Plan On a Page Feedback by Joanna Morganelli

year Gantt

2024-04-08 09:59:30 UTC

Add a column on the left for 'project', then you can have chunks going horizontally across that row to show the different phases of the project.

Completed example

2024-04-08 10:04:48 UTC

It would be good to see completed examples of one of these - what the LT expect/want to see from it. (project vs programme)

size of boxes

2024-04-08 10:36:40 UTC

does size of box dictate importance or level of detail necessary? I would have thought 'risk' should have been more prominent

Purpose

wsdafh — 2024-04-08 10:40:45 UTC

Could we define what that plans on a page are actually for i.e. what problem are we trying to solve/avoid? This will help guide feedback.

- Is it a planning tool for the individual?

-Is it a project sign off mechanism?

-Does it exist to solve a problem for leadership?

Set headings but not set space

wsdafh — 2024-04-08 10:43:13 UTC

How about give us defined headings in a word document and trust us to determine the appropriate amount of information to provide.

Manger/Leadership Feedback

wsdafh — 2024-04-08 10:44:50 UTC

There needs to be an agreement that if we create a poap then we will receive feedback on it. This links back to purpose though - for example. are they an approval mechanism?

Love that we now include scope

wsdafh — 2024-04-08 10:45:33 UTC

Defining the boundaries of a project is so useful but I don't think 'expectations of the project' fits here. That should be adequately covered in other sections.

If these are for projects, presumably we leave out BAU work?

wsdafh — 2024-04-08 11:01:24 UTC

Purpose

2024-04-08 11:01:26 UTC

Clarify at what stage this is produced and what the main purpose is. Is it a live document or only completed at start of project (for sign off, during inception or planning, etc.)

Consider using Excel

2024-04-08 12:22:17 UTC

It would be good to consider how this will link to other project management / project governance tools and to ensure consistent categories and language is used. Excel format could allow POAP to be replicated/linked across other project management documents. For example, to summarise info from several project plans at program level or as the starting point for breaking down and planning project activities or reporting on progress.

cjackson2101 — 2024-04-08 15:31:26 UTC

I agree that this would be better in excel or a live Word document (more like a traditional project management 'project initiation document') often this information needs to be extracted for other purposes and PowerPoint is extremely UN-user friendly for this. Editing information out to better fit a text box isn't the best approach.

cjackson2101 — 2024-04-08 15:33:37 UTC

How will the milestone plans be used to forecast peak periods across the team etc.

cjackson2101 — 2024-04-08 15:47:20 UTC

Could the deliverables section be clearer on whether this is capturing outputs / products or the outcomes they enable us to generate or both and if both could the flow be clearer e.g. if we produce X then we are more likely to achieve outcome Y which will generate benefit Z. Is the deliverables section too small compared with the strategy section which can be quite brief and just reference the strategic goals the work supports.

cjackson2101 — 2024-04-08 15:50:01 UTC

A missing aspect is how we are sharing 'lessons learnt' across our programmes so we are not repeating the same mistakes. Probably less likely previously as we were a smaller team but now we are bigger probably better to have a clearer process for sharing these.

Timeframe

2024-04-09 07:09:53 UTC

Include timeframe and planned start date

wsdafh — 2024-04-09 08:26:38 UTC

Strategic alignment section could be really brief - it is a given that none of us should be at the point of creating/delivering a project that doesn't really clearly align, and so justifying/outlining it won't require much space.

2024-04-09 08:30:02 UTC

Agree it would be helpful to clarify different levels of results (level 1 - outputs, level 2 - outcomes, level 3 - objective/impact). Measures of success will be different at each level. Evaluation usually focuses on outcomes and impact.

jmmoore9 — 2024-04-09 08:47:31 UTC

I agree that Powerpoint isn't the best format for this. Particularly for the Gantt chart it would work a lot better in Excel.

jmmoore9 — 2024-04-09 08:48:31 UTC

For me the Gantt chart should be the next step after the Plan on a page, and it would be good if this and the plan on a page link with the other project governance documents.

2024-04-09 08:56:49 UTC

I think it is useful to have a summary of projects for information sharing but I find the name of the document slightly misleading. At an individual project level I would still need more detailed project documents such as workplans/gantt, results frameworks, etc.

wsdcbow — 2024-04-09 09:16:52 UTC

How would POAP be used for staff who manage multiple smaller projects? It might be tricky to collate different streams of work into one.

Format

2024-04-09 12:22:58 UTC

Could we have a single line example of what's required in each box - as a prompt?

Format

2024-04-09 12:26:59 UTC

Use RAG ratings in the risk/mitigations - colour the text red/amber/green depending on the level of risk? A colour block next to the text?

2024-04-09 12:58:57 UTC

Could the strategic alignment section list all the available strategies so we can just delete as appropriate?

2024-04-09 13:00:48 UTC

I think this would work better in Excel

2024-04-09 13:05:33 UTC

I don't think it is particularly helpful to have risks as part of this document. We are detailing risks and mitigations as they come up in our Project Governance spreadsheets.

2024-04-09 13:06:29 UTC

Are these just for new projects as they come up?

2024-04-09 13:08:15 UTC

How are we defining what a project is? What is business as usual? How will this be used in conjunction with the project initiation form? Will these be used as project proposals? Are they subject to approval? And if so, do we need to do them for projects which are already in place and ongoing?

2024-04-09 14:27:57 UTC

Also agree that risks seems out if place in this document given the purpose that has been discussed so far.

'Plan' or 'project' on a page?

2024-04-10 08:40:13 UTC

POAP were always presented to me as 'step 1', but actually they were not helpful as a step 1, and it was never clear who the target audience was (I was previously given different answers by different members of the LT). Maybe these "Project on a Page" (not Plan) are not the first step in project planning, but just a top line/highlights snapshot once you've done a more coherent Project Plan? If that's the case, we can project plan in detail (maybe via gantt/spreadsheet, including more detail like project summary, M&E, detailed budget, outputs, objectives, aims, target audience, etc.), then pull out the bits that LT want in their POAP snapshot.

There is a way we can make all these docs talk to each other (i.e. Project Plan, Project on a Page, Governance Report, M&E) which would help with day-to-day project management, and folder tidying.

Project Planning working group?

2024-04-10 08:42:19 UTC

There's a bunch of really talented/skilled Project Planners within the team. Perhaps we could make a small working group to help LT iron all this out?

Outputs - how are they used

jmmoore9 — 2024-04-10 10:53:44 UTC

One thing I don't really understand is how we should use this plan in the next stage of project planning - maybe this is on me to figure out but I'd appreciate guidance, for example:

How should we monitor identified measures of success throughout the year?
When we identify potential alignment with other programmes etc should we be reaching out to these programmes or go through our manager to decide if it's appropriate?
What do we do about budget sign off - is that before or after this plan?

It would be nice if the boxes on this plan linked to the governance reports so things could be transferred straight across (eg deliverables could become lines on the report).

Thank you Jo for all your hard work putting this together :)

wsdcbow — 2024-05-15 08:22:03 UTC

Huge congrats to Jo, Jane and everyone else involved for pulling this together

2024-05-16 09:03:19 UTC