Collaborative Project Planning

What is collaborative project planning?

Collaborative project planning is project management run by the team rather than a dedicated project manager. It’s a method used to plan and coordinate distributed teamwork. When hierarchical barriers are removed, and the team uses the right project management software, decisions are made more efficiently.

This method is an inclusive project planning technique, giving every team member the chance to make critical decisions. Because collaborative project planning is a team-centric project planning strategy that utilizes diverse perspectives and eliminates the need for a traditional project manager, it’s an effective approach across varying industries and organizations. 

Collaborative Project Planning Software

Software that mention collaborative project planning as a feature or term.

Wrike

Trello

Smartsheet

Rally Software

Noodle

GenSight

Benefits of collaborative project planning

Collaborative project planning is an innovative process especially beneficial for smaller companies with teams that work closely together. Some key benefits collaborative project planning can bring organizations are:

• Combats departmental boundaries. Eliminates the need for project managers to plan projects behind closed doors. Team members don’t have to wait for orders and are involved in the planning process from start to finish.
• Boosts productivity. Project planning collaboration gives team members a solid understanding of their part and their responsibilities in the project. Clear expectations and goals combined with collaboration help employees produce higher quality work faster and more efficiently. 
• Increases innovation. Team members are likely to include external stakeholders like freelancers, partners, customers, vendors, and more, in the process. Discussing elements with external stakeholders brings diverse perspectives into the process, leading to innovation. 
• Better communication. When teams plan projects on equal ground, ideas flow freely, and communication becomes more honest and efficient. Problem-solving is easier when the entire team puts their heads together and works as one. 

Basic elements of collaborative project planning

Collaborative project planning involves similar elements to traditional project planning. The main difference is the emphasis on effective communication. Here are the basic elements of collaborative project planning:

• Project scope statement: Outlines the project planning foundation. The scope is where important project details, basic steps, and requirements are outlined. 
• List of deliverables and due dates: The team outlines all necessary items, milestones, and due dates. This is where the team will divide and assign tasks to each member. 
• Project schedule: The schedule outlines when tasks and the final project will be completed. It should accommodate for any potential delays and clearly define start and end dates for each task. 
• Defined roles and responsibilities: Specifying roles and responsibilities for each team member keeps everyone accountable and on track to finish their part of the project on time.
• Resource allocation: Teams allocate resources, time, and budget to complete the project in the most efficient way possible. 
• Communication plan: Outlines how team members will communicate with each other throughout the project. It will also outline who reports to whom, when these reports are due, and where project information and knowledge is stored. 

Collaborative project planning best practices

Collaborate project planning requires systems for clear communication and proper organization. To reap the benefits, companies should adhere to the following best practices: 

• Use the right tools: Collaborative project planning software is necessary to enable communication and organization within in-house and distributed teams. Proper tools create a space for brainstorming discussions, task management, resource management, calendars, and more. These tools allow teams to plan projects together without needing a project manager. 
• Decentralize knowledge sharing: Collaborative planning requires knowledge to be open and available to the entire team. If team members have to request materials from others to get tasks or responsibilities completed, some benefits are lost to waiting. Information should be easily accessible to team members for smooth project planning. 
• Encourage and reward honesty: Truthfulness is crucial to collaboration in any format. Advocating for employees to speak honestly about any problems that arise during the project planning process will result in better quality communication and collaboration. When employees aren’t afraid to speak up, issues that impede progress can be resolved before they arise, and teams can collaborate on brainstorming the best solutions.