What is a Gantt. Chart and how to develop a Gantt. Chart in a project proposal?

A Gantt. Chart is a project management tool, named after its inventor, Henry Gantt, who designed such a chart around the years 1910–1915. It is presented as a horizontal bar chart with tasks over time. It is a useful tool and assists in the planning of projects of all sizes and helps to present complex projects in simple ways. During project execution too, this is useful to help ensure all required tasks are initiated and completed in time. 

Though the Gantt. Chart can also be made complex showing dependencies of tasks, etc. But for the purpose of project proposals, making a simpler version of the Gantt chart, of just key tasks/activities over time is sufficient.

How to develop a Gantt Chart in project proposal?

Following are the steps one could use to make a Gantt chart for the project proposal.

Step 1:

The first step in making a Gantt chart is to list down all the tasks/activities required to be conducted in the project; which will ensure that you actually meet up all the committed deliverables

Step 2: 

Next step is to sequence the project tasks with the task to be done first written on top, followed by the next one, and so on…with the last task at the bottom.

Step 3.   

Make a table. It is advisable to use excel for making the table, with tasks written in the rows (one task per row) and time i.e., months in a sequenced manner in the column. The Gantt. Chart can also be done weekly if asked in the proposal format. 

Step 4:

Now the table is ready. Fill it with the information by listing the various tasks (in the sequence listed in Step 2) in the rows; and the project months in Columns.

Step 5:

For each of the listed tasks, depending upon when the task would be initiated and how much time the task would take to be completed, you would need to colour the respective month/s column. There would be certain tasks which can be done only after a particular task is completed, you will need to ensure the month’s column is marked only after the completion of the month of the previous task. At the same time, there would be some tasks which would be executed parallel to each other; the months for these tasks would thus overlap.

It is advisable neither to be too optimistic nor overdo too many activities in a short period of time.

A sample Gantt. Chart is being provided here.