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Free Project Overview Template: Boost Your Project Planning

Operations
Optimize your planning process with our ultimate project overview template. Use this documentation to enhance team alignment and drive project success.
Last updated:
February 6, 2025
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Free Project Overview Template: Boost Your Project Planning

Operations
Optimize your planning process with our ultimate project overview template. Use this documentation to enhance team alignment and drive project success.
Last updated:
February 6, 2025

Use this project overview template to create a detailed project plan that outlines the timeline, milestones and scope team members must meet to achieve their objectives. With a thorough overview, every stakeholder will fully understand the team’s tasks and the project’s timeframe. 

What’s a Project Overview?

Any successful project begins with good planning and clear communication. A project overview document supports those two goals by organizing and outlining the project schedule, milestones and stakeholders so everyone involved aligns on these key points.

Whenever a team member needs a reminder about their workflow or a project manager has to check a deadline, they can refer to this document. And if anyone has to make a change — which happens often in most projects — they can update the document and notify the team quickly and efficiently.

What’s a Project Overview Template?

A project plan template establishes a reusable structure for embarking on a new project. It provides a customizable outline with standard sections you’ll need, such as the project scope, budget and key deliverables. By creating a format that suits most projects, templates give you a head start in defining each new initiative.

As you use this sample project overview, you’ll likely alter it to fit your unique needs — adding new headings, removing sections and listing common resources as needed.

What Are the Benefits of a Project Overview?

Here are some of the benefits your team will experience by having a detailed project overview to refer to.

Easy Reference

A project overview, or project charter, is a valuable source of truth for everyone on the team. It establishes key aspects everyone should agree on so no one is confused about essential important details. It’s also a jumping-off point for anyone seeking guidance, providing links to other important project documents like best practices and troubleshooting guides.

Quick Answers

The project plan format is easy to navigate when team members and managers need answers to common relevant questions. If anyone is confused about a workflow, needs to check the schedule or wants a refresher on the project’s goals, they can review this document to find answers quickly. The overview also provides those same answers to external stakeholders who need a high-level understanding of the project.

Enhanced Project Management

A detailed overview conveys the project management methodology you’ll use to oversee everything. For instance, if you’re using Agile, it’ll link to a Gantt chart or Kanban board and list relevant meetings in the project schedule. By establishing your methodology this way, you set clear expectations for a successful project.

Best Practices To Create Project Overviews

Here are a few best practices that’ll help you maximize the benefits of your project overview:

  • Use visuals: Add helpful diagrams or mockups that visually represent the objectives team members should strive toward.
  • Track progress: As the team meets milestones and deadlines, update the timeline to reflect the project’s progress.
  • Label dependencies: Clearly indicate any deliverables the team must complete before other tasks can begin, and set clear deadlines so everyone has what they need to do their jobs.

List project stakeholders: State all the key stakeholders and organize them by their roles and responsibilities, letting everyone know who’s accountable for each objective.

No items found.
Back to Gallery

Free Project Overview Template: Boost Your Project Planning

Operations
Optimize your planning process with our ultimate project overview template. Use this documentation to enhance team alignment and drive project success.
Last updated:
February 6, 2025

Use this project overview template to create a detailed project plan that outlines the timeline, milestones and scope team members must meet to achieve their objectives. With a thorough overview, every stakeholder will fully understand the team’s tasks and the project’s timeframe. 

What’s a Project Overview?

Any successful project begins with good planning and clear communication. A project overview document supports those two goals by organizing and outlining the project schedule, milestones and stakeholders so everyone involved aligns on these key points.

Whenever a team member needs a reminder about their workflow or a project manager has to check a deadline, they can refer to this document. And if anyone has to make a change — which happens often in most projects — they can update the document and notify the team quickly and efficiently.

What’s a Project Overview Template?

A project plan template establishes a reusable structure for embarking on a new project. It provides a customizable outline with standard sections you’ll need, such as the project scope, budget and key deliverables. By creating a format that suits most projects, templates give you a head start in defining each new initiative.

As you use this sample project overview, you’ll likely alter it to fit your unique needs — adding new headings, removing sections and listing common resources as needed.

What Are the Benefits of a Project Overview?

Here are some of the benefits your team will experience by having a detailed project overview to refer to.

Easy Reference

A project overview, or project charter, is a valuable source of truth for everyone on the team. It establishes key aspects everyone should agree on so no one is confused about essential important details. It’s also a jumping-off point for anyone seeking guidance, providing links to other important project documents like best practices and troubleshooting guides.

Quick Answers

The project plan format is easy to navigate when team members and managers need answers to common relevant questions. If anyone is confused about a workflow, needs to check the schedule or wants a refresher on the project’s goals, they can review this document to find answers quickly. The overview also provides those same answers to external stakeholders who need a high-level understanding of the project.

Enhanced Project Management

A detailed overview conveys the project management methodology you’ll use to oversee everything. For instance, if you’re using Agile, it’ll link to a Gantt chart or Kanban board and list relevant meetings in the project schedule. By establishing your methodology this way, you set clear expectations for a successful project.

Best Practices To Create Project Overviews

Here are a few best practices that’ll help you maximize the benefits of your project overview:

  • Use visuals: Add helpful diagrams or mockups that visually represent the objectives team members should strive toward.
  • Track progress: As the team meets milestones and deadlines, update the timeline to reflect the project’s progress.
  • Label dependencies: Clearly indicate any deliverables the team must complete before other tasks can begin, and set clear deadlines so everyone has what they need to do their jobs.

List project stakeholders: State all the key stakeholders and organize them by their roles and responsibilities, letting everyone know who’s accountable for each objective.

FAQs

Click Use This Template at the top of this page to open the business requirements document template in Scribe. Then, click the Duplicate Page icon in the top right. Select which team you want the template saved to and whether to keep the linked Scribes. Click Duplicate, and the template will appear in your Scribe Dashboard within your chosen team. You can then open and edit it as needed.

Easily duplicate this template by selecting "Save This Page" in the top right corner. Once you go through a quick sign-up process, you'll find the template waiting for you in your Dashboard or under Favorites.

An overview aims to align everyone on a shared understanding of the project they’re collaborating on. It accomplishes this by outlining key aspects of project management, such as the project budget, timeline and scope. The document provides a detailed summary of all the parts that must come together to form a successful project.

Scribe is a tool that creates step-by-step guides - instantly! Download our free Chrome extension to start creating guides for any process.

While every project overview will look a bit different depending on the objectives and stakeholders involved, most include the following sections:

  • Problem statement: A concise summary of the problem or use case the project will address.
  • Project scope: A statement detailing how narrow or broad the project objectives are and any limiting factors.
  • Project timeline: A roadmap outlining the intended timing of each milestone the team must meet as they progress.
  • Implementation: Workflows and process instructions establishing consistent methods for meeting each objective.
  • Project budget: A clear budget summary and a list of anticipated costs.

Project risks: A list of expected risks and challenges stakeholders might face.

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