Planning activities, processes and key moments

To design the planning overview of your project, select the Planning tab.

The planning window

The Planning window allows you to plan the project's key moments, processes and activities. Using the Details pane you can also specify additional information. This in turn will allow you to design specific tools:

Main window

Details pane

Tools

Key moments

Relation of key moment to other key moments or activities (1)

Project planning

Processes

Who organises and where (1)

 

 

Child activities (1)

 

Activities & sub-activities

Relation of activity to other key moments or activities (1)

 

 

Duration of activity (1)

 

 

Who organises and where (1)

 

 

Preparation and follow-up periods (1)

 

 

Repeating activities (1)

 

(1) You can also do this in the Logframe window. In the Details pane of the logframe you can modify dates, durations and so on, but in the Planning window you have drag-and-drop functionality.

The difference between key moments and activities is that key moments don’t have a duration. They are more like deadlines or mile-stones.

Activities have:

  • A duration and therefore a start and end date
  • An optional preparation period
  • An option follow-up period
  • An activity type that you can specify (meeting, planning, audit, report, travel…)
  • You can specify who will organise the activity and where

Activities can have child activities. In that case the parent activity becomes a process and its start and end dates (duration) depend on the start and end dates of its sub-activities.

Linking activities and key moments

There are two ways to set the (start) date of a key moment or activity:

  • You can set an exact (absolute) date. This means that the activity or key moment is not linked to any other activity or key moment. If your project is postponed with three months and you change its start date, any activity or key moment with an exact date will not move as well.
  • You can set a relative date: this means that you indicate that the activity or key moment will start so long before or after another activity or key moment. The most important and most frequently used key moment to refer to is the project's start date. This means that if your project is postponed with three months and you change its start date, all activities and key moments with a relative (linked) start date will move as well.

Apart from the project's start and end date, you can link an activity or key moment to any other activity or key moment. Blue arrows show which activities and key moments refer to a certain key moment. Black arrows show which activities or key moments refer to a certain activity. You can show or hide these arrows using the Lay-out toolbar: in the View section click on the Links to key moments or Links to activities button.

Linked key moments and activities

Linking activities / key moments using the planning window

To link activities / key moments using the planning window (drag-and-drop):

  • In the Items toolbar, click on the Link button on the far right.
  • Hover the cursor over a key moment, or over the start or end of an activity bar. The cursor will turn into a cross.
  • Left-click and drag from the key moment/activity you want to refer to, towards the target key moment or activity (start/end of the activity). While you drag, you will see an arrow.
  • Release your left mouse button. You will see a blue or black arrow to indicate that the two items are linked.
  • If you check the Details pane, you will see that the first option is selected and that the fields are completed to ‘1 days after the activity or key moment in question’.

Linking one activity to another

Unlinking activities / key moment using the planning window

To unlink activities / key moment using the planning window (drag-and-drop):

  • In the Items toolbar, click on the Unlink button on the right.
  • Click on the target activity/key moment. You will see that the blue / black arrow disappears. The location of the activity/key moment will not change however.
  • If you check the Details pane, you will see that the second option is selected and that the relative date has been changed into an exact date.

Setting a relative date using the Details pane

To set a relative date using the Details pane:

  • Key moment: click on the key moment in the Planning window and in the Details pane make sure that the first option is checked. Then:
    • Enter the number of days, weeks, months, years…
    • Select the time unit from the drop-down list
    • Use the drop-down list to indicate if the key moment comes before or after the referenced activity/key moment
    • Use the last drop-down list to select a key moment or activity. You can reference to the project's start or end date, or any other key moment or activity.
  • Activity: click on the activity in the Planning window. Select the Duration tab if it's not visible in the Details pane. Make sure that the first option is checked (‘At this exact date’). Then set the period between the activity and the other activity or key moment in the same way as described above.

Duration options of an activity

Setting an exact (absolute) start date

To set an exact (absolute) start date:

  • Key moment: click on the key moment in the Planning window and in the Details pane make sure that the bottom option is checked (‘At this exact date’). Then use the date selector to set the date of the key moment.
  • Activity: click on the activity in the Planning window. Select the Duration tab if it's not visible in the Details pane. Make sure that the bottom option is checked (‘At this exact date’). Then use the date selector to set the date of the Activity.

Activity settings in the Details pane

The Activity Detail pane allows you to set the start date and duration of the activity, indicate who will organise it and where; determine how long you will need to prepare or follow-up the activity; and how many times you need to repeat the activity.

The duration tab of the activity detail pane

There are five tabs available:

  1. Duration tab: when will the activity start and how long will it take?
  2. Organisation tab: who will organise it and where? What type of activity is it?
  3. Preparation and follow-up tab: if necessary, you can specify how much time you will need to prepare and to follow up the activity
  4. Repeat tab: you can repeat an activity and specify how many times you want to repeat it and if you need to prepare and follow-up each time.
  5. Child activities: if the activity is a process and has sub-activities, they are listed here. In that case, the Duration and Repeat tab will not be visible.

 

Duration tab

Duration options

Duration tab settings:

  • Select a relative date or an exact (absolute) date using the radio buttons
  • To set a relative date:
    • Select the top radio button
    • Enter the number of days, weeks, months, trimesters, semesters or years
    • Select ‘days’, ‘weeks’, ‘months’, ‘trimesters’, ‘semesters’ or ‘years’ from the left drop-down list
    • Select ‘After’ or ‘Before’ the key moment in question using the centre drop-down list
    • Select a key moment or activity from the right drop-down list
  • To set an absolute date:
    • Select the bottom radio button
    • Enter the date or use the date selector (press on the little downward facing arrow) to choose the date
  • Duration:
    • Enter the number of days, weeks, months or years
    • Select ‘days’, ‘weeks’, ‘months’, ‘trimesters’, ‘semesters’ or ‘years’ from the left drop-down list
    • You can check the ‘Until end of project’ box on the right. Logframer will then calculate how many days/weeks/months/years remain until the end of the project and set the number. Note that only whole numbers can be used, so if you've selected weeks, months, trimesters, semesters or years the activity may not take until the very last day of the project. If you want to make sure the activity lasts until the very last day, make sure to select ‘days’ from the drop-down list.

The actual start date will and end date of the activity will appear in the top-right corner of the pane, as well as on the bottom of the Duration tab.
 

Organisation tab

Organisation tab options

Organisation tab settings:

  • Choose an activity type from the drop-down list. The colour of the activity in the Gantt chart will change according to this setting.
  • Organised by: select one of your partners from the drop-down list, or type the name of another organisation or person.
  • Location: select a location from the drop-down list or type a new one.

Preparation and follow-up tab

Preparation and follow-up options

Preparation and follow-up tab settings:

Preparation and follow-up periods can be identified for every activity, but they are totally optional.

  • Preparation:
    • Enter the number of days, weeks, months, trimesters, semesters or years
    • Select ‘days’, ‘weeks’, ‘months’, ‘trimesters’, ‘semesters’ or ‘years’ from the drop-down list
    • Check the ‘From start of project’ box to make sure that the preparation period starts as soon as your project start. Note that only whole numbers can be used, so if you've selected weeks, months, trimesters, semesters or years, the preparation may not start on the very first day of the project. If you want to make sure the preparation starts the very first day, make sure to select ‘days’ from the drop-down list.
    • If the activity will be repeated, check the Repeat box if you want to repeat the preparation as well. If you only need to prepare for the first time alone, leave this box unchecked.
  • Follow-up:
    • Enter the number of days, weeks, months, trimesters, semesters or years
    • Select ‘days’, ‘weeks’, ‘months’, ‘trimesters’, ‘semesters’ or ‘years’ from the drop-down list
    • Check the ‘Until end of project’ box to make sure that the follow-up period ends when the project ends. Note that only whole numbers can be used, so if you've selected weeks, months, trimesters, semesters or years, the follow-up may not end on the very last day of the project. If you want to make sure the follow-up does end on the very last day, make sure to select ‘days’ from the drop-down list.
    • If the activity will be repeated, check the Repeat box if you want to repeat the follow-up period as well. If you only need to follow-up after the first time, leave this box unchecked.

Repeat tab

Repeat options

Repeat tab settings:

If you have a repeating activity, you can make use of these settings. Repeating an activity is optional, so in most cases you won't have to fill out this information.

  • Repeat every: enter a number of days, weeks, months, trimesters, semesters or years
  • Select ‘days’, ‘weeks’, ‘months’, ‘trimesters’, ‘semesters’ or ‘years’ from the drop-down list
  • Enter the number of times you want to repeat the activity
  • If you want the activity to be repeated until the end of the project, check the ‘Until end of project’ box

Once you've set the repeat settings, the Dates list will give you an overview of how many times and when exactly the activity will take place.
 

Child activities tab

List of child activities of a process

You can use this tab to add, edit or remove child activities, using the Items toolbar (click into the list view first).

Once you've added a child activity, the activity becomes a process. This means that its duration will be determined by the duration of the child activities. As a consequence, the Duration, Preparation & Follow-up and Repeat tabs will not be visible any more.

You can also add, edit or remove child activities using the main planning window.

Key moment settings in the Details pane

Here you can change the following information:

  • Enter or modify the description of the key moment in the Description field
  • Select a relative date or an exact (absolute) date using the radio buttons
  • To set a relative date:
    • Select the top radio button
    • Enter the number of days, weeks, months or years
    • Select ‘days’, ‘weeks’, ‘months’ or ‘years’ from the left drop-down list
    • Select ‘After’ or ‘Before’ the key moment in question using the centre drop-down list
    • Select a key moment or activity from the right drop-down list
    • The actual date will appear on the right
  • To set an absolute date:
    • Select the bottom radio button
    • Enter the date or use the date selector (press on the little downward facing arrow) to choose the date

Selecting an absolute date in the key moment details pane

Tools: Project Planning

You can print the planning or export it to MS Word. The print version gives you the most detailed view. The MS Word version is a basic version with a general overview of the key moments and activities per month in a table for each year of the project.

In print preview you can select for which outputs you want to see the planning, and whether or not you want to see both activities and/or key moments. You can also set the level of detail (days – weeks – months – trimesters – semesters – years).

Print preview of the planning report