and why customers will want to purchase your products and services and not those of your competitors. Your products and services are the materials you'll use for the building.

4. The markets you'll pursue. Now you have to lay out your marketing plan. Who will your customers be? What is your demographic audience? How will you attract and retain enough customers to make a profit? What methods will you use to capture your audience? What sets your business apart from the competition? How are you going to get people to come to your building and spend money?

5. The background of your management team and key employees. Having information about key personnel is an important but often misrepresented portion of a business plan. It's not a long and detailed biography of each person involved but an accurate account of what they have done and what they bring to the table for this specific business opportunity. Readers will want to know who will construct your building and if they're qualified builders.

6. Your financing needs. These will be based on your projected financial statements and provide a model of how your ideas about the company, its markets, and its strategies will play out. With a building, you need to know the costs of your materials and how you will adapt to changing conditions, including pricing and construction delays due to weather.

As you write your business plan, stick to facts instead of feelings, projections instead of hopes, and realistic expectations of profit instead of unrealistic dreams of wealth. You want to show readers that your building will last for years. And facts—checkable, demonstrable facts—will invest your plan with the most important component of all: credibility.

How Long Should Your Plan Be?

A useful business plan can be any length, from a one-page summary to more than 100 pages for an especially detailed plan describing a complex enterprise. A typical business plan runs fifteen to twenty-five pages, created and (usually) sent electronically, sometimes accompanied by forms the receiver requests you fill out. Occasionally, you may still be asked for a hard copy of your plan.

Mini plans of five to ten pages are the popular concise models that may stand on their own for smaller businesses. Larger businesses, seeking major funding, will often have mini plans, but the full business plan will be waiting in the wings. It's advantageous to run long when creating your plan and then narrow it down for presentation purposes.

The size of the plan will also depend on the nature of your business and your reason for writing the plan. If you have a simple concept, you can express it in very few words. On the other hand, if you are proposing a new kind of business or even a new industry, it may require quite a bit of explanation to get the message across. If you are writing a plan for a division of a large organization, you may be given a set format and prescribed length.

The purpose of your plan also determines its length. If you are looking for millions of dollars in seed capital to start a risky venture, you will usually (although not always) have to do a lot of explaining and convincing. If you already have relationships with potential investors, they may simply want a mini plan. If you are just going to use your plan for internal purposes to manage an ongoing business, a much more abbreviated version may suffice.

If you want to start small with an effective way to get your ideas down, you can follow the guidance of LivePlan , a business planning and management software, on writing your one-page plan for your business.

Many business plan presentations are made with PowerPoint decks, using ten to twelve slides to tell your story. This is a great starting point, but you should have at least a mini plan available, especially if you seek millions of dollars.

When Should You Write Your Business Plan?

The fact that you're reading this article means you suspect it's about time to write a business plan. Odds are you are at or near one of the many occasions when a business plan will prove useful.

• A business plan is a good way to explore the feasibility of a new business without actually having to start it and run it. A good plan can help you see serious flaws in your business concept. You may uncover tough competition when researching the market section, or you may find that your financial projections simply aren't realistic.
• Any venture that faces major changes (and that means almost all businesses) needs a business plan. If the demographics of your market are rapidly changing, strong new competitive products challenge your profitability, you expect your business to grow or shrink dramatically, or the economic climate is improving or slipping rapidly, you'll need a business plan. This will allow you to make changes accordingly.
• If you are contemplating buying or selling a business, your business plan can provide you with a handy tool to establish a value—and to support that value if challenged.
• You will need a business plan if you are seeking financing. Your business plan is the backbone of your financing proposal. Bankers, venture capitalists, and other financiers rarely provide money without seeing a plan. Less sophisticated investors or friends and family may not require a business plan, but they deserve one. Even if you're funding the business with your own savings, you owe it to yourself to plan how you'll expend the resources you're committing.

Writing a business plan is not a one-time exercise. Just because you wrote a plan when you were starting out or raising money to get underway doesn't mean you are finished. Many companies look for additional rounds of funding. By updating business plans to let investors know how the funding has been used to date, and the results of such efforts, the chances of procuring such funding are improved. A business plan should be rewritten or revised regularly to get maximum benefit from it. Commonly, business plans are revised yearly, more frequently if conditions have changed enough to make the previous plan unrealistic.

Business Plan Buzzword

Competitive advantage makes you different from, and better than, your competition. Lower prices, higher quality, and better name recognition are examples of competitive advantages. By studying your competition, you can devise your own competitive advantage by providing something (or several things) that it does not offer.

Cocktail Napkin Business Plan

Business plans don't have to be complicated, lengthy documents. They just have to capture the essence of what the business will do and why it will be a success.

The business plan for one of the most successful startups ever began with a triangle scrawled on a cocktail napkin. The year was 1971, and Herb Kelleher and Rollin King were formulating their idea for an airline serving Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. The triangle connecting the cities was their route map—and the basis of the business plan for Southwest Airlines.

The two entrepreneurs soon expressed their vision for Southwest Airlines more fully in a full-fledged business plan and raised millions in initial capital to get off the ground. Eventually, they went public. Along the way, the airline expanded beyond the three cities to include other Texas destinations, and now it serves over 100 destinations in 42 states plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, with over 4,000 flights daily and revenues of $15.8 billion in 2021. Southwest specializes in low-cost, no-frills, high-frequency service, which, if you add some lines to the original triangle, is the same strategy mapped out on that cocktail napkin.

More in Write Your Business Plan

Section 1: the foundation of a business plan, section 2: putting your business plan to work, section 3: selling your product and team, section 4: marketing your business plan, section 5: organizing operations and finances, section 6: getting your business plan to investors.

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50+ SAMPLE Management Plan Templates in PDF | MS Word

Management plan templates | ms word, 50+ sample management plan templates, what is a management plan, why is the management plan essential in business, how to make an effective management plan, what is project management, what are the four types of planning, what is a communication management plan, why is business planning necessary.

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How to Write a Management Plan

Last Updated: September 18, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Madison Boehm . Madison Boehm is a Business Advisor and the Co-Founder of Jaxson Maximus, a men’s salon and custom clothiers based in southern Florida. She specializes in business development, operations, and finance. Additionally, she has experience in the salon, clothing, and retail sectors. Madison holds a BBA in Entrepreneurship and Marketing from The University of Houston. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 224,009 times.

A management plan describes how an organization or business is run. Writing a management plan allows you to formalize your management structure and operations. It also ensures that everyone is on the same page and that your goals will be accomplished. You can easily write your own management plan with a few simple steps.

Management Plan Outline and Example

Starting Your Management Plan

• Defining roles also creates accountability by making it clear who's fault it was that something did or did not happen. [3] X Trustworthy Source Kansas University Center for Community Health and Development Community-based research center focused on supporting public health development and education Go to source

• A section detailing management members and their responsibilities and authorities.
• A chart of section detailing interactions between and responsibilities of each level of the organization.
• A section explaining different aspects of your organization being managed and the policies and procedures of that management.
• A schedule for updating, enhancing, and growing management and the management plan. [6] X Research source

Describing Ownership and Management

• Include a copy of board policies, including election policies, term length, responsibility, authority, and conflict resolution. This information should already be stated in your operating agreement or other founding documents.

• List past positions and duties of each member that apply to their current management obligations. Explain how these obligations highlight applicable skills and strengthen the management positions.
• Highlight all relevant educational backgrounds for each of the managers. Explain how their training will benefit the company. Only include the education that is relevant to the positions that they currently hold.
• If you are the only employee in your business, be sure to include your own experience and strengths.

• Accountants.
• Insurance brokers.
• Consultants.

• For example, “Our team, with its diverse array of skills, have a combined forty years of experience in this field. With our coordinated democratic structure, they can work together effectively to produce results. With this team, we are confident that our business will become profitable in two years.”

Writing Out Policies and Procedures

• For example, a policy might be using and selling only green materials and products. The procedures to support that policy might be shopping from approved green vendors or checking the environmental impact of each material or product used.

Revising Your Plan

• When they approve, have all owners sign the plan before you submit it to your investors, bank, or fundraising bodies.

• Make sure there is a way for all management and employees to submit their feedback regarding the plan.
• Then, create a method by which changes to the plan can be approved and instituted. [20] X Trustworthy Source Kansas University Center for Community Health and Development Community-based research center focused on supporting public health development and education Go to source

Expert Q&A

• Many investors will read the management section of your business plan before any other section, including marketing and finances, so you want to make sure that you have the best proposal possible. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Do not neglect your management plan in favor of your financial plans. Both are equally important to a business plan. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1

You Might Also Like

• ↑ Madison Boehm. Business Advisor, Jaxson Maximus. Expert Interview. 24 August 2021.
• ↑ http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/leadership/effective-manager/management-plan/main
• ↑ https://www.brown.edu/research/conducting-research-brown/preparing-proposal/proposal-development-services/writing-management-plan
• ↑ https://www.thebalance.com/how-to-write-the-management-summary-2951561
• ↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/humanresourcemanagement/chapter/4-1-the-recruitment-process/
• ↑ https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/241072
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
• ↑ http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4533-business-plan-outline.html

About This Article

The best way to write a management report is to describe the company’s management structure in 10 to 20 pages. Name the board members and explain the company’s ownership policies. Introduce all management members and present the strengths of each team member. Then, write out workplace policies and procedures. Send the management report to the company’s bank, investors, or fundraising bodies. For more tips from our Financial Reviewer, like how to outline, format, and revise your plan, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Free Project Management Plan Templates

By Kate Eby | August 8, 2019

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In this article, you’ll find all the project management plan templates you need to get started on a comprehensive project plan. We’ve included templates that cover all aspects of project planning, from scope and budget to communication and scheduling. 

If you are new to project management plan templates, start by reading the What to Include in a Project Management Plan section.

Included on this page, you'll find a project management plan , a project management plan outline in both Microsoft Word and Google Docs , an integrated project plan template , and many more.

Templates for Presenting and Tracking the Project

The following templates include sheets, widgets, and outlines that can help you present an overview of the project to stakeholders. These templates also help you monitor progress as you execute the project.

Project Management Plan Outline Template

A comprehensive project management plan includes many plans and documents necessary for the success of a project. Project plan sub-documents may consist of the project scope, work breakdown structure (WBS), milestone list, and more. This project management plan template also provides an outline, so you can include all plan details in one document or attach or link to separate planning documents.

Download Project Management Plan Outline Template

Word | Google Docs

Download Resource Requirement Calendar Chart

Excel | G oogle Sheets

Project Management Plan Dashboard Template

A dashboard provides a handy means for project managers, stakeholders, and team members to display summaries of important metrics. This integrated project plan template includes a task list that updates a corresponding Gantt chart as you begin and complete tasks. The template also offers a widget to summarize task status, project spending, and pending items.

Download Project Management Plan Dashboard Template - Excel

Integrated Project Plan (IPP) Template

You may need a narrative description of parts or all of your project plan. However, a visual depiction can convey how aspects of the project relate to one another and the schedule. With this integrated project plan template, choose a Gantt chart or static timeline. Then, complete the task list, list responsible parties, and add due dates. The template also includes a cost baseline sheet and a communication plan sheet.

Download Integrated Content Project Plan Template - Excel 

Project Management Plan Template

This customizable template suggests the items you need to prepare to implement your project and provides space for each item’s due date. Additionally, find sections for the project approval phase, project planning, project execution, and project close.  

Download Project Plan Template

Excel | Smartsheet

Templates for Researching and Preparing a Project Plan

The following project management planning templates can help you as you determine and document the tasks and resources required to complete a project.

Project Scope Statement Template

The project scope defines the deliverables and the resources you need to complete those deliverables. By identifying these elements before the project begins, you reduce the chances of scope creep, wherein expectations and budgets expand without limit. When you write a project scope, refer to project objectives, goal statements, and the project charter . If you are a vendor preparing a project plan, you may refer instead to the statement of work you received with the request for proposal (RFP ). 

The project scope template below details the following: the project deliverables; the project assumptions; what is out of scope for the project; the time, budget, quality, regulatory, and resource constraints; and the tasks you need to accomplish in order to create the deliverables. In this template, you can describe the tasks without a separate work breakdown structure document, or use the WBS template that follows.

Download Project Scope Statement Template - Word

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Diagram Template

A work breakdown structure provides a visual tool for understanding how you can accomplish a project. Start with the goal or deliverable at the top and then break down the effort needed into smaller and smaller tasks. A WBS focuses on tasks and deliverables but complements the project schedule, which offers a high-level view of the work required over time. Some project management pundits suggest that leadership benefits most from schedules, while teams and individuals benefit from a WBS. This template offers a fill-in-the-blanks diagram and a task list template. Use both formats with the scope of work template.

Download Work Breakdown Structure Template - Excel 

Stakeholder Management Plan Template

Stakeholder analysis identifies individuals and groups with a potential interest in the project, determines the extent of their interest and degree of possible influence, and attempts to understand the best means of communicating with those individuals and groups about the project. A stakeholder analysis forms a significant basis for the project communication plan. 

This stakeholder management template offers space to list stakeholders, describe their role in the organization and in your project, identify the types of project activities that might interest them, define their level of commitment, and supply the reasons for their interest in your project. One sheet of this template includes a stakeholder analysis matrix, so you can create a visual evaluation of the level of commitment and influence for each stakeholder.

Download Stakeholder Management Plan Template

Cost Estimate and Projected Budget Template

Use this cost estimation and budget template to document the process for determining and, if necessary, adjusting your budget. The template provides a table to identify who can approve spending limit breaches and space to describe the budgeting procedure, the cost baseline procedure, the change procedure, and the proposed budget.

Download Cost Estimate and Projected Budget Template

Risk Assessment Templates

Organizations have risks, and projects are also susceptible to problems, such as accidents, scope creep, or vendor problems with supply or quality. This risk assessment template focuses on risks to task and project deadlines, but you can tailor the linked template to address other risks, too. The template details the task description, deadline, risk level, and status in the task table, and the statistics for the project are displayed in the status and priority table.

Download Project Risk Management Plan Template

Project Resource Plan Template

A resource plan lists the equipment, supplies, and staffing needed for a project. Resource plans help schedule shared resources, including hardware, software, and office or workspace. This template outlines project phases and then lists resources by project phase, role, department, pay rate, and more.

Download Project Resource Plan Template

Project Executive Summary Template

You start your project plan document or presentation with an executive summary, which encapsulates the project at a high level. However, the executive summary should be the last piece of content or document you write as you create a plan. To write this summary, refer to the project charter for plan details, or, if you are a vendor or contractor fulfilling part of a larger project, refer to the project statement of work. This customizable template walks you through the elements of an executive summary, including major milestones and issues to be solved. Add your own summary components as required.

Download Project Executive Summary Template

Templates for Implementing and Managing a Project Plan

The example project management plans that follow will help you solve problems, communicate with your team and stakeholders, and ensure quality deliverables as you implement the project.

Project Governance Template

Project governance describes how you will conduct the project and who has responsibility and accountability for the effective and efficient execution of the project. This project governance template outlines the project scope and lists who is responsible for what requirements and tasks. It also offers a RACI matrix and provides space to link to the resumes of key personnel. Additionally, the template details the process for managing and escalating issues, the decision-making process, and the quality assurance process. 

Download Project Governance Template

Excel | Word

Communication Plan Template

To conduct a successful project, internal and external stakeholders must be clear on goals and changes. A communication plan template assists you in documenting stakeholders, contact information, areas of interest, required information, and message format and frequency. 

Download Communication Plan Template - Word

Chronological or Simple Timeline Template

A timeline is an essential tool in project management. Timelines capture the required activities in a project in the form of high-level milestones or detailed tasks and sub-tasks and show how those activities relate to each other. This chronological timeline works well for simple projects. With this template, you can add tasks to the list, and those tasks will appear in the timeline.

Download Chronological or Simple Timeline Template

Gantt Timeline Template

A dynamic Gantt chart can serve as a timeline for more complex projects. Add milestones to the timeline to focus all eyes on the prize and highlight dependencies among tasks.

Download Gantt Timeline Template

Change Management Process Template

Change is inevitable in projects, but it’s much better to plan for change and provide a consistent process for reviewing, implementing, and tracking adjustments and updates. This change management process template offers a visual tool for understanding how to suggest changes, reviewing proposed changes, planning for their implementation, and assessing the results. 

Download Change Management Process Template

Test Plan Template

To guarantee a successful and usable deliverable, create a quality assurance or quality control plan. This test plan template is particularly adapted to Agile product development, but can be customized to fit your management approach and product. Simply list the test ID, the test number, the test description, the expected and actual result, whether the product passed or failed, and pertinent comments. 

Download Test Plan Template - Excel

What to Include in a Project Management Plan

A successful project starts with a detailed project management plan . Project management plan templates guide you through the planning process, so you can focus on the details rather than trying to remember what you must include. To make your job easier and help ensure successful planning, download the templates included in this article. 

A project management plan may consist of one document or a collection of component documents that provide extra detail for specific planning areas, such as the schedule, the work breakdown structure, or the stakeholder analysis. Whether combined or separate, most project management plan templates contain the following sections:

Introduction

Briefly describe the project’s purpose, goals, and deliverables. Refer to the project charter when you write this section.

Project Approach or Executive Summary

Outline the management approach for the project. List key personnel and anyone with specific responsibilities and decision-making authority. Describe any assumptions and constraints. You may also include risks in this section.

Project Scope

To avoid scope creep, you must clearly define what outcomes you expect from the project and what is out of scope. The project charter provides a starting point for defining scope, but you should also include the following sections in your project scope statement or link to separate documents:

• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): The work breakdown structure offers a visual description of all the high and low-level tasks needed to create the deliverables. In the WBS diagram, list the major tasks at the top and then break down the items into smaller and smaller tasks until you determine the smallest tasks or work packages. The WBS works with the work breakdown structure dictionary, which is a detailed list of tasks, owners, due dates, and more.
• Schedule Baseline: To understand whether your activities, milestones, and project are on track, create a schedule baseline. 
• Milestones: Milestones mark important stages of completion in your project. Create a list of high-level milestones, and briefly introduce them and their context in the overall project schedule.

Change Management Plan

A change management plan offers a consistent model for documenting, submitting, approving, and tracking changes in a project. These important instructions are often created in a separate document.

Risk Management Plan

For the project plan, summarize the risk management approach, including the process for identifying risks and the mitigation strategy. At the end of the project, during the after-action analysis, the project manager will assess the identified risks against the management approach and recommend any improvements for future projects.

A risk register captures each risk and mitigation action. A register is essential for quality improvement and may be required for regulatory compliance. It logs a unique ID for a risk, a risk detail, who identified the risk, the date during which they identified it, the probability of the risk, the severity of its impact, and so on. In PRINCE2, a risk register is known as a risk log .

Project Scope Management Plan

The project scope management section describes who has the authority to constrain efforts. It details the tools and methods for establishing project scope, including supporting documents. Those supporting documents may include the WBS and project charter or statement of work. The scope management plan should also explain how you measure and track scope. In addition, the document should clearly articulate how the project manager communicates scope to the team.

Communication Plan

Your communication plan describes the project information you need to share with your team and stakeholders, the identity of those recipients, their contact information, and the means and frequency of communication. The communication plan is crucial to the efficient functioning of the project. Consider conducting a stakeholder analysis early in project planning, so you can use it to inform the communication plan.

Cost Management Plan

In a cost management plan, you describe how you will measure, manage, and report costs for the project duration. Identify who has responsibility for controlling costs, how they approve and track budget changes, and the means by which and frequency with which they report on the budget.

A cost baseline describes the approved, time-phased spending for a project and represents the combined total of the estimated project cost and contingency reserves.

Resource or Procurement Plan

The resource plan or procurement plan defines spending limits and identifies who has the authority to approve amounts that exceed those limits. It also details the types of resources you’ll be using, such as equipment, utilities, infrastructure, and costs, and indicates whether you will rent, lease, or purchase such items.  

Resource Calendar

A resource calendar provides a visual reference for understanding when and for how long you require important resources. Whoever has functional responsibility for the included resources must approve the resource calendar.

Human Resources Management Plan

The human resources plan outlines the skill sets required for the project, the pay rates for the project, and whether HR will staff the project with new hires or contractors.

Quality Management Plan

To ensure that your completed project meets quality expectations, create a quality management plan . This plan defines the standards against which you will judge the final outcome. The plan also identifies the processes that will gauge the work. In the quality plan, note who is responsible for quality, and describe any applicable quality assurance or quality control regulations, standards, processes, and tools. 

A quality baseline articulates the specific metrics by which you will assess quality throughout the project. To discover the appropriate metrics, you should review the current quality management process or standards, any recent or similar projects, and any pertinent industry or regulatory standards.

Other Helpful Project Management Templates

Other documents and plans can help you describe the unique aspects of your project plan. Here is a selection of links to supporting samples and templates:

• Construction project management
• HR project management
• Software project management
• KPI template 
• Project change request form

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45+ Management Plan Templates – PDF, Word

The document outlines the management processes and strategies that an organization or business will need to succeed or continue to reap favorable results. In connection to this, we have here management plan templates that you may use and download. You can learn get new ideas from them that can ultimately help you write your own management plan.

• 568+ Sample Plan Templates
• Word Plan Templates

Management Plan Template

• Google Docs

Sample Change Management Plan Template

Sales Management Plan Template

Project Management Plan Example

Simple Project Management Plan Template

Brand Management Plan Template

Operations Management Plan Template

Transport Management Plan Template

Asset Management Plan Template

Classroom Management Plan Template

Sample Procurement Management Plan

Incident Management Plan Template

Debt Management Plan Template

Risk Management Plan Template

Risk assessment management.

Project Risk Plan

Security Risk Management

Project Management Plan Templates

Software project management.

Project Quality Management

Project Schedule Management

An Overview of How Management Planning Processes Work

• Setting up goals. Like any other strategic plan templates , goals are always evident in a management plan. In this case, the goals must be detailed in a specific and concrete manner . It must also be measurable and realistic.
• Outlining the needed resources. In this case, the managers and administrators have to take into account both the proprietary and human resources. It should clearly identify the needed number of individuals to work on a particular tasks and the corresponding budget for the materials and facilities that they will be needing.
• Delineation of tasks. Managers must always bear in mind that they can’t do everything. It would be inefficient if they will doing a lot of things at the same time. Designation of roles is very important. It can help prevent overlapping task assigments and at the same time create more room for specialization of roles.
• Setting up feedback mechanisms . Reporting and assessment mechanisms must be in place. Every aspect must be regularly evaluated to know if the methods used are correct and progressive.

Quality Management Plans

Quality risk plan.

Quality Control Management

Construction Quality Management Plan

Environmental Management Plans

Environmental risk management.

Environmental Safety Management

School Environmental Plan

Choose a Management Plan Template that Suits You

• Risk Management Plan Templates – Management plans deal with long term and short term strategies. In this case, your risk strategies should not be merely band aid solutions. It should aim for long term security. The templates provided are useful for project managers in assessing risks and evaluating strategies to mitigate its adverse impacts. You can use them for security, project, and disaster- preparedness purposes.
• Project Management Plan Templates – Project management is about overseeing if the quality of the tasks executed for the accomplishment are at par with the expected standards with respect to the project management contract. The key components of this type of template may change depending on the thrust of the project. Some of the essential parts are the project overview, project deliverable, managerial processes, and the work schedule and budget.
• Quality Management Plan Templates – The thrust of this management plan is the quality of the tasks rendered and the produced output of the employees of a business. You have to take note of the key components such as the quality objectives, the quality standards, quality roles and duties, and evaluation processes.
• Environmental Management Plan Templates – For projects that can potentially affect the environment, an environmental management plan is needed. It aims to ensure that environmental guidelines are followed before, during, and after the pursuance of a project. The plan must be comprehensive because thorough environmental impact assessments are done before projects are started. They definitely work hand in hand with project plan templates .

Account Management Plans

Strategic account management.

Sales Account Management

Client Account Plan

Asthma Management Plan Templates

Asthma self-management.

Risk Management Plan

Asthma Medical Management

Business Management Plans

Business continuity management.

Business Crisis Management

Critical Elements of a Management Plan

• Management Goals and Objectives – These forms part of the bedrock of your management plan. It guides the flow and content of your plan. If anything goes wrong or if confusions arise, managers have to go over the set of objectives to shed light to said confusions.
• Detailed Description of Roles and Responsibilities – As what is discussed in the management processes, delineating tasks is an aspect of any management plan. You should specifically identify the scope of work of each member of the organization or business.
• Procedures and Policies – To ensure that targets are met and tasks are performed in good faith, solid and consistent procedures and policies must be implemented. These includes recruitment procedures, equipment handling, performance index, and many more.
• Specific Time Table or Project Calendar – Time frames and schedules are important because they ensure that tasks are completed with respect to the agreed schedule or calendar.
• An Analysis of the Impact of the Management Plan – The purpose of a management plan does not once tasks are performed or goals are accomplished. The impacts brought about by the implementation of the plan should also be considered to know if there’s a need for a change management plan .

Contract Management Plan

Contract risk management.

Quality Management Plan

Contractor Safety Management

Construction Management Plan Templates

Environmental construction management.

Site Construction Management

Construction Project Management

Medical Management Plans

Medical equipment management.

Medical Risk Plan

Emergency Management Plan

Safety Management Plans

Construction safety management.

Event Safety Management

Fire Management Plan

Tips in Writing and Using Management Plans

• Conduct a coordination and participatory forum or meeting. In order to come up with a sound management plan, you need to engage with various stakeholders. You have to gather diversified ideas.
• Expect conflicts and problems. It is inevitable that conflicts or disputes may arise in the course of creating or even implementing a management plan. What is material is that you anticipate them and have prepared contingency plans.
• Be open to new ideas. Your management plan must be flexible and versatile. This is done for you to make necessary modifications in an easy manner provided that there are circumstances that are beyond our control. This is very much necessary in managing risks such as in the case of risk management action plans .
• Adopt a consistent format and template. In terms of format and content, make it formal as much as possible. Use a professional font style and size. And most importantly, proofread your plan to check for grammar issues and typos.

More in Plan Templates

Human Resource Change Management Plan Template

Nonprofit Organization Change Management Plan Template

Change Management Presentation Template

School Debt Management Policy Template

School Cash Management Policy Template

Change Management Spreadsheet

Stakeholder Change Management Plan Template

Change Engagement Plan Template

Program Change Management Plan Template

Change Management Communication Plan Template

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How to Write a Comprehensive Project Management Plan [+ Examples]

By Midori Nediger , Jul 05, 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!

What is a project management plan?

A project management plan is a formal document that defines how a project is going to be carried out. It outlines the scope, goals, budget, timeline, and deliverables of a project, and it’s essential for keeping a project on track.

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

What are the 5 stages of a project management plan?

The Project Management Institute (PMI) outlines five key stages of the project management plan, which are commonly known as the project management process groups. These stages provide a framework for managing projects effectively. The five stages are as follows:

Initiation: This is the first stage of the project management plan. It involves identifying and defining the project’s purpose, objectives and scope.

Planning: In the planning stage, detailed plans are developed to guide the execution and control of the project. This includes defining project deliverables, developing a project schedule, estimating resources and costs, identifying risks and creating a comprehensive project management plan.

Execution: The execution stage involves putting the project plan into action. Project tasks are performed, resources are allocated and project team members work towards achieving project objectives.

Monitoring and Control: During this stage, project progress is regularly monitored and actual performance is compared against planned performance. Key performance indicators (KPIs) are tracked, and necessary adjustments are made to keep the project on track. This stage involves assessing risks, addressing issues and changes and ensuring that project objectives are being met.

Closure: The closure stage marks the end of the project. It involves finalizing all project activities, completing any remaining deliverables, obtaining client or stakeholder approval,and formally closing out the project. Lessons learned are documented and a project review is conducted to identify areas for improvement in future projects.

It’s important to note that these stages are iterative, and project management is often an ongoing process. Throughout the project lifecycle, project managers may need to revisit and adjust plans based on changing circumstances and new information.

What are the 7 components of a project management 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 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 some tips for creating 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 .

5 things you need to know before creating a project management plan

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!

How do you write a project plan?

A well-structured project plan serves as a roadmap for successful project execution. It provides clarity, direction and a foundation for effective project management. Whether you’re embarking on a small-scale endeavor or a large-scale initiative, crafting a project plan is crucial for achieving your objectives.

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 . 

Project management plan examples

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 bid proposal template

Your construction bid proposal is probably competing against several other bidders. So, it’s important to get it right.

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!

The takeaway: project plan best practices

• 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

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