Consolidate the project/phase plans

Concepts

Consolidating project phase plans involves coalescing the varying aspects of diverse project phase plans into one comprehensive, overarching plan. This is crucial in Project Management, and to every Project Management Professional (PMP) as it brings about the alignment and coordination of the various project phase plans, ensuring the smooth running of the project.

A project typically consists of multiple phases with each possessing a particular set of tasks, objectives, team members, and timelines. A consolidated project or phase plan involves combining these varied elements into a unified whole, providing a clear and comprehensive view of the entire project activities.

Importance of Consolidating Project Phase Plans

Consolidation helps to align the different project phase plans to the overall project objectives. It also aids in monitoring and controlling the project more effectively by providing a summarised view of multiple aspects of the project like scope, cost, schedule, and quality, among others.

Streamlined Communication: Consolidated project plans enable clear communication across all project stakeholders. This helps reduce confusion, ensures everyone is on the same page, making project management more effective.
Improved Decision-Making: With a consolidated plan, you can quickly identify discrepancies, risks, and issues, enabling prompt responses and informed decision-making.
Cost and Time Efficiency: Consolidation helps to avoid redundancy and duplication, and facilitates resource allocation leading to cost and time savings.

Steps in Consolidating the Project/Phase Plans

Consolidating the project or phase plans is not a task completed in a single stride. This process involves careful planning and executed steps. Here are four crucial steps for executing this task:

Assess and Understand Each Phase Plan: Start by scrutinising every phase plan. Understand what each plan entails in terms of objectives, deliverables, risks, resource allocation, and more.
Identify Commonalities and Discrepancies: Look for elements that are universal across the distinct phase plans and note any discrepancies that might become a roadblock.
Create the Consolidated Plan: Combine the individual phase plan elements like scope, budget, and timeline into one comprehensive plan. Ensure all objectives are aligned with the project’s overall goal.
Review and Finalise the Plan: After consolidating, review the plan with members of various phase plans and other stakeholders. Adapt the plan based on the feedback received.

Examples of Consolidating Project/Phase Plans

To illustrate the concept of project/phase plan consolidation, we can consider an example of launching a new product. This project could be constituted of four phases: Concept and Design Phase, Development Phase, Testing Phase, and Launch Phase.

Each phase would have individual task lists, objectives, deadlines, and resources. In consolidating these plans, you would calculate the total time, resources, budget needed for the project, combining individual objectives into a comprehensive goal.

Here is an example overview of consolidation:

Project Phase	Task List	Objectives	Deadlines	Budget
Concept and Design	Concept Development, Design Mockups	Produce a final design by date x	Date X	$10000
Development	Prototype Development, Product Development	Build a working prototype by date y	Date Y	$20000
Testing	Product Testing, Usability Testing	Ensure the product works flawlessly	Date Z	$5000
Launch	Marketing, Release	Successfully launch the product	Date A	$15000
Consolidated Plan	Concept Development, Design Mockups, Prototype Development, Product Development, Product Testing, Usability Testing, Marketing, Release	Successfully launch a flawless product	Project completion date	$50000

By consolidating project or phase plans, project management professionals can manage projects more effectively, identifying possible issues, discrepancies, and opportunities for resource optimization. This aligns with the PMP ethos of ‘planning the work and working the plan,’ using resources efficiently, and reducing risks in project management.

Answer the Questions in Comment Section

True or False: When you consolidate project plans, it primarily involves merging all the smallest parts of your plans.

True
False

Answer: True

Explanation: Consolidation involves merging all the different aspects of a project plan including activities, timelines, tool and resources, risk prevention measures etc into one comprehensive project plan.

What is NOT one of the main benefits of consolidating project plans?

A. Increased clarity for all stakeholders
B. Reduction in resources and costs
C. Increased project risks
D. Enhanced communication and coordination

Answer: C. Increased project risks

Explanation: Consolidating the project plans doesn’t increase project risks, instead it helps to identify and manage them efficiently.

True or False: Consolidating the project plans is the final step in the planning process.

True
False

Answer: False

Explanation: While consolidating the project/phase plans is a significant part of the planning process, it’s not the final step. The plan needs to be reviewed, adjusted and approved before it can be implemented.

Multiple select: Which of the following are involved in project plan consolidation?

A. Consolidating risk plans
B. Consolidating communication plans
C. Consolidating shopping lists
D. Consolidating schedule plans

Answer: A. Consolidating risk plans, B. Consolidating communication plans, D. Consolidating schedule plans

Explanation: All elements of a project, except personal ones like shopping lists, need to be consolidated in a project plan.

What factor is NOT essential when consolidating the project plans?

A. Stakeholders’ involvement
B. Currency exchange rate
C. Communication strategies
D. Risk management plans

Answer: B. Currency exchange rate

Explanation: Although currency exchange rates might be significant in some projects, it’s not a universal necessity for consolidating the project plans.

True or False: Team input is not required when consolidating project plans.

True
False

Answer: False

Explanation: Team input is vital as members could provide valuable insights and considerations to help shape and improve the plan.

How does consolidating project plans enhance communication?

A. Creates a communication gap
B. Improves communication standardization
C. Decreases communication channels
D. Misunderstands the needs of stakeholders

Answer: B. Improves communication standardization

Explanation: Consolidating project plans provides unified, standardized communication channels that everyone understands and follows.

True or False: Consolidating the project plan always results in a reduction in costs.

True
False

Answer: False

Explanation: While a well-consolidated project plan can lead to cost efficiency, it doesn’t always guarantee cost reduction.

Single select: The main objective of project plan consolidation is to enhance:

A. Confusion
B. Coordination
C. Complexity
D. Chaos

Answer: B. Coordination

Explanation: The purpose of consolidating a project plan is to streamline and synchronize all project aspects, thereby enhancing better coordination

True or False: Consolidating project plans involves adjusting resources to align with the project scope.

True
False

Answer: True

Explanation: An integral part of consolidating project plans is to adjust all resources, including human, material, and monetary resources, to align with the project scope.

Single select: Consolidating the project plans is important for…

A. Overlooking major project risks
B. Scope creep
C. Detailed documentation
D. Unplanned changes

Answer: C. Detailed documentation

Explanation: One of the key aspects of consolidating project plans is to create comprehensive detailed documentation regarding every phase of the project.