[To ensure that your bid is able to compete on its merits against other applications, please provide a project plan that meets the specifications outlined in this document.Please delete italicised guidance notes prior to submission. To update the contents menu, click on the left or right side of the contents table and press F9.]
CONTENTS
1. Project Scope
1.1 Network and Project Title -
Insert Network and project title
1.2 Network Background
1.3 Activity or Project Background
1.4Activity or Project Benefits
1.5Target Outcomes
1.6 Project Schedule
1.7 Budget and Expenditure
2. Project Management Plan
2.1 Governance
2.2 Reporting Requirements
3. Risk Management Plan
1. Project Scope
1.1 Network and Project Title -insert Network and project title
1.2 NetworkBackground
Describe the purpose, core activities and membership (the size and types of members) of your network. Include information about how long your network has existed, how it meets the needs of manufacturing businesses and its management/leadership structure.
1.3 Activity or Project Background
Describe the activity or project for which MPN assistance is sought. Include information on the key participants, including network members, any external participants, and network employees, as well as any key activities, segments or stages of the activity or project.
1.4Activity or Project Benefits
What are the expected productivity or competitiveness benefits that will be directly generated by your proposed project? Who will receive the benefits? How many manufacturing business will benefit? What is the timeframe for the benefits to begin to impact on the performance of businesses? Can a value be ascribed to the benefits in terms of $ value added, value of new markets or new products or of cost savings?
1.5Target Outcomes
Provide details of how the networkor business will measure the success of the project, when this will occur and who is responsible for delivery. This can be in the following table:
Target Outcome / Measure / Completion Date / Accountability1What is to be achieved? / How will the network or business measure if the target has been achieved? / When will this be achieved? / Who is responsible for delivery (e.g. CFO, Operations Director etc)?
2
3 etc
1.6Project Schedule
Provide a detailed breakdown of all stages necessary to satisfactorily complete the project. This can be provided in the following table:
Project Stage Number / Description / Responsible Person / Scheduled Start / Scheduled Finish / PredecessorInsert stage number (e.g. 1, 2, 3 etc)
1 / What is to be achieved? / Who is responsible for delivery (e.g. CFO, Operations Director etc)? / Insert scheduled start date / Insert scheduled finish date / Previous stage number that must be completed before this stage can commence (this can be left blank if there are no dependencies)
2
3 etc
1.7Budget and Expenditure
Budget for Project - Provide detailed costs breakdown for the activity or project including all significant items of expenditure. This should be broken down into financial years for all aspects of the project.
Activities that are not eligible for MPN funding are:
- The purchase of new or upgraded equipment or technology.
- Network functions or business activities not directly connected with the enhancement of productivity and competitiveness, including normal business activities.
- Activities and projects that support less than five network member firms.
- Network or firm activities that have already taken place or are underway.
Projected Network Profit and Loss–Provide projections of incremental Profit & Loss and Cash Flow resulting from the project. The Profit & Loss projections should include incremental sales, cost of sales, gross profit, expenses and operating profit. The Cash Flow projections should include incremental cash from operations, funding received from the project (including the grant amount sought) and expenditure related to the project.
These statements are particularly relevant for informal networks as they will effectively show how the network’s finances will be managed over the duration of the project.
2. Project Management Plan
2.1 Governance
Provide details of the network’s governance structure for the project.What arrangements are in place to ensure that the project proceeds as planned and the network members receive the expected benefits from the project? This is particularly relevant for proposals for informal networks. Issues that should be addressed include authorities for decision making, financial commitments and expenditure, contractual arrangements, project management responsibilities and, if required, personnel recruitment and management arrangements.
2.2 Reporting Requirements
Include details of internal reporting structure for the duration of the project. This can be provided in the following table:
Reported By / To Whom / Reporting Requirements / Frequency1 Name and position of responsible person / Name and position of recipient / What is to be provided (e.g. status report)? / How often is this to be provided?
2 etc
3. Risk Management Plan
List potential risks that may affect the project and how they will be mitigated. This can be provided in the following table:
Risk ID Number / Risk Category / Risk Description / Impact / Likelihood / Mitigation Strategy1 / Category of the risk to the project (see note below table) / Brief description of the risk to the project / How much of an effect will it have to project delivery (e.g. high, medium, low) / How likely is it to occur (e.g. high, medium, low) / What actions has the company undertaken to limit this risk?
2
3
4 etc
Note: Common risk categories are: project requirements; benefits; schedule; budget; deliverables; scope; issues; suppliers; communication; and resourcing. You may wish to include some, all of these or others, depending on your project.