Project planning is part of project management, which uses schedules such as Gantt charts to track progress within the project environment.[1]​ It is the process of quantifying the time and resources that a project will cost. The purpose of the project approach is to create a project plan that a manager (project manager) can use to track the progress of his or her team.

Initially, the scope of the project is defined and the appropriate methods (all necessary tasks) to complete the project are determined. Following this step, the duration for the various tasks necessary to complete the work are listed and grouped into a work breakdown structure. The logical dependencies between tasks are defined using an activity network diagram that allows the identification of the critical path. Elaborate time calculations can be made using project management software.[2]​ Resources can then be estimated and costs for each activity can be optimized in order to achieve a balance between resource use and total duration to meet the project objectives.

Once established and accepted, the plan becomes what is known in English-speaking places as a “baseline.” Progress will be measured against this guideline throughout the life of the project. The analysis of progress compared to the baseline is known, in English, as earned value management[3]​.

Project planning[4]​ is not something to be done just once at the beginning of the project. Observing your team's progress and appropriately updating the project plan should be a constant task of the project manager. A computer project management program can be useful if used correctly. There are various project management patterns that describe in detail how to plan and control a project.