3.1.3  Develop a plan and timetable for project preparation and procurement

A key initial task for the project management team or teams (in fact, probably an initial task for the advisers) is to develop a detailed project plan, including a timetable for project preparation and procurement. The plan needs to take into account all the key steps in the process including<1>

□  document development;

□  stakeholder consultation;

□  bidding process and private sector interface; and

□  government approval process.

PPP preparation is a complex undertaking with parallel activities feeding into critical paths. It is important that activities that are on the critical paths be initiated at the planned time and monitored closely to ensure that they proceed as planned and do not cause delays to other activities. It is helpful to use project-planning software to create the timeline in the form of a Gantt chart. The chart can then be easily updated from time to time (the project director should require the project management team to do this).