Pre-project planning is defined as the “process of developing sufficient strategic information with
which the owners can address risks and make decisions to commit resources to maximize the potential
for a successful project” (CII, 1995; Deshpande et al. 2012). Pre-project planning is often perceived as similar to front-end loading, front-end planning, conceptual planning, and feasibility analysis. Preproject planning aims to take the ‘time’ that is usually spent on planning throughout a project and shifts it to the beginning. Once an initial idea for the project is conceived, the planning stage of a project begins. Pre-project planning begins after business leadership deems the project concept as being desirable and it continues until the beginning of project execution (Gibson et al. 2004).

To emphasize the need for pre-project planning in an article in 2006, David Brown considered a typical construction site where the time spent on locating materials, studying plans, and laying out work take up a significant portion of time that is not directly related to actual construction. By shifting this time to the front of a project with the use of pre-project planning, these tasks can be grouped together and executed more efficiently as a dedicated task rather than in the field on a daily basis. This improves efficiency, increases workers output and ultimately saves money. Since problems are unpredictable, they should be factored into the planning process. Without pre project planning, some problems such as separating d esign functions from construction functions or “low-balling” by the design consultants can reduce the level of coordination between engineering disciplines. This results in conflicts left for contractors to figure out, instead of being resolved at the design stage. There are some problems that are not recognized until the execution stage, and the cost to fix such problems is high. If problems occur after the work is completed, rework can cost even more. Therefore, pre-project planning is essential for identifying and resolving problems before construction commences

Pre-project planning is important for identifying and resolving problems before construction commences. According to CII, there are four specific steps that must be coordinated to generate a final decision: (i) Organise for pre-project planning. (ii) Select project alternative(s). (iii) Develop a project definition package. (iv) Decide whether to proceed with project.

Organizing for pre-project planning involves three major functions:

(1) Team selection.

(2) Charter drafting.

(3) Pre-project planning plan preparation.