Project Management Plan Assignment

Worth: 3 points

Format: Individual or group work

Overview

Throughout this week, you have explored production workflows, project management methodologies, and the essential documentation tools that project managers use to organize work and facilitate team communication. You’ve examined how different methodologies like Waterfall, Agile, Kanban, and Lean shape project execution, and you’ve studied practical tools like Gantt charts, risk registers, and query trackers.

Now you’ll apply this knowledge by stepping into the project manager’s role and creating a comprehensive project management plan for a business project of your choice. This assignment simulates the critical work project managers do when launching new initiatives: establishing clear communication protocols, identifying team members and their responsibilities, planning realistic timelines, anticipating potential obstacles, and setting up systems for tracking questions and decisions.

Your plan will serve as a communication document that helps your team understand how the project will be executed, who is responsible for what, and how to navigate challenges as they arise.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this assignment, you will be able to:

Develop comprehensive project management documentation that establishes clear communication protocols for diverse teams
Apply project management concepts including workflow sequencing, risk mitigation, and query management to realistic business scenarios
Create professional documentation that balances detail with scan-ability for busy stakeholders
Demonstrate understanding of the project manager’s role in facilitating team coordination and success

Assignment Instructions

Step 1: Form your team and select a project scenario

You may work individually or in teams. Working in a team allows you to simulate the collaborative nature of real project management and share the workload.

Select a business project for which you’ll develop your project management plan. Consider these guidelines:

Draw from experience: If you have experience in a particular industry or with specific types of projects, leverage that knowledge to create a more realistic and detailed plan
Explore new interests: Alternatively, use this as an opportunity to explore a project type you’re curious about but haven’t managed before
Make it realistic: Choose a project with clear deliverables, multiple team members, and a defined timeline (ideally 4-10 weeks in duration)
Consider your field: Translation and localization students might choose projects like website localization, software translation, or multimedia content adaptation, but you’re welcome to explore projects in marketing, product development, event planning, or any other business context

Project examples:

Launching a new product or service
Organizing a major event or conference
Developing a marketing campaign
Creating educational content or training materials
Implementing a new business process or system
Producing a multimedia project (video series, podcast, digital publication)

Step 2: Research and plan your project management approach

Before creating your plan, research how projects like yours are typically managed:

What project management methodology would work best for your project type? (Consider Waterfall, Agile, Kanban, or hybrid approaches)
What roles and expertise are typically needed for this type of project?
What are common risks or challenges that arise?
What is a realistic timeline for completing the work?

You may want to review the PM Plan Example to see how project management documentation is structured and what level of detail is appropriate.

Step 3: Create your Project Management Plan

Your plan must include the following sections:

Required Section 1: Project Title and Description

Give your project a clear, professional title
Write a concise description (2-4 sentences) that explains what the project aims to accomplish
Include the project manager’s name (you or your team lead)

Required Section 2: People Involved

Create a contact list with at least 5 different roles on your project team. For each person include:

Name (can be fictional, but use realistic names from diverse cultural backgrounds)
Role/title
What team members should contact this person about
Contact information (email is sufficient)

Note: This section helps establish clear communication channels so team members know who to reach out to for specific needs.

Required Section 3: Gantt Chart

Create a project timeline showing at least 5 different tasks or phases. Your Gantt chart should:

Show the sequencing of tasks over time (use weeks or similar time periods)
Include both finish-to-start and start-to-start sequencing where appropriate
Use visual elements (bars, blocks, or shading) to represent work periods
Identify any key milestones or deliverables
Include a legend explaining your visual notation

Tip: Use a table format as shown in the PM Plan Example for easy creation in Word.

Required Section 4: Risk Register

Document at least 3 potential risks to your project. For each risk include:

Risk ID (e.g., R-001, R-002)
Clear description of what could go wrong
Probability (Low/Medium/High)
Impact if the risk occurs (Low/Medium/High)
Risk owner (who will monitor this risk)
Mitigation strategy (how you’ll prevent or minimize the risk)
Current status (Active/Mitigated/Monitored)

Important: After your risk register table, include a note instructing team members how to add newly identified risks and who to notify.

Required Section 5: Queries Tracker

Document at least 3 queries or questions that might arise during your project. For each query include:

Query ID (e.g., Q-001, Q-002)
Date raised
Who raised the query
Category or topic
The question itself
Response/resolution
Who responded
Date resolved
Status (Open/Closed/Pending)

Important: After your queries table, include a note instructing team members how to add new queries and who to notify.

Required Section 6: Project Management Platform

Describe what technology platform or tools your team will use to manage the project. Consider:

What platform will you use for day-to-day project tracking? (e.g., GitHub Projects, Trello, Asana, Notion, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, etc.)
What specific features or boards will you use within that platform?
How will team members access and update their work?
What expectations do you have for how often team members should update their status?

Step 4: Format and polish your document

Before submitting, ensure your plan:

Is professionally formatted with clear headers, appropriate use of tables, and consistent styling
Is 2-3 pages (excluding any cover page)
Uses inclusive language that doesn’t assume masculine gender as neutral (use “they/them,” job titles instead of gendered terms, and diverse names for team members)
Is free from typos and grammatical errors
Follows proper file naming conventions

Step 5: Submit your Project Management Plan

File format: One MS Word document in .docx format

File naming conventions:

For individual submissions: LastNames_pm-plan.docx
For team submissions: LastNames1_LastNames2_pm-plan.docx (list all team members’ last names separated by underscores)
For example:
- MartínezWilliams_Chen_Brandt_EthicsCaseStudy.docx
- Chen_EthicsCaseStudy.docx

Make sure your Word document includes all required sections and meets the specifications outlined above.

Due date: End of week

How Your Work Will be Graded

Category	Points	Characteristics of effectiveness
Content Completeness & Quality	1 point	• All six required sections present and fully developed • People Involved includes at least 5 distinct roles with appropriate contact guidance • Gantt Chart shows at least 5 tasks with appropriate sequencing • Risk Register includes at least 3 realistic risks with comprehensive mitigation strategies • Queries Tracker includes at least 3 relevant queries with complete information • Project Management Platform section provides clear implementation details
Realism & Project Management Understanding	1 point	• Project scenario is realistic and well-defined • Role assignments make sense for the project type • Demonstrates understanding of workflow sequencing and dependencies • Timeline is achievable and appropriately detailed • Risk identification shows critical thinking about project challenges • Query examples reflect realistic team communication needs
Professionalism & Formatting	1 point	• Clear, scannable document structure with appropriate headers and visual hierarchy • Effective use of tables and formatting for readability • Error-free writing with proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation • Inclusive language throughout (gender-neutral terms, diverse team representation) • Appropriate level of detail (comprehensive but not overwhelming) • Proper file naming and submission requirements followed

Reflection Questions

Consider these questions as you develop your plan:

How does creating this documentation upfront help prevent problems during project execution?
What communication challenges might arise in your chosen project type, and how does your plan address them?
How might your project management approach need to adapt if the project scope changes or unexpected obstacles arise?
What makes your project management plan user-friendly for team members who might be new to the project?

📥 Download this Content

Find this file on our repo and download it.

🤖 GAI Study Prompts

Copy the downloaded content and try it with these prompts:

“Review my project management plan and suggest improvements to my risk register”
“What project management methodology would work best for [describe your project], and why?”
“Help me identify additional risks I should consider for a project involving [describe your project type]”
“What are common communication breakdowns in project management, and how can documentation prevent them?”
“Generate realistic query examples that might arise during [your project type]”
“How can I effectively communicate project status updates to stakeholders with different levels of technical knowledge?”
“What are signs that a project is getting off track, and how should a project manager respond?”

Next up: Project Management Plan Example: The Action Items Professional App