planilists

Planilists are planning artifacts that organize intended work into a structured list or set of lists to guide a project or program. The term is a neologism formed from plan and list and is used in some planning communities to describe a living document that enumerates planned tasks, milestones, deliverables, resources, and timelines.

A planilist typically contains items with defined attributes, such as description, owner, due date, estimated effort, priority, dependencies, and status. Items can be grouped by phase, release, or workspace, and may include subitems to reflect hierarchy. The planilist serves as the central planning artifact from which schedules and allocations are derived, and it is often updated during planning iterations or in response to changing circumstances.

Planilists are related to, but distinct from, roadmaps, backlogs, and Gantt charts. They can feed into Gantt charts or release plans and may be synchronized with calendars and project management tools. The approach supports communication and alignment among stakeholders by providing a single source of planned work, as well as a basis for progress reporting.

Best practices emphasize keeping the planilist lean and current, linking items to real work items, assigning owners, and maintaining versioning. Regular reviews and lightweight change control help prevent drift and ensure that the planilist reflects reality.

See also: Roadmap, Milestone, Release planning, Gantt chart, Backlog, Task list.