A work plan breaks a project into clear tasks, with realistic timings,
milestones and resources. In R093 you need to recognise these components
and explain why they are essential for delivering a successful media product on time.
What Is a Work Plan?
A work plan (or production schedule) sets out what needs to be done,
when it will be done, who will do it and what resources
are needed. It helps teams stay organised and meet deadlines.
In R093, you must be able to identify and explainrecommend improvements to make a plan more realistic.
Key Components of a Work Plan
- Tasks – individual activities that must be completed.
- Activities / Phases – grouped tasks (pre-production, production, post-production).
- Timescales – start and end dates or durations.
- Milestones – key points when major stages are completed.
- Deadlines – final dates when products or stages must be delivered.
- Resources – people, equipment, software and locations needed.
- Responsibilities – who is in charge of each task or stage.
- Contingencies – extra time or backup plans in case something goes wrong.
Why Work Plans Matter in the Exam
- Short questions may ask you to name a component of a work plan.
- Explain questions might ask you why one component is important.
- Longer questions can ask you to evaluate a work plan or suggest improvements.
Components of Work Plans at a Glance
This infographic helps you remember the key parts of a work plan and how to explain their importance.
- Tasks: individual actions such as research, design, filming, editing and testing.
- Timings: start and end dates, durations and order of tasks.
- Milestones: key checkpoints such as “prototype ready” or “client review”.
- Resources: people, equipment, locations and software needed for each task.
- Dependencies: tasks that must happen before others can start.
- Exam link: when asked to improve a plan, check if any of these components are missing or unrealistic.
Tasks · Time · Resources
- Realistic timings: tasks long enough to complete but not so long they cause delays.
- Risk management: identify potential problems (illness, weather, equipment failure).
- Contingency time: spare time added to absorb small delays.
- Responsibility: assigning team members to each task.
- Tracking progress: ticking off tasks, updating the plan and communicating changes.
- Exam tip: suggest specific changes (e.g. add contingency, combine tasks) instead of vague comments.
Realistic · Flexible · Trackable
Tasks, Timescales, Milestones and Deadlines
Work plans usually appear as tables or Gantt charts, showing tasks along a timeline.
You should be able to read these and explain how they help manage a project.
Tasks and Activities
- Tasks should be clear and specific (e.g. “record voiceover”, not just “audio”).
- Tasks can be grouped into phases such as planning, production and review.
- Each task should have a clear owner (person responsible).
Timescales and Durations
- Each task has a start date and end date or a duration (e.g. 2 days).
- Tasks should be ordered logically, taking into account any dependencies
(e.g. you can’t film before the script is finished).
- Realistic timescales reduce the risk of delays and rushed work.
Milestones and Deadlines
- Milestones are key points such as “filming complete” or “first draft finished”.
- They help track progress and check the project is on schedule.
- Deadlines are final due dates for deliverables (e.g. launch date, client review).
Resources, Responsibilities and Contingencies
A good work plan also makes sure that the right people, equipment and
locations are available at the right time, with backup plans if something changes.
Resources
- People – designer, camera operator, editor, sound engineer, actors, testers.
- Equipment – cameras, microphones, lights, tripods, computers, tablets.
- Software – editing software, graphics tools, office software, game engines.
- Locations – studio, on-site locations, classrooms, meeting rooms.
Responsibilities
- Each task should detail who is responsible for completing it.
- This helps avoid confusion and makes it easier to track accountability.
- Some tasks may also list who needs to approve the work (e.g. client, project manager).
Contingencies
- Contingency time is extra time added to allow for delays or problems.
- Backup options could include alternative locations, replacement staff or rescheduling tasks.
- Contingencies help keep the project on track even if something goes wrong.
Games to Practise Work Plans
These games help you apply your knowledge of tasks, timings and project phases when building
or evaluating work plans for different media products.
Pre-production
Pre-Production Race
Build a work plan by placing tasks into pre-production, production and post-production,
then add milestones and contingency time to keep the project realistic.
Short answers
Work plans
Phases
Pre-production
Work Plan Detective
A staged Mega Game where you analyse work plans, fix timing issues, identify poor sequencing,
add contingencies and judge whether a plan is realistic.
Mega game
Tasks
Timings
Milestones
Pre-production
Document Doctor
Choose the right planning document for each task and identify key components, including
where a detailed work plan is needed in the production process.
MCQs
Planning docs
Components
Pre-production
Mind Map Makeover
Improve weak mind maps so they provide a solid foundation for later documents like
work plans, scripts and storyboards.
9 markers
Mind maps
Improvements
9‑mark trainer
9‑Mark Ninja
Build high‑band 9‑mark answers that justify planning decisions, including why work plans,
milestones and contingencies are vital in media projects.
9 markers
Structure
Planning
Exam Practice – Components of Work Plans
Q1. State one component of a work plan. (1 mark)
Technique: Give a single, clear component such as “tasks”, “milestones” or “resources”.
Q2. Explain one reason why contingencies are included in a work plan. (2 marks)
Technique: Make one clear point about what contingencies are, then explain how they help
the project if something goes wrong.
Example structure: “Contingencies are… This helps because…”
Q3. Describe how milestones can help the project manager monitor progress during production. (3 marks)
Technique: Refer to specific milestones and explain how they show whether the project
is on schedule or behind.
Q4. Explain two ways that unrealistic timescales in a work plan could affect the final media product. (4 marks)
Technique: For each way, describe the issue (e.g. rushed editing) and explain how it
impacts quality, deadlines or client satisfaction.
Q5. A college is planning to produce a promotional video for its open evening. Discuss how tasks,
timescales, milestones, resources and contingencies should be used within a work plan to ensure
the project is completed on time and to a high standard. Provide justified recommendations. (9 marks)
Technique: Organise your answer into paragraphs for different components of the work plan.
For each, explain what you would include and why it helps this specific project, then finish with a clear,
justified conclusion.
- Paragraph 1: Tasks and phases – planning, filming, editing, review, export, distribution.
- Paragraph 2: Timescales, milestones and deadlines for key stages.
- Paragraph 3: Resources and responsibilities – people, equipment, locations.
- Paragraph 4: Contingencies – backup plans and extra time.
- Final paragraph: Conclusion – justify which elements are most critical and why.
Can You Now…?
- List key components of a work plan such as tasks, timescales, milestones and resources.
- Explain why contingencies, responsibilities and deadlines are important.
- Interpret a simple work plan or Gantt chart for a media project.
- Use work plan components in exam answers with clear explanation and justification.
