, PRO4801 ASSIGNMENT 3 2025 ANSWERS
DUE DATE: 8 SEPTEMBER 2025
Question 3.1
PROJECT PLANNING PROCESS: STEPS AND PURPOSES
Introduction
Effective project planning is fundamental to the success of any project, particularly in
organisations that are still growing and establishing formal structures, as in the ABC project
scenario. Planning serves as a strategic roadmap, guiding the allocation of resources,
timelines, scope, and quality measures to ensure that the project delivers value for money to
stakeholders (PMI, 2021). A well-structured planning process provides mechanisms for risk
mitigation, stakeholder engagement, and monitoring of project performance. Understanding
the distinct steps in the project planning process and the purpose of the key questions asked
at each stage is essential for ensuring efficiency, transparency, and project success.
Project Initiation and Feasibility Assessment
The initiation phase involves defining the project’s objectives, scope, and overall feasibility.
Key questions include: What problem is the project intended to solve? What are the
anticipated benefits? Is the project financially, operationally, and technically viable? The
purpose of these questions is to ensure that the project aligns with the organisation’s
strategic goals and prevents misallocation of resources (Meredith & Mantel, 2020). In the
ABC project, inadequate feasibility assessment led to misaligned expectations and
inefficiencies. Evaluating feasibility at this stage also allows planners to identify constraints
such as budget limitations, technological capabilities, and availability of skilled personnel,
which can influence the project’s design and execution plan. By proactively assessing these
factors, the organisation can avoid costly mistakes and ensure that the project is worth
pursuing.
Defining Scope and Objectives
After confirming feasibility, the next step is to clearly define the project scope and objectives.
Typical questions include: What deliverables must the project produce? What tasks and
activities fall within or outside the project scope? Who are the key stakeholders, and what
are their expectations? Answering these questions is critical to prevent scope creep, ensure
that all activities contribute to project goals, and facilitate stakeholder communication
DUE DATE: 8 SEPTEMBER 2025
Question 3.1
PROJECT PLANNING PROCESS: STEPS AND PURPOSES
Introduction
Effective project planning is fundamental to the success of any project, particularly in
organisations that are still growing and establishing formal structures, as in the ABC project
scenario. Planning serves as a strategic roadmap, guiding the allocation of resources,
timelines, scope, and quality measures to ensure that the project delivers value for money to
stakeholders (PMI, 2021). A well-structured planning process provides mechanisms for risk
mitigation, stakeholder engagement, and monitoring of project performance. Understanding
the distinct steps in the project planning process and the purpose of the key questions asked
at each stage is essential for ensuring efficiency, transparency, and project success.
Project Initiation and Feasibility Assessment
The initiation phase involves defining the project’s objectives, scope, and overall feasibility.
Key questions include: What problem is the project intended to solve? What are the
anticipated benefits? Is the project financially, operationally, and technically viable? The
purpose of these questions is to ensure that the project aligns with the organisation’s
strategic goals and prevents misallocation of resources (Meredith & Mantel, 2020). In the
ABC project, inadequate feasibility assessment led to misaligned expectations and
inefficiencies. Evaluating feasibility at this stage also allows planners to identify constraints
such as budget limitations, technological capabilities, and availability of skilled personnel,
which can influence the project’s design and execution plan. By proactively assessing these
factors, the organisation can avoid costly mistakes and ensure that the project is worth
pursuing.
Defining Scope and Objectives
After confirming feasibility, the next step is to clearly define the project scope and objectives.
Typical questions include: What deliverables must the project produce? What tasks and
activities fall within or outside the project scope? Who are the key stakeholders, and what
are their expectations? Answering these questions is critical to prevent scope creep, ensure
that all activities contribute to project goals, and facilitate stakeholder communication
