Defining Project Operations

Defining Project Operations
The scope, work plan, schedule, resources, and budget of the project are its physical makeup.
To ensure that a project runs smoothly, however, you should also define project operations by
developing an operations plan. This plan covers the rules and practices that people should follow
during the project.
What aspects of the project should the operations plan cover? Generally, you should specify
procedures for project actions that need to be followed each time the action is required. For
instance, you should include these items in the operations plan:
• Roles and responsibilities of team members
• Methods for coordinating with other organizations
• Staffing procedures
• Travel policies
• Engineering drawing standards
• Document sign-off procedures
To develop a project operations plan, review existing corporate and local policies and regulations,
and then define procedures for items that team members must accomplish in a unique
manner. Also be sure to identify any restrictions that corporate policies and other regulations
place on the project.