What is it?

Initial staging and timeframe planning, and sketching out an initial timeline and working assumptions.

At the start of your project it is important to assign provisional timings against key stages. These timings may change as work develops. However, it is useful to keep a broad plan in place so that everyone knows what is happening with the overall process.

Why do this?

By identifying key tasks and getting a clearer idea of when these should be completed you will be able to:

  • Monitor progress
  • Assess resource requirements and availability within specific time periods
  • Coordinate activities

How might you do this?

  • Make a list the various tasks to be performed and assess the time required for each. It is also useful to set out the assumptions underlying your timeframe planning

For example, completing any one task may be dependent on previous actions having been carried out, the availability of resources (such as people to collect information and funding to commission external partners), the scope of the project (for example, the extent of data collection required), and the availability of key stakeholders. Changes in these assumptions should be noted so that adjustments can be made to the timeline if necessary. Alternatively, action can be taken, for example, by seeking additional resources to keep the project on track

Accurately assessing the time for each element is unlikely at this stage but information can be gained from team members and others with experience of similar programmes.

Tips

  • Keep a record of the assumptions underlying time planning, and how these change and impact on the timescale

Output

  • An initial timeline for the next stage of the planning process; for example, the scoping stage

Intended Outcome

  • Keep a record of the assumptions underlying time planning, and how these change and impact on the timescale