project-planning

# Project Planning (Deep Workflow) Plans are hypotheses—update them as facts arrive. Strong plans surface **dependencies early** and make **trade-offs** explicit (scope, date, quality). ## When to Offer This Workflow **Trigger conditions:** - Multi-team effort with a hard date or external dependency - Timeline slip and need to re-baseline honestly - Scope creep without prioritization conversation **Initial offer:** Use **six stages**: (1) frame outcome, (2) decompose work, (3) map dependencies, (4) schedule & buffers, (5) risks & mitigations, (6) operating rhythm. Confirm planning style (milestone-based, agile release train, hybrid). --- ## Stage 1: Frame Outcome **Goal:** Problem statement, success criteria, **non-goals**, constraints (date, budget, compliance). **Exit condition:** One-page charter stakeholders can align on. --- ## Stage 2: Decompose Work **Goal:** Epics or WBS → trackable chunks—not necessarily micro-tasks unless execution needs it. ### Practices - Prefer vertical slices (end-to-end thin features) over “all backend first” when possible --- ## Stage 3: Map Dependencies **Goal:** External teams, vendors, legal, security, infra—on critical path. ### Practices - Include lead time for reviews and procurement **Exit condition:** Dependency table: item, owner, need-by date, status. --- ## Stage 4: Schedule & Buffers **Goal:** Identify critical path; buffer **risky unknowns**, not every line uniformly. ### Practices - Milestones with demo-ready acceptance criteria --- ## Stage 5: Risks & Mitigations **Goal:** Top risks with likelihood/impact, owner, mitigation, and trigger for plan B. --- ## Stage 6: Operating Rhythm **Goal:** Steady cadence: weekly tactical sync, steering at milestones, RAID log updates, decision log to avoid re-litigation. --- ## Final Review Checklist - [ ] Charter: goals, non-goals, constraints - [ ] Work breakdown with vertical slices where feasible - [ ] Dependencies with owners and dates - [ ] Schedule reflects critical path and buffers - [ ] Risks tracked with mitigations - [ ] Communication cadence agreed ## Tips for Effective Guidance - Plans usually fail on hidden dependencies—make them visible. - Fixed scope + fixed date + fixed quality: pick two explicitly. - Agile still benefits from milestone intent for cross-company coordination. ## Handling Deviations - Research-heavy work: timebox spikes before committing delivery dates. - Small teams: minimum viable RAID + weekly priority still helps.