   a plan is typically any diagram or list of steps with timing and resources, used to achieve an objective. see also strategy. it is commonly understood as a temporal set of intended actions through which one expects to achieve a goal. for spatial or planar topologic or topographic sets see map. plans can be formal or informal: * structured and formal plans, used by multiple people, are more likely to occur in projects, diplomacy, careers, economic development, military campaigns, combat, sports, games, or in the conduct of other business. in most cases, the absence of a well-laid plan can have adverse effects: for example, a non-robust project plan can cost the organization time and money.what should be included in a project plan - retrieved december 18th, 2009 * informal or ad hoc plans are created by individuals in all of their pursuits. the most popular ways to describe plans are by their breadth, time frame, and specificity; however, these planning classifications are not independent of one another. for instance, there is a close relationship between the short- and long-term categories and the strategic and operational categories. it is common for less formal plans to be created as abstract ideas, and remain in that form as they are maintained and put to use. more formal plans as used for business and military purposes, while initially created with and as an abstract thought, are likely to be written down, drawn up or otherwise stored in a form that is accessible to multiple people across time and space. this allows more reliable collaboration in the execution of the plan. ==plan topics== ===planning=== the term planning implies the working out of sub-components in some degree of elaborate detail. broader-brush enunciations of objectives may qualify as metaphorical roadmaps. planning literally just means the creation of a plan; it can be as simple as making a list. it has acquired a technical meaning, however, to cover the area of government legislation and regulations related to the use of resources. planning can refer to the planned use of any and all resources, as in the succession of five-year plans through which the government of the soviet union sought to develop the country. however, the term
Intention Management Operations_research Planning Problem_solving Project_management Thought