What is the Project Planning Phase? 

The planning phase begins once the project is defined, accepted by stakeholders,  and the project management team is in place. 

The planning phase entails the following: 

•  the project plans are documented, 
• the project deliverables and requirements are defined, and 
• the project schedule is created. 

It involves creating a set of plans to help guide your team through the implementation and closure phases of the project. 

What are the Outputs of Project Planning? 

The output of the project planning phase is generally a project plan. A project plan will include all of the following sub-parts:

• Scope planning – specifying the in-scope requirements for the project to facilitate creating the work breakdown structure
• Work breakdown structure – Spelling out the breakdown of the project into tasks and sub-tasks
• Project Schedule - listing the entire schedule of the activities and detailing their sequence of implementation
• Resource Plan - indicating who will do what work, at which time, and if any special skills are needed to accomplish the project tasks
• Project Budget - specifying the budgeted cost to be incurred at the completion of the project
• Quality Insurance Plan - assessing quality criteria to be used for the project
• Organization Plan - A plan for the structure of the project team. 
• Communication Plan - designing the communication strategy with all project stakeholders
• Risk Management Plan -  planning for possible risks and considering optional contingency plans and mitigation strategies
• Procurement Plan - focusing on vendors outside your company and subcontracting

Any of these plans may be combined together. In some instances, all of this information will be included in a single project plan.