Project plan templates

Map out your project plans and streamline your team’s collaboration with these free, easily customizable project plan templates.

What is a project plan?

A project plan is a detailed reference document that outlines the goals, objectives, resources, timeframes, and execution required to achieve a successful project. A cohesive project plan contains answers to the basic questions — the who, what, when, why, and how. In addition, it provides an overview of the following:

  • Project purpose

  • Key stakeholders

  • Budget and resource requirements

  • Timeline and milestones

With a good project management plan, you can account for all the details, map out the steps you need to take, and help your team effectively execute the different tasks and activities that’ll make your next project a success.

Why is a project plan important in project management?

Every successful project starts with a good roadmap. A project plan is a key component of project management because it sets the stage for you to achieve your goals. Project managers use this document to:

  • Communicate the project scope and objectives to key stakeholders

  • Identify the resources needed

  • Describe and assign tasks and activities

  • Plot timelines and project milestones

  • Enable effective monitoring and feedback generation

Having a project plan template makes it easy for a project manager to get started on the planning process. It also saves them time and effort, so the team can focus on executing and delivering results. As the project progresses, your team can refer back to the project plan to tick off what has been completed and flag what still needs to be done.

What should a project plan include?

A project plan lays out the work needed to complete a project — and how it’ll be completed. Typically, it includes an executive summary, a list of resources, a breakdown of activities and tasks, a timeline and schedule, and a monitoring and evaluation plan.

How to write an effective project plan

Step 1: Define the project’s purpose, scope, and success metrics

Start the project planning process by establishing the purpose, goals, and objectives of your project. Providing a clear project scope is essential because it helps steer the project in the direction you want to go. After defining the scope, think about the metrics you want to measure to gauge the success of your project. This way, you'll know if your project is on track to reach its goals and objectives.

Step 2: List your key stakeholders

It's time to identify the stakeholders who will be contributing to your project. Make a list of the most important team members, and determine how they’ll be involved in your project’s execution. In project management, the RACI (responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed) matrix is used to clarify a team member’s responsibilities and involvement in the project.

Step 3: Outline expected deliverables and project activities

The next step in the project planning process is to outline the project’s expected deliverables. These deliverables include the assets, products, services, or items that need to be created during the project. By determining the deliverables first, you can work your way back and identify the key project activities that need to be done to arrive at the outcome.

Step 4: Map out the project schedule and set deadlines

Now, focus on plotting out a schedule for your project execution. Create a timeline of how your project activities will play out, set deadlines for when the project deliverables are due, and mark the milestones that the project team needs to be aware of. Making a project timeline will ensure that you and your team are on the right track as you go along the project life cycle.

Step 5: Share your project plan, and adjust it based on feedback

Project planning doesn't start and end with you. It’s also important to share your roadmap with your team and ask for their input. They may have ideas to share that will improve how you carry out the project. Collect their feedback, and adjust the plan accordingly. With these five simple steps, you have everything you need to create a strong, comprehensive plan that will lead you and your team to success.

Creating a project plan template with Pitch

Ready to build your project plan with Pitch? Just choose a free project plan template from our collection, and click on Use this template. If you’re new to Pitch, you’ll need to sign up for a free account first. From there, you can start editing the template and adding slides for every part of your project plan.

If you’d like to work on the project planning process with your team, invite them to the deck and assign them slides to work on. It doesn't matter whether you're in the same room or spread across different time zones — your team can work together or asynchronously to design an action plan for your next project.

And once your project plan deck is ready, you can share it with your teammates, managers, and the rest of your organization by generating a presentation link!

Footer