# Module 6: Integrated Planning – Delivery Approach, Schedule, Quality and Procurement MODULE OVERVIEW This module focuses on integrating the key planning activities required to manage project delivery effectively. Learners will understand how to develop an integrated project management plan that brings together scope, schedule, cost, resources, risks, quality and procurement. The module explores project dependencies, constraints, assumptions and delivery strategies. It also covers activity sequencing, schedule development, milestone planning, schedule baselines and critical path analysis. Learners will understand how planning practices differ across predictive, adaptive and hybrid project environments. In addition, the module introduces quality planning, quality assurance, quality control, procurement planning, vendor selection and contract management. Learners will also explore the importance of maintaining accurate project documentation and updating plans as project conditions change. By the end of this module, learners will understand how to coordinate different project management plans and maintain alignment across project delivery activities. WHAT WILL BE COVERED 6.1 DEVELOPING AN INTEGRATED PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN Understand how to bring different project management plans together into a coordinated approach for project delivery. Topics include: * Understanding the purpose of an integrated project management plan. * Identifying the key components of a project management plan. * Integrating scope, schedule and cost planning. * Coordinating resource, quality and risk management plans. * Incorporating communication and procurement requirements. * Establishing project baselines and management approaches. * Ensuring consistency across different project plans. * Updating the integrated plan when project conditions change. Practical example: Develop an integrated project management plan for an office relocation project, covering activities, timelines, costs, resources, risks, quality requirements and vendor arrangements. 6.2 IDENTIFYING PROJECT DEPENDENCIES, CONSTRAINTS AND ASSUMPTIONS Learn how to identify factors that influence project planning and determine how different activities depend on one another. Topics include: * Understanding project dependencies. * Identifying internal and external dependencies. * Exploring mandatory, discretionary and external dependencies. * Understanding project constraints related to time, cost, scope and resources. * Identifying planning assumptions. * Assessing the impact of incorrect assumptions. * Documenting dependencies, constraints and assumptions. * Reviewing their impact throughout project execution. Practical example: Identify dependencies in a software implementation project where infrastructure setup must be completed before system configuration and user testing can begin. 6.3 COORDINATING SCOPE, SCHEDULE, COST, RESOURCE AND RISK PLANS Understand how different project management components are connected and how changes in one area can affect others. Topics include: * Understanding the relationship between scope, schedule and cost. * Coordinating resource requirements with project activities. * Integrating risk planning into project schedules and budgets. * Identifying conflicts between different project plans. * Assessing the impact of changes across project management areas. * Maintaining alignment between project baselines. * Supporting integrated project planning and decision-making. Practical example: Evaluate how adding new project deliverables affects the schedule, budget, resource requirements and risk exposure of an ongoing project. 6.4 SELECTING AND TAILORING PROJECT DELIVERY STRATEGIES Explore how to select and adapt project delivery strategies based on project requirements and organisational conditions. Topics include: * Understanding project delivery strategies. * Assessing project complexity and uncertainty. * Considering stakeholder expectations and delivery requirements. * Evaluating predictive, adaptive and hybrid approaches. * Selecting suitable planning and delivery practices. * Tailoring project management processes to the project environment. * Reviewing delivery strategies when project conditions change. Practical example: Select a predictive approach for a construction project with clearly defined requirements and consider an adaptive approach for a software development project with evolving user requirements. 6.5 INTEGRATING PREDICTIVE, ADAPTIVE AND HYBRID PLANNING APPROACHES Understand how planning activities differ across predictive, adaptive and hybrid project environments. Topics include: * Understanding predictive project planning. * Exploring adaptive and agile planning practices. * Understanding hybrid planning approaches. * Integrating fixed planning elements with iterative delivery. * Coordinating schedules, resources and deliverables across different approaches. * Managing changes and feedback in adaptive environments. * Selecting suitable planning practices based on project needs. Practical example: Plan a business transformation project using fixed implementation milestones while allowing iterative development and feedback for selected software features. 6.6 ACTIVITY DEFINITION, SEQUENCING AND DEPENDENCY MANAGEMENT Learn how to identify project activities, arrange them in the correct sequence and manage relationships between tasks. Topics include: * Understanding activity definition and decomposition. * Identifying activities required to complete project deliverables. * Understanding activity sequencing. * Exploring finish-to-start, start-to-start, finish-to-finish and start-to-finish relationships. * Identifying predecessor and successor activities. * Understanding lead and lag time. * Developing activity sequence diagrams. * Managing dependencies during project execution. Practical example: Sequence activities for a website development project, ensuring that requirements gathering, design, development, testing and deployment are arranged according to their dependencies. 6.7 ESTIMATION TECHNIQUES AND SCHEDULE DEVELOPMENT Understand how to estimate activity durations and develop realistic project schedules. Topics include: * Understanding activity duration estimation. * Exploring analogous estimation. * Understanding parametric estimation. * Applying bottom-up estimation. * Introduction to three-point estimation. * Identifying resources and constraints that influence activity duration. * Developing project schedules. * Reviewing estimated durations and adjusting schedules based on project requirements. Practical example: Estimate the duration of individual activities in an ERP implementation project using historical project information, resource availability and input from subject matter experts. 6.8 MILESTONES, SCHEDULE BASELINES AND CRITICAL PATH ANALYSIS Learn how to establish project milestones, maintain schedule baselines and identify activities that directly influence project completion. Topics include: * Understanding project milestones and their purpose. * Identifying important project delivery checkpoints. * Establishing a schedule baseline. * Understanding the critical path method. * Identifying critical and non-critical activities. * Understanding schedule float. * Evaluating the impact of delays on project completion. * Monitoring project progress against the approved schedule baseline. Practical example: Identify the critical path for a building renovation project and determine which activities require close monitoring to avoid delaying the final handover date. 6.9 ADAPTIVE SCHEDULING, ITERATION PLANNING AND BACKLOG MANAGEMENT Explore how schedules and work priorities are managed in adaptive and agile project environments. Topics include: * Understanding adaptive scheduling. * Introduction to iterations and time-boxed delivery. * Planning work for individual iterations. * Understanding product and sprint backlogs. * Prioritising backlog items based on business value. * Estimating work and team capacity. * Reviewing progress during iterations. * Refining backlogs based on stakeholder feedback and changing priorities. Practical example: Plan a two-week development iteration by selecting high-priority backlog items, estimating team capacity and reviewing completed work at the end of the iteration. 6.10 QUALITY PLANNING AND QUALITY MANAGEMENT PROCESSES Understand how quality requirements are identified and incorporated into project planning. Topics include: * Understanding quality in project management. * Identifying project and product quality requirements. * Establishing quality standards and objectives. * Preparing a quality management plan. * Defining quality metrics and performance expectations. * Identifying quality management processes. * Integrating quality requirements into project activities. * Supporting continuous quality improvement. Practical example: Define quality requirements for a software implementation project, including system performance, functionality, usability and reliability. 6.11 QUALITY ASSURANCE, QUALITY CONTROL AND ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA Learn how quality is monitored and verified to ensure that project deliverables meet agreed requirements. Topics include: * Understanding quality assurance and its purpose. * Exploring quality control activities. * Understanding the difference between quality assurance and quality control. * Reviewing deliverables against quality requirements. * Defining acceptance criteria. * Identifying defects and non-conformities. * Applying corrective actions. * Obtaining stakeholder acceptance of completed deliverables. Practical example: Conduct testing of a business application against agreed acceptance criteria before presenting it to the client for approval. 6.12 COST OF QUALITY AND CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT Understand the financial impact of quality management and how organisations can improve project outcomes through quality practices. Topics include: * Understanding the cost of quality. * Exploring prevention costs. * Understanding appraisal costs. * Identifying internal and external failure costs. * Evaluating the cost of defects and rework. * Understanding the relationship between quality and project performance. * Applying continuous improvement practices. * Identifying opportunities to reduce quality-related costs. Practical example: Compare the cost of conducting additional testing during development with the potential cost of fixing defects after a system has been deployed. 6.13 PROCUREMENT PLANNING AND VENDOR SELECTION Learn how to identify external purchasing requirements and select suitable suppliers or vendors for project delivery. Topics include: * Understanding project procurement management. * Identifying goods and services that need to be purchased. * Preparing procurement requirements. * Exploring make-or-buy decisions. * Developing procurement specifications. * Evaluating potential suppliers and vendors. * Comparing vendor proposals and selection criteria. * Understanding procurement schedules and approval requirements. Practical example: Prepare procurement requirements for an IT project and evaluate vendors based on cost, technical capabilities, delivery timelines and support services. 6.14 CONTRACT TYPES, SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS AND PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT Understand how contracts define responsibilities and how supplier relationships are managed throughout project delivery. Topics include: * Understanding the purpose of procurement contracts. * Exploring fixed-price contracts. * Understanding cost-reimbursable contracts. * Exploring time and materials contracts. * Comparing contract types and their risk implications. * Managing supplier relationships and performance. * Monitoring contractual obligations and deliverables. * Addressing procurement issues and changes. * Supporting effective communication with vendors. Practical example: Select an appropriate contract type for an external software development service and monitor the supplier's delivery against agreed milestones and contractual requirements. 6.15 MANAGING PROJECT DOCUMENTATION AND PLANNING UPDATES Understand how project documentation is maintained and how planning information is updated throughout the project lifecycle. Topics include: * Understanding the importance of project documentation. * Maintaining project plans, schedules and baselines. * Documenting decisions, assumptions and changes. * Updating project management plans when changes are approved. * Maintaining accurate project records. * Communicating planning updates to stakeholders. * Ensuring relevant team members have access to current project information. * Maintaining document control and version history. Practical example: Update the project schedule, resource plan and risk register after an approved scope change, ensuring that the latest information is communicated to the project team. SKILLS YOU WILL GAIN By completing this module, learners will develop the ability to: * Develop and coordinate an integrated project management plan. * Identify project dependencies, constraints and assumptions. * Integrate scope, schedule, cost, resource and risk plans. * Select and tailor appropriate project delivery strategies. * Understand predictive, adaptive and hybrid planning approaches. * Define activities and manage task dependencies. * Apply different estimation techniques. * Develop project schedules and identify milestones. * Understand schedule baselines and critical path analysis. * Plan iterations and manage backlogs in adaptive environments. * Establish quality requirements and management processes. * Differentiate between quality assurance and quality control. * Understand cost of quality and continuous improvement. * Prepare procurement plans and evaluate vendors. * Understand contract types and supplier management. * Maintain project documentation and update planning information. LEARNING OUTCOMES After completing this module, learners will understand how integrated planning supports coordinated project delivery and helps teams manage time, cost, quality and procurement requirements. * Better project coordination: Bring scope, schedule, cost, resource and risk plans together to maintain consistency across project activities. * Improved schedule management: Identify task dependencies, estimate activity durations and monitor milestones to support realistic project timelines. * Better control over project delivery: Establish schedule baselines and use critical path analysis to identify activities that may affect project completion. * Flexible delivery planning: Select and tailor predictive, adaptive or hybrid approaches based on project complexity, stakeholder needs and changing requirements. * Improved quality outcomes: Establish quality requirements, monitor deliverables and address defects before they affect project acceptance or business operations. * Reduced quality-related costs: Apply prevention and quality control practices to minimise rework, defects and avoidable project expenses. * More effective procurement decisions: Identify purchasing requirements, evaluate vendors and select suitable contract arrangements based on project needs. * Stronger supplier management: Monitor vendor performance, contractual responsibilities and procurement deliverables to support reliable project execution. * Better project documentation: Maintain accurate project plans, records and updates so that stakeholders and team members work with consistent information. PMP EXAM ALIGNMENT This module primarily supports the Process domain of the PMP Examination Content Outline, with a focus on integrated planning, schedule management, quality management and procurement. PMP examination domain Relevant learning areas People Coordinating project teams, resource planning, stakeholder communication and collaboration during planning. Process Integrated project planning, dependencies, scheduling, estimation, quality management, procurement and documentation. Business Environment Selecting suitable delivery strategies and aligning project planning with organisational requirements. CONTINUE TO THE NEXT MODULE Continue to Module 7: Project Execution, Monitoring, Change and Issue Management. [https://teamacademy.help.center/article/1320-module-7-project-execution-monitoring-change-and-issue-management]