1. Professor: JUANCHO A. INTANO, Ph. D SCHOOL FINANCE AND EDUCATIONAL PLANNING Reporter: Helene D. Delmoro

2. PRE-PLANNING OF SCHOOL PROGRAMS/PROJECTS Pre-planning - The Oxford online dictionary defines "pre-plan" as to "plan in advance". But isn't that generally the point of planning. The Pre-Planning Stage Some of the most important parts of a project occur even before the planning period. Some of this work might even begin before the project is officially approved. If a project is anticipated to be starting soon (or in the pipeline to be started soon), there is a lot of work that can be done in this pre- planning stage. Getting ahead of the curve at this point in time can help a project be successful in the long term, while waiting on events to carry things along will sometimes carry the project straight into endangered status. The pre-planning stage is a great time for the project to get ready to start on the right foot.

3. Steps in Pre-Planning Stage Gathering the Right People One of the first--and most important--steps is to gather the right people. At this point, all you might be doing is talking about the project or the possibility of the project, but if you have the right people around the table when you are talking about the project, then you will be generating forward momentum. Some key people to get involved at this stage include the stakeholders who can make decisions, the people who understand the objective of the project and the leaders who have the vision to execute the project. Calling Out the Decisions As the key individuals begin to discuss the project and the upcoming work, they need to call out the decisions that need to be made in order to ensure the success of the project. These decisions may include finding the necessary funding or partnering with other organizations in order to secure the correct resources for the project.

4. Laying the Foundation The pre-planning stage is the perfect opportunity to lay the foundation for the project. This foundation could include a draft statement of objective that works as a precursor for the project charter. Another objective for a solid foundation should be a commitment from the key individuals that you have identified. Even though nothing is set in stone, so to speak, you can have some conversations to ensure that they are interested and willing to commit to the project should it eventually come to fruition. Determining the “Why” As you lay the foundation and begin to execute preliminary steps for the project, it is important to ensure that both the project team and the stakeholders involved understand the “why” behind the project. Every project should have a purpose, and that purpose should be made clear to everyone involved so that no one is confused about the reasons for working on the project. The “why” of the project is one of the most important keys that will help everyone stay focused on preparing for the project even before it is approved and funded. Moving to Approval The final step is to get approval for the project. Through the work that has been done in the pre-planning stage, the project manager will have much more leverage to get the right decisions made and resources and funds dedicated to the project. The foundation that has been laid will help the project start off in the right direction and progress quickly through planning and into execution. In the long run, the pre-planning work will pay off and the project will have a much greater likelihood of being a success over all.

5. PLANNING OF SCHOOL PROGRAMS/PROJECTS Planning- is a vital part of the programme and project management process. A plan is basically the route-map through the programme or project from start to finish. What is a programme or project plan? Programme and project plans are generally produced in Gantt chart format. However, it is important to make the point that having a Gantt chart is not the same as having a good plan. Planning is a much more all-encompassing process which describes: what work needs to be done how the work will be done when the work will be done who will do the work how much it will cost to do the work

6. Programme and project planning the control cycle can look like this: Planning Control Cycle diagram

7. Purpose of programme and project planning Depending on what the plan is for, the level of detailed required in it can vary. Plans are resource intensive in terms of their creation and maintenance so it is important to give the right level of detail to the right audience. Typically, a number of plans may be produced: overarching portfolio or strategy level plan programme plan programme tranche plan project plan stage plan team plan individual plan

8. The level of detail shown in the plan will be greatest at the lower (individual) plans and will become less detailed in the upper levels (project, programme and overarching programme or portfolio). At programme level, a summary of the main contents would be: project timescales, costs, outputs and dependencies all risk and assumptions a schedule showing the programme’s tranches and project milestones a transition plan through to business as usual monitoring and control activities plus relevant performance targets

9. In a project environment, planning is driven by the products and services being produced or delivered by the project. Programme plans are partly an aggregate of the associated project level plans and partly a reflection of the strategic context for the programme. At project level, typical steps would be to: define and describe the major products or services identify activities to develop the products or services define the sequence of identified activities visualise the order (in a network diagram) including inter- dependencies estimate the duration and effort required for each activity identify the critical path (by taking a second pass through the network diagram) analyse and minimise resources required, resolving any resourcing conflicts identify major and minor decision points decide on milestone and review points

10. Programme and project planning roles and responsibilities Programme planning Project planning  senior responsible owner  programme manager  business change manager  programme management office  senior responsible owner  project board  project manager  project management office