Systematic project planning is the most important and universally applicable element of the Triad approach. Triad systematic planning is a common sense approach used to identify the decision that needs to be made to reach project goals, determine the uncertainty associated with the decision based on current site understanding, and develop methods for managing that uncertainty so that decisions can be made with acceptable levels of confidence. For most sites, managing uncertainty is synonymous with collecting more information (e.g., samples and data), which is where dynamic work strategies and real-time measurement technologies become important. Developing a preliminary conceptual site model that will be progressively refined as the project proceeds is a critical component of systematic planning. There are a number of existing systematic planning frameworks that can be used to implement systematic planning under the Triad, including the EPA's Data Quality Objectives process and the USACE's Technical Project Planning process.

Practitioners should be aware that Triad systematic planning tends to be more intensive than the planning many are accustomed to. Triad systematic planning involves asking all parties to negotiate and reach consensus on the goals of the project before significant resources are invested in field work. A key way to manage decision uncertainty is to make sure everyone is clear about exactly what decisions the project is expected to resolve. Face-to-face meetings of project participants are the most efficient mechanism to talk through issues and reach consensus about the desired project outcome and related tolerances on decision uncertainties. That consensus will serve as the foundation for all subsequent agreements about how complete the conceptual site model must be by the end of the project, which will in turn govern the design of sampling and analysis programs. Achieving this kind of agreement early in the project, before significant investment is made in field work, can require considerable expenditure of time and energy. Having all parties commit to this level of systematic planning is one of the major hurdles in implementing Triad projects.