Planning is about controlling events using foresight, risk analysis, probability studies, and judgment to create a flexible and adaptable environment most likely to succeed.

Such a plan acts as a sponge to absorb environmental turbulence without sacrificing project goals, timescales, costs nor the enthusiasm, motivation and productivity of project personnel.

Such is the responsibility of management, and the planner charged with converting aims into realistic, executable, understandable and attainable plans.

Programme Introduction

Planning, whilst it is a time consuming process, is essential to ensure adherence to the objective of delivering project goals on time and to cost. There is nothing more stressful and demotivating when this doesn't happen. Well constructed plans allow management to monitor progress, and deal with deviations in a controlled way. This two day planning techniques Supervisor Training Course begins with methods of appraising the size and duration of a project in order to construct a resources plan.

Techniques for breaking down projects into manageable and discrete elements will be examined prior to establishing benchmarks as a basis for estimating. (The estimating phase is critical to ensuring that project plans are achievable therefore the various approaches to estimating practise will be discussed and estimating practised). Each Supervisor Training Course participant will gain clear knowledge and understanding of how to generate plans and use the principle techniques of networks, Gantt, CPA and PERT. They will use these techniques on relevant case work during the course. (PERT is the most demanding and therefore it, together with Gantt charts, will form the bulk of the work done during the course).

Activities need identifying, sizing, sequencing, co-ordinating, scheduling and allocating to resources. Resources must be knowledgeable, skillful and available.

A common source of project failure is the failure to match requirement to availability in an environment of multiple demands, changing priorities and specifications, without an appreciation of float availability and careful critical path management. Whilst planning techniques cannot perform miracles it can focus minds on issues, priorities, implications, consequences, etc., to assist the decision making process.

To utilise knowledge acquired the last supervisor training day will be devoted to case study which will enable them to produce plans showing deliverables at set milestones, consider resource requirements and appraise project duration and costs. During the day syndicate groups will enact the role of supplier and customer to each other whilst satisfying the varying, demanding needs of the organisations executive (the tutor).

In this way the participants will experience many of the difficulties encountered during the planning process.