Page 115 -

6

Developing the Project

The next stop along the project path is the development of the project plan.
There are three separate but interconnected elements: project planning,
organizing the plan into a cohesive undertaking, and the generation of
supporting documentation. These elements are sequential in nature, and
each successive element should be thoroughly investigated using the avail-
able tools and techniques prior to stepping to the next element. Developing
the project plan is where the detailed project definition is accomplished,
and without a complete detailed definition, the project is doomed for fail-
ure. Remember, like many of the processes in project management, the
elements should be iterated and elaborated as necessary as new informa-
tion about the project or its environment becomes available. And as we
know, the environment can be a very changeable thing.

ProjeCt Planning

This is the important first step in the development of a “green” project
plan. As with any project-planning effort, the first action required is to
fully understand the nature of the project. Defining scope—what the proj-
ect does and does not include—sets the stage for all future project deci-
sions. If something is defined as out of scope, it would have to be accepted
formally into the project via the project’s change control processes. If that
“something” is sustainability, that may easily be enough of a hurdle to dis-
courage its addition later on. That’s why we urge you to put it into the proj-
ect’s scope at this early stage. Just as other business needs are incorporated
into the scope of the project, so is the green business need. That is why it
is so important to connect the company’s commitment to sustainability

89