A Plan on a Page (POaP) is a concise, high-level visual summary of a project used to communicate timelines, milestones, and strategic objectives to stakeholders and executives. It condenses detailed data into an easy-to-digest, single-page format.
Core Components of a POaP
An effective POaP cuts out the noise of day-to-day task lists and focuses purely on headline information. It typically includes:
Project Overview: Title, project manager, and the overarching business objective.
Timeline & Milestones: A horizontal, time-phased bar chart mapping the project’s key phases.
Key Deliverables: 4 to 6 major outputs or goals required for success.
Risks & Dependencies: Critical blockers that require executive attention.
Why and When to Use It
Steering Committees: Ideal for Steering Committee meetings (Steerco) where executives need to see progress at a glance.
Stakeholder Alignment: Keeps teams focused on strategic vision rather than getting “lost in the weeds” of daily operations.
Client Updates: Acts as an excellent executive summary for clients without overwhelming them with micro-details
The Project Management Templates by Mark Whitfield constitute a comprehensive toolkit of over 200 editable resources designed to accelerate project delivery across Agile, Waterfall, and PRINCE2 frameworks.
The structural breakdown of the core templates is organised by functional category, specific template, integrated Microsoft Office tool, and operational description:
1. Project Planning & Scheduling
Detailed SDLC Project Plan
MS Tool: Microsoft Project (.mpp)
Description: A master schedule structured around the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) from development through testing, deployment, and Early Live Support (ELS), easily toggled between Agile Scrum and traditional Waterfall.
PRINCE2 7th Edition Project Plan
MS Tool: Microsoft Project (.mpp) & MS Excel (.xlsm)
Description: Fully annotated task list aligned with the 7th edition principles, colour-coded by activity type (blue for artifact creation, brown for management decisions, purple for updates).
Detailed Waterfall Project Planner
MS Tool: MS Excel
Description: A portable, license-free alternative to MS Project featuring baseline versus forecast tracking, an integrated Gantt chart view, and automated progress charts.
Plan on a Page (POaP)
MS Tool: MS PowerPoint & MS Excel
Description: High-level, executive-ready roadmaps containing over 30 slide variations used to communicate project timelines, key milestones, and work streams to senior stakeholders.
1. Project Planning & Scheduling POAP MS PowerPoint Templates2. Project Planning & Scheduling MS Project Templates3. Project Planning & Scheduling MS Excel Templates
2. Operational Control & Governance
Comprehensive RAID Log & Charts
MS Tool: MS Excel
Description: A highly detailed central registry featuring distinct tabs to track Risks, Actions, Issues, Opportunities, Dependencies, Lessons Learned, and Change Requests alongside visual metric dashboards.
Basic RAIDs Tracker
MS Tool: MS Excel
Description: A scaled-down, simplified version of the master RAID log optimized for quick turnarounds, minor bids, and low-complexity projects.
RACI Matrix
MS Tool: MS Excel
Description: A governance sheet mapping project deliverables against specific team roles to clarify who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed.
Agile Story Dependency Tracker
MS Tool: MS Excel
Description: A specialised log to document and track blocker stories tied to external suppliers or client-side dependencies that risk driving scope changes.
1. Operational Control & Governance MS Excel RACI Template
3. Financial & Resource Management
Project Financial Tracker
MS Tool: MS Excel
Description: A financial controller mapping internal and external forecast costs against actuals, factoring in margins, variances, supplier fees, and expense categories.
Resource, Sickness, & Leave Tracker
MS Tool: MS Excel
Description: An operational matrix monitoring annual leave, sickness, and training schedules to adjust resource availability and capacity within the master schedule.
1. Financial & Resource Management MS Excel Templates
4. Agile Delivery Metrics
Agile Burn Down & Burn Up Charts
MS Tool: MS Excel
Description: Manual data-table tracking solutions designed to visualise sprint or release velocity for teams operating without access to enterprise tools like Jira.
1. Agile Burn Down Chart in MS Excel Template Example2. Agile Burn Up Chart in MS Excel Template Example
5. Communications & Administration
PRINCE2 Management Products
MS Tool: MS Word (.doc)
Description: A full portfolio of standard documentation masters including Project Initiation Documents (PID), Project Briefs, Highlight Reports, and Business Cases.
Project Status Report
MS Tool: MS Word & MS PowerPoint
Description: Weekly and monthly progress reporting templates featuring structured sections for milestones, blockers, financial status, and RAG indicators.
Kick-Off Deck & Mobilisation Kit
MS Tool: MS PowerPoint
Description: Onboarding and alignment slide decks designed to define scope, establish ground rules, and guide teams through project initiation.
Meeting Minutes Template
MS Tool: MS Word
Description: An action-oriented meeting layout tailored for capturing critical decisions, owners, and deadlines uniformly.
1. Communications & Administration MS Excel Status Report Template Example
Mark Whitfield provides a comprehensive suite of over 200 editable project management templates designed for both Agile and Waterfall delivery. These tools are built based on 21+ years of IT project delivery experience and are formatted for Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and Microsoft Project (MPP).
Core Planning & Tracking Templates
Detailed Project Plans: Comprehensive MPP and Excel files covering the full Software Development Life-cycle (SDLC), including Waterfall and Agile Scrum sprints.
Plan on a Page (POaP): High-level visual summaries in PowerPoint or Excel for client reporting and executive snapshots.
RAID Log: A central tracker for Risks, Actions, Issues, and Dependencies, often including tabs for Decisions, Opportunities, and Lessons Learned.
RACI Matrix: A tracker to define roles and responsibilities (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed).
Financial & Resource Management
Project Finance Tracker: Tools for managing project budgets, including forecasts vs. actuals, margin analysis, and variation tracking.
Resource Planning: Grid templates for costing project resources per phase and tracking team allocations.
Benefits Realisation: A spreadsheet to compare initial project goals against actual business outcomes and costs.
Reporting & Communication
Status Reports: Weekly and monthly templates in Word and PowerPoint that include milestone dashboards, project health indicators, and “next steps”.
Organisation Charts: Templates for visualising the project hierarchy and stakeholder contacts.
Agile Dashboards: Excel-based Burn Down and Burn Up charts for teams that do not have access to tools like Jira.
Methodology Support
PRINCE2 7th Edition: Specific MPP and Excel templates aligned with the latest PRINCE2 standards.
Agile Frameworks: Templates for Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-ups, and Sprint Retrospectives.
These templates are available for purchase on Mark Whitfield’s official site and typically include free lifetime upgrades.
Free Upgrade Project Management Templates Download by focus area
PROject Templates 