A project release plan is a document that outlines the timeline for the completion and delivery of a project to its stakeholders. It includes information about the project’s milestones, deliverables, dependencies, and resources required to complete each project stage.

Creating a project release plan is important, as it provides a roadmap for the project team to follow, helping them stay on track and ensure the project is completed within the desired timeframe. It also helps to communicate the project’s progress and status to stakeholders, giving them a clear understanding of what to expect in the ongoing development and when to expect it. Additionally, it allows for better resource allocation, and risk management, and ensures that all stakeholders are on the same page regarding the project’s goals and objectives.

A well-designed project release plan can improve project management and increase the chances of project success.

Here is the list of major pointers which should be included in a Project Release Plan document.

1. INTRODUCTION

In this section, give a brief introduction about the project and about the release plan document. It should include the purpose of the project, what is the decided scope, and the objectives of this release. This section sets the tone of the document.

In the project introduction try to give a high-level overview of the project.

2. RELEASE SCOPE

This section focuses on the core functionalities and features to be developed in the release. Be specific about what will be included in the release and what not. Clearly define the boundaries to avoid any confusion.

3. RELEASE SCHEDULE

In this section, provide a timeline and milestones for the release. Outline the key dates, deadlines, and dependencies associated with the release. This section should provide a clear schedule of the release activities, including any milestones or deadlines that need to be met.

4. TEAM ALLOCATION

The team allocation section should include the complete team that is involved in the release. Clearly define the roles and responsibilities during the complete release.

5. RELEASE RISK AND MITIGATION

The release risk and mitigation section is very important as we anticipate and hence try to avoid the risk that might arise during the complete release process. Identify the risks and potential obstacles associated with the release. Outline strategies and plans to mitigate these risks, including contingency plans, risk mitigation measures, and how to handle potential issues or challenges.

6. COMMUNICATION PLAN

Outline the stakeholders involved in the release and provide a communication plan. This should include details about the communication channels and methods that will be used to keep stakeholders informed about the progress, status, and changes related to the release.

7. TESTING AND QUALITY ASSURANCE

Mention the testing strategies and plans for the release. This may include details about the types of testing that will be conducted, the resources required for testing, and the quality assurance measures that will be implemented to ensure a high-quality release. This section should elaborate on how the QA will be done throughout the progress of the project and the action items before release.

8. DEPLOYMENT PLAN

In this section, provide details about the procedures and steps that will be followed for deploying the release. This may include deployment schedules, deployment checklists, and other relevant information about how the release will be rolled out to production or other environments.

9. CHANGE MANAGEMENT

Any software development can not proceed without corrections and changes suggested by clients. This section should highlight change control procedures, documentation requirements, and any other relevant information about how changes will be managed during the release process.

10. DOCUMENTATION

This section should focus on all the necessary documents required for the release. Which documents are needed, who will be responsible for creating/providing those, locations of all documents, etc,. Also, provide a documentation delivery plan, indicating when and how the documentation will be delivered.

11. CONCLUSION

Provide a brief summary of the entire release plan highlighting the key points and next steps. This section should provide a concise conclusion to the release plan document and set the tone for the implementation phase.

12. REFERENCES/QUICK LINKS

You can attach any references or links to the useful channels, and sites in this section. This can be used as one place where all the links are available.

Based on the above pointers, I have created a sample release plan for you which you can refer to. Depending on your project, you can change the below details.

Sample Release Plan

1.INTRODUCTION

The project is to develop a web application for an e-commerce company. ABC is an e-commerce company that wants to build an online platform where they can sell their products. This release plan is created to understand and define the scope of the project.

2.RELEASE SCOPE

Product Listing — All the products should be listed on the website which is available for purchase for users. The list of products should be in the order of most relevant to least.

Search — The user should be able to search any product in the system and the search should work for all the products on the website. The search should work on the title, description, and image(if Present) of the product. All the matching results should be displayed along with the number of matching results.

Filter — The user should be able to filter the list of products by product type and price range. The user should be able to select the filter and when filtered only matching results should be displayed along with the number of matching results.

3.RELEASE SCHEDULE

Product Listing — To be completed by 15 June 2023 Search product — To be completed by 30 June 2023 Filter product — To be completed by 15 July 2023

4.TEAM ALLOCATION

Following is the team allocation for this release: Business Analyst — John Watson Sr Engineer — Ellie Thomas Jr Engineer — Robert Pritchet Quality Analyst — Sean Winslet

5.RELEASE RISK AND MITIGATION

• Technical risks: software bugs, system crashes, updating older libraries, and checking compatibility or hardware failures.
• Schedule risks: project delays or missed deadlines, unclear requirements, insufficient documentation, and delay in designs.
• Resource risks: These are risks that are related to resources, such as inadequate staffing, budget constraints, unplanned leaves, change in the allocation of resources
• Communication risks: misunderstandings, miscommunications, or conflicts, delay in follow-ups.
• Security risks: data breaches, cyber-attacks, or unauthorized access to systems. Insufficient security requirements
• Quality risks: defects, errors, or usability issues, lack of proper testing, Lack of documentation, * Insufficient requirements review, inadequate time for testing
• Stakeholders risks: stakeholder disagreements, lack of support, changes in stakeholder requirements, unrealistic expectations, and poor stakeholder engagement.

6. COMMUNICATION PLAN

• All communications either internal or with the client will be done over Email and Slack/ MS Teams.
• A weekly call will be scheduled with the client for status updates, requirement gathering and to discuss the progress of the project.
• Daily standup meetings will be scheduled with the internal as well as external stakeholders and team members for daily updates.
• Sprint demo i.e. once every two weeks, a call will be scheduled with the client to show the progress of the project.
• All the designs will be shared on Adobe XD/Figma with design notes
• Confluence will be used for all the documentation.
• JIRA/Azure will be used for project management.

7. TESTING AND QUALITY ASSURANCE

• Manual testing will be done during the progress of the screens.
• QA will be performing the testing on ‘Testing Instance’ during the sprints.
• After all the development is done from the defined scope, the final round of testing will be done on the Staging instance.
• A QA signoff will be given before the release.

8. DEPLOYMENT PLAN

• All the changes will be deployed on the UAT instance before deploying on production.
• QA signoff needs to be ready and submitted before the deployment on the production instance.
• The deployment will be done on suitable timezones which will have the least impact on the current systems and the users.

9. CHANGE MANAGEMENT

• Any changes in the defined scope of the work will be communicated to the Project Manager/Business Analyst first.
• After evaluating the changes, estimations will be made and then only those will be considered either in the current scope or will be treated as a change request.

10. DOCUMENTATION

• All the technical and business documents will be put on Confluence.
• Confluence should be the only common platform for documentation.

11. CONCLUSION

This release plan is to be considered as the schedule for the complete development of all the features and functionalities mentioned above.

12. REFERENCES/QUICK LINKS

Find the JIRA documents and confluence documents here. (Provide links of the documents).

The release plan is an essential part of project management, providing a framework for decision-making and helping to ensure that everyone involved in the project is aligned with its goals and objectives.

Thank you for reading! Please let me know what do you think about the blog and suggestions in the comments below.