Plan

A plan is a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something.

Commercial Continuous Improvement Assessment Framework, published by HM Government in May 2021, suggests: ‘A plan ensures that desired outputs and outcomes are likely to be delivered within defined constraints, to meet an agreed strategy.’

Construction projects are very complex, with many risks, and careful planning is vital to ensure requirements are satisfied, problems are avoided and delivery is achieved on time and on budget.

The word ‘plan’ can have many different meanings in the construction industry:

• BIM Execution Plan.
• Block plan.
• Business plan.
• Commissioning plan.
• Construction phase plan.
• Contingency plan.
• Cost plan.
• Design management plan.
• Emergency plan.
• Environmental plan.
• Floor plan.
• Health and safety plan.
• Inspection & Test Plan.
• Local plan.
• Location plan.
• London plan.
• Master Information Delivery Plan.
• Material management plan
• National infrastructure plan.
• Neighbourhood plan.
• Off-plan property.
• Performance management plan.
• Plan making.
• Procurement plan.
• Project execution plan.
• Project implementation plan.
• Project plans.
• Project quality plan.
• Site layout plan for construction.
• Site layout planning for daylight and sunlight.
• Site plan.
• Site waste management plan.
• Stakeholder management plan.
• Task information delivery plan.
• Travel plan.
• Types of drawings.

NB In the construction industry, the term ‘planning’ can also refer to the process of obtaining planning permission, or the general subject of town and country planning.