Plan-Driven Approach
A delivery method that emphasizes thorough upfront planning with baselined scope, schedule, and cost; work proceeds in structured phases, requirements are expected to remain stable, and changes are handled through formal change control. Also called the predictive approach.
Key Points
- Extensive upfront planning and documentation establish scope, schedule, and cost baselines.
- Best suited to projects with stable, well-understood requirements and low uncertainty.
- Work typically follows sequential or phase-gate stages (e.g., waterfall).
- Changes are evaluated and approved through formal change control processes.
Example
A state-funded highway project uses a design-bid-build approach. The team finalizes detailed requirements and designs before construction, tracks progress against baselines, and routes any scope change through a change control board for approval.
PMP Example Question
Which situation most strongly favors using a plan-driven (predictive) approach?
- A startup building an MVP where requirements evolve weekly.
- An infrastructure project with stable requirements and strict regulatory standards.
- A research initiative exploring unknown technologies with high uncertainty.
- A product team releasing small features on a continuous delivery pipeline.
Correct Answer: B — Stable, regulated infrastructure project
Explanation: Plan-driven approaches work best when requirements are well-defined, uncertainty is low, and compliance and documentation needs are high.
