plan-project

name	plan-project
description	Project planning with tasks and risk assessment
version	1.0.0
tags	["planning","project","tasks","management"]

When to Use

Use this skill when breaking down a project into tasks, estimating effort, identifying dependencies, assessing risks, or creating an implementation roadmap.

Steps

1. Define goals: Clarify what "done" looks like. Identify must-have vs. nice-to-have outcomes.
2. Decompose work: Break the project into concrete, actionable tasks. Each task should be completable independently and verifiable.
3. Identify dependencies: Map which tasks block other tasks. Find the critical path (longest chain of dependent tasks).
4. Assess risks: For each major component, identify what could go wrong, how likely it is, and what the impact would be.
5. Prioritize: Order tasks by dependency constraints, risk reduction, and value delivery. Front-load high-risk items.
6. Define milestones: Group tasks into phases with clear deliverables and checkpoints.

Rules

• Tasks must be specific and verifiable. "Improve performance" is not a task; "Reduce API response time to under 200ms" is.
• Every task should have a clear definition of done.
• Identify assumptions explicitly — plans fail when assumptions are wrong.
• Include buffer for unknowns proportional to the project's novelty (familiar work: 10-20%, novel work: 30-50%).
• Surface dependencies early — blocked tasks are the most common source of delays.
• Separate "what to build" decisions from "how to build" decisions.

Output Format

1. Goals: What the project aims to achieve, with success criteria.
2. Tasks: Numbered list with descriptions and definitions of done.
3. Dependencies: Which tasks block which (can be a simple list or diagram).
4. Risks: Top 3-5 risks with likelihood, impact, and mitigation strategy.
5. Milestones: Phased delivery plan with checkpoints.
6. Assumptions: Explicit list of things assumed to be true.