Planningspecifying

Planningspecifying, sometimes written planning specification, is a term used in project management and systems engineering to describe the process and products involved in detailing the planning requirements and constraints that govern the execution of a project or initiative. The purpose is to translate strategic goals into a formal, verifiable plan that can be reviewed, approved, and used to guide work.

A planning specification typically includes objectives, scope, deliverables, milestones, schedule, resource and budget estimates, roles and responsibilities, governance and decision rights, risk criteria, quality criteria, dependencies, constraints, and acceptance criteria. The process usually begins with elicitation from stakeholders, followed by clarifying success criteria, identifying constraints, and documenting these elements in a planning specification document. The document then serves as the baseline for developing the detailed project plan and for later change control.

Planningspecifying sits at the intersection of requirements engineering and project planning. It helps ensure that planning decisions are traceable to stakeholder needs and organizational goals, while distinguishing the planning activity from execution and from standalone requirements documents.

Applications span software development, construction, manufacturing, and operations. Benefits include clearer expectations, improved traceability, and stronger governance; challenges include keeping the specification current, avoiding ambiguity, and aligning multiple stakeholders.

See also: project planning, requirements specification, scope management, risk management.