Project Planning and Execution
Project Planning and Execution
This domain tests how the plan is baselined and then used to direct work, develop the team, and manage execution. Expect questions on kickoff, work authorization, issue management, and progressive elaboration.
Core rules
- Planning produces the project management plan and baselines for scope, schedule, and cost. Baselining freezes the approved version for performance comparison.
- A kickoff aligns the team and stakeholders on objectives, roles, and working agreements; it is not merely a status meeting.
- Work authorization systems release work in controlled increments and connect execution to the plan.
- Issue logs record current problems and owners; risk registers record uncertain future events. Do not confuse the two.
- Rolling wave planning elaborates near-term work in detail and leaves later work at a higher level until more is known.
Worked example
A five-phase program has a detailed plan for phase one and milestone-level plans for phases two to five. As phase one nears completion, the team elaborates phase two into activities and estimates. Reasoning: detailed planning too early would create false precision; progressive elaboration keeps the plan usable while preserving the baseline for approved near-term work.
Traps that cost marks
- Executing before the plan and baselines are approved.
- Treating the kickoff as a one-way presentation instead of alignment.
- Using the risk register for issues that have already occurred.
- Replanning without change control and baseline updates.