Generating Value by Using an Issue Management Plan

Issues are likely to come up during the lifecycle of a project, and an issue management plan is a necessary artifact to include in the project toolbox. These plans are effective for handling complex projects – specifically to manage and recover from issues. Author Susan Del Gatto said, “If you choose to not deal with an issue, then you give up your right of control over the issue and it will select the path of least resistance.” A well-executed issue management plan – through all phases of the project lifecycle – is essential to the success of the project. While an issue management plan is critical to the success of project execution, it is very useful for other endeavors in business and may be considered for any undertaking.

Issues are typically unexpected, and many times must be dealt with quickly, to ensure the health of the project – for scope, schedule, and budget. Unlike risks, issues exist and must be managed; however, a solid risk management plan may help prevent some risks from becoming issues.

An issue management plan should be used when issues present themselves during the project lifecycle.

Benefits of an issue management plan include:

• Increase focus and attention on issues
• Provide a consistent approach for analyzing, prioritizing, communicating, and managing issues
• Provide an approach for efficiently and effectively resolving issues
• Provide a collaborative and team environment
• Save cost and time by identifying, prioritizing, and managing issues 

The issue management process defined below is an ideal approach for managing issues.

Issue Management Plan Process:

1. An issue is identified during the project lifecycle
2. The issue is logged and prioritized on the issue management plan template
3. The project team analyzes the issue for source and cause, along with impact to the project health, for scope, schedule, and budget
4. The project team develops a recovery plan for the issue
5. The project team monitors and reviews the issue to ensure that the recovery plan has been successful
6. The process is repeated when any additional issues are identified 

An issue management plan may be used as an input to a lessons learned plan or to the risk management plan. While your issue management plan template may vary slightly, it will likely contain many of the components found in the following example. This image depicts a basic issue management plan template, along with its elements.

Regardless of your issue management plan template, format, and layout, it is fundamental for larger and more complex projects to include such a plan in the project toolbox and to review it during project review meetings.

Value Generation Partners wishes you much success in your pursuit of issue management and resolution, thereby generating greater value in your organization!   

Creating an Issue Management Plan is useful in combination with other LinkedIn Pulse posts found at this link.

Find more on related topics in Project Management for Success Handbook, which is available on Lulu.com and other book distributors in paperback and eBook. With the purchase of any handbook, the reader has access to a companion toolbox file containing all referenced templates.