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Resource List
The project plan should contain a list of all resources that will be used on the project. This
list should go beyond what’s covered by the project schedule by including a description of
each resource, as well as any limits on that resource’s availability.
Most project management software packages provide a feature to maintain a resource list.
If this is not available, the resource list can either be a spreadsheet or a word processor
document containing a simple list, with one line per resource. The list should give each
resource a name, a brief one-line description, and the availability and cost (if applicable) of
the resource. All resources should be handled in the same way, regardless of type.

Estimates and Project Schedule
Once the statement of work and the resource list have been created, the project manager
should build a project schedule. This is usually done in several steps:

• A work breakdown structure (WBS) is defined. This is a list of tasks that, if performed,
will generate all of the work products needed to build the software.
• An estimate of the effort required for each task in the WBS is generated.
• A project schedule is created by assigning resources and determining the calendar time
required for each task.

The project plan should include the complete revision history of the WBS—it should con-
tain a list of any tasks that are added, changed, or removed, and when those changes
occurred. It should also include estimates and a project schedule, including any revisions
that were made during the review meetings. (Chapter 3 contains a repeatable process for
generating a WBS and estimates. Chapter 4 describes how to create a project schedule.)

Risk Plan
A risk plan is a list of all risks that threaten the project, along with a plan to mitigate some
or all of those risks. Some people say that uncertainty is the enemy of planning. If there
were no uncertainty, then every project plan would be accurate and every project would
go off without a hitch. Unfortunately, real life intervenes, usually at the most inconve-
nient times. The risk plan is an insurance policy against uncertainty.

Each of the risks in the plan must be assessed by the project manager and the team. Risk
assessment is an important part of planning a software project because it allows the project
manager to predict potential problems that will threaten the project and take steps to mit-
igate those problems. Adding a risk plan to a software project plan is an effective way to
keep the project from being derailed by surprises or emergencies. Many people are thrown
off by the word “assessment”—it’s a word that is usually associated with finances or
accounting, not with project management. But in this case, it’s appropriate. A good project
manager will assess the risk of her projects in much the same way that a good stock trader
will assess the risk of his portfolio. In both cases, potential problems should be identified,
and the relative probability and impact of each risk should be estimated. Certain risks will

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