Need and Scope of Project Planning

Project planning that involves determining and documenting a list

of specific project goals, deliverables, features, functions, tasks,
deadlines, and ultimately costs. In other words, it is what needs to
be achieved and the work that must be done to deliver a project.
project into tasks, assembling a project team, and determining a
schedule over which the work is to be completed. During this
phase, we create smaller goals within the larger project, making
sure each is achievable within the time frame.

Project planning plays an essential role in helping guide

stakeholders, sponsors, teams, and the project manager through
other project phases. Planning is needed to identify desired goals,
reduce risks, avoid missed deadlines, and ultimately deliver the
agreed product, service or result. Without careful planning, project
performance is almost certainly guaranteed to suffer.

Project planning requires breaking down a larger project into tasks,

assembling a project team, and determining a schedule over which
the work is to be completed. During this phase, we create smaller
goals within the larger project, making sure each is achievable
within the timframe

What does careful planning help to achieve?

Risk always lurking in the back ground whether at a micro or
macro level. What may seem like a minor risk to a task could pose a
larger threat later during project execution. Proper planning allows
teams to ensure that risks can be mitigated against and that
smaller tasks roll-up into milestones that meet with the larger goals
of the project, reducing potential risks.
Reducing project failure rates
Planning is the second phase of project management. This is where
you cross the T's and dot the I's. It's where the scope of the project
is laid out, where the timeline, costs, deliverables and the details
are ironed out. This is where expectations are set and assumptions
are identified. Without this vital step, it is almost certain things will
fall through the cracks and a project team is bound to miss crucial
details, deadlines 

Reason for insufficient planning

The old adage "failure to plan is planning to fail" certainly holds

true when managing projects. After all, how can you manage a
project without determining how and when you are going to manage
it? Yes, planning takes time and effort, and is in no way exciting (for
most of us), but it is necessary for success.

1. Unrealistic project expectations. Many project managers have

encountered situations where they were saddled with
unrealistic expectations. The pressure to complete a project in
a specified amount of time may have caused them to either
skip or rush through the planning phase.
2. Impatience. This can play a significant role in why project
managers gloss over the planning phase and jump right into
execution. This need to skip over the most critical project
management phase will likely result in regret and rework, at the
very least.
3. A lack of understanding. Not understanding how planning
affects the successful execution of projects may be one of the
biggest reasons planning is ignored.