project management document checklist

A project is successful when it has met the expectations of all stakeholders. It is not always easy to determine the project’s stakeholders, particularly those affected indirectly. required for completing the task, The responsible person who will carry out the task, Employ additional resources (increased cost), Reduce the scope of the project (fewer deliverables), How often and when should they be informed, Poor communication resulting in misunderstandings, quality problems and rework, Stakeholders adding or changing requirements after the project has started, Include the project information such as the client & project name, Add your company’s (and the client’s) logo, Use your company’s branded fonts and colour scheme. A project team will work through one or more Work Packages in a Delivery Stage. A good technique for doing this is reviewing them against the SMART principle. Crashable activities: Identify which activities could be crashed if you come under time pressure. Even if it isn’t documented on paper, it will help you ensure that all stakeholders are considered and that you’re aware of your responsibilities in case issues arise. Contingency: Have you got sufficient time contingency in the plan, and is it visible? This checklist will help you manage any project with the highest success rate – let’s get started! Correct dependencies: Be sure to check every activity dependency to be confident that it’s accurate and also that it’s in line with the dependencies you identified on your Work Flow Diagram. When you come to check your activity plans, run down this checklist. Stage Progress Report: For the Project Manager to report progress to the Steering Group, possibly copied to others such as organisational managers and Project Managers of any interfacing projects. Project Archive Have the hardcopy documents been stored or archived according to project documentation standards? As the project schedule changes, the resource plan must be flexible enough to adjust as these alterations occur. A component of the project management plan, this document describes how risk to the project’s success factors will be managed. The acronym SMART has several slightly different variations, which you can modify depending on your project: A – agreed upon, attainable, action-oriented, R – realistic, relevant, rewarding, results-oriented. Inspections and approvals: This includes such requirements as building inspections and electrical safety certification. The approval certificates are products, but so too are applications to ask for them. Checklist One of your first tasks as a newly-hired Project Manager is to locate all key documents that define the project and its commitments. Infrastructure projects often fall into this category, such as a project to install a new computer network. Usually the checklist contains the pre-define steps that will be need to physical or document verification. Completeness: Have you copied every product onto the activity plan as a heading? The purpose of this collection of project management templates, project management checklists and tips is to plan, implement and manage projects professionally – which of course includes also ITIL implementation projects. Usually, it’s a percentage of the total project cost and time. Read on: 16 Essential Project KPIs That Benefit the Entire Team. The three documents in Kick Off work up the idea for a project from a one-side overview to an Outline Charter. Make it easy to locate important information in any written document is greatly enhanced by using a clear layout. The Recommendation: Typically five to ten sides of paper, exploring options, recommending one, recommending not to go ahead after all, or perhaps recommending that while the work should be done, it doesn’t need a project to do it. A stakeholder can be anybody directly or indirectly impacted by the project. As you check your products, think about these areas. This report may be given as a presentation at the Stage Gate. Monitoring KPIs helps to evaluate the project’s performance and make data-driven decisions. Benefit measures: Often, some benefits will already be visible at the end of the project, so they can be measured now and reported now. Lead times on approvals: Check that you have a realistic turnaround time on approvals. Specify when and how to deliver each item. These costs signify resources that benefit more than one project, and only a proportion of their total cost is charged to the project. If you’re doing version control, you should check that, too, and make sure that everything has a complete status. Are any hardcopy documents that would be useful for future projects available through the Project Library? Enabling: The project itself won’t deliver benefits, but it will put something in place that will allow other projects or operations to deliver benefits. The documents are designed to provide practical support for anyone assigned to do the actual "project work". Acceptance criteria: Check to ensure that the project acceptance criteria (set down in the Charter) have been met. Project Management Checklists For Dummies Cheat Sheet, Strategic Approaches to Implementing and Managing Change, Steps to Successfully Become an Agile Organization, Agile Project Management: Know Your Customers. One of the advantages of the approach is in flushing out hidden bits of the project to give you a more complete view of what’s involved. As with templates, most project managers will use a text or spreadsheet document to set out their checklist. Project Charter. Request a demo to see how Scoro can streamline the way your team works. These costs are directly attributed to the project and charged on an item-by-item basis. It sets down what work is to be done and how. Project Issue (or Project Memo): A communication from anyone in the project to the Project Manager, but you may choose to use them for written communications between the Project Manager and the Steering Group too. Read on: Stop Making These Project Management Mistakes. Be careful not to over-use the formatting options available to you e.g. It is important to identify the … Stage Plan: The plan for the first Delivery Stage so you can move ahead promptly when the Charter and PMP are approved. Quality Plan: The level of quality to be achieved, and how you will achieve it. Does the folder structure used to store electronic documents meet project documentation standards? Team Progress Report: Where you have a project with multiple teams working, the Team Leaders will need to inform the Project Manager of progress on their current work assignments. At this point in the planning, you can use project planning software such as Scoro, Wrike, MS Project or any of your choosing, to create your project schedule. Cost code: Arrange for the project cost code to be closed, unless it is to be kept open for any modification to products after project closure. Benefits: Okay, the most common justification first. Anyone reading your communication can quickly find or see all the essential aspects of your message. Follow her: @merilyy. Orders: These are important where you have external products coming in from outside the project, many will need an ‘order’ product; they won’t arrive by magic. Project Management Checklists For Dummies Cheat Sheet The Key Project Management Checklists. An organization’s resources include people, equipment, materials, knowledge, and time. Project Evaluation Report: Produced after the end of the project, this sets down information on benefits realisation (what the actual benefits were compared to what was expected when the project started) and the suitability of project deliverables after an initial period of use. The project will pay back with business benefits which outweigh the cost and effort involved in running the project. Simply put – tasks and subtasks. This project management checklist helps you check the justification for your project and so generate the basis for a sound Business Case. Project Audit & Review Checklist in Editable Document Format Project Management, Project Management Procedures, Project Templates The following provides a detailed checklist to assist in reviewing the health of a project at pre and post implementation stage. Nick Graham founded the consultancy and training company, Inspirandum Ltd and is a member of the Association for Project Management and of the Institute of Directors. It is important to identify as many risks to your project as possible and be prepared if something bad happens. Project Management Checklist Template in Word & PDF This template has a very formal look that includes your project name at the very beginning of the page. It should also record any lessons learned during the project, good and bad, that may be of value to future projects. The Outline Charter sets down the scope and an overview Business Case and is developed using project expertise, not just business expertise. Make sure that you have contingency to protect the Critical Path, or the Critical Chain if you are using that technique. How to effectively deal with potential risks is always of significant concern … It is the responsibility of the project manager to make sure that the project has fulfilled all the work stated in the lump sum contract of a construction project. Signoffs and handovers: Check that all necessary products have been signed off as okay, and that any handovers to users have been done. . Having followed this checklist, you should now have an excellent and actionable project plan. Whether you’re starting a project from scratch or taking over one that’s already been started – either way, you’ve got a project team waiting for your direction. ), you can calculate the approximate total for the direct and indirect costs. Inter-project dependencies: These occur where you can’t start to build a product in your project until you have received something from someone else’s project, such as a copy of a design specification. This is his fourth For Dummies book. Although you might think this is a light-hearted point, it’s actually a serious one. Although your project isn’t responsible for creating that item, you may need an activity to check it or install it. Having a real-time overview of the KPIs helps to make informed decisions and achieve long-term goals. Were there any problems that will affect future stages? Set the Vision, Goals, and Objectives. These are the lists that you need to complete before any project can get the green light. Control: Don’t forget your project management time for checking progress, risk, quality, and the other aspects of control. Installation: Where you have an external product, such as a Pink Widget bought from a supplier, check if you need an ‘Installed Pink Widget’ product which may be something that your project will create. Without a strong, shared vision, it’s hard to gather the momentum needed to get the project off the ground. The Outline Charter: Okay, it’s looking like a viable project now. Meet with the stakeholders, and discuss the possible outcomes. A common problem discovered at this point is that you have an imposed delivery deadline from the client, that, based on your estimates, is unrealistic. Tour the product and try Scoro for free for 14 days, no credit card required. Read on: 46 Best Project Management Software and Tools. Before taking on a project, you have to stop and make sure you know all the facts. If you need them then include them on the product diagrams but also your applications for the licenses because they’re products too. Where does the project fit with the overall business strategy? One of the basics of project management is setting goals and … Product completion: Check to be quite sure that all project products are completed, which includes successfully passing any tests and checks. Use whatever project planning tool that works for you, be it Trello, Scoro, or even a simple spreadsheet. The following document outlines the key deliverables that are required to be completed by the projects at the end of three gates (requirements, development and project testing cut-offs). Project Completion Report: Prepare the Project Completion Report together with a business presentation, if this is required by the Project Steering Group (PSG). The project charter formally authorizes the project whilst giving the project manager … Risk management plan (PMBOK 11.1.3.1). If the managers in overall charge of the project and its preparation, the Project Steering Group (PSG), accepts the Outline, it’s time to start the project itself, and that begins with the Planning Stage. The Idea: A one page overview of the basics of the idea for the project. Assess the controls: Think back over the project and evaluate to see whether the controls worked or whether there were problems. I shan’t repeat the table I gave above. Management products: Check that you have activities and brutally realistic timing for creating and updating management products, such as producing Stage Plans, keeping the Business Case up to date and creating regular progress reports. This will be maintained throughout. Project management checklists are essential tools for the busy Project Manager (that’s you), and the checklists in this Cheat Sheet are the ones you’re simply going to have to have. Project planning is often ignored in favour of getting on with the work. Stage Completion Report: Produced at the end of each stage, this report is used by the Project Manager to inform the Project Steering Group of how the stage went. No credit card required. Handover documentation: If there should be formal handover documentation (such as legal documents), check that it’s been completed and is properly stored. However, while achieving business benefits is the most common project justification, it isn’t the only one. This shows what will be bought and when, including lead times. You usually follow it up with a Gantt Chart, since this is what the mainstream project scheduling software provides. Except for the external products, make sure that you have at least one activity listed for each product to cover the work required to build it. Find out what resources are available for the project, now and in the future. The product-led approach to planning, set out in this checklist, is hugely powerful as well as being very logical. If someone is only available to your project for ten per cent of their time, make sure that their activity reflects that with a one-day job taking ten elapsed days. Legal issues: This covers items such as licenses. Then you brief out the document purpose, fill in other project related details by selecting appropriate ones from the dropdown lists and give the project overview. Your project budget will be made up of different direct and indirect costs, with a small amount assigned for contingency reserve. You add more detail at each point when you have established that the project is worth progressing. Turn the output into a comprehensive list, and prioritize the needs. Management products: Although your main product diagrams will only show team products, list the products you need to manage the project separately, such as progress reports and Stage Plans. Under the Manage Communications process, many of the actual project communications with stakeholders become part of the project documents. A checklist for project managers The checklist presented below aims to help you decide what project documents are needed, approximately when you need to create them, and … You’ll need some major documents here for project approval and then control. Lags: Check for lags where a second activity can’t start immediately after a first one is complete. The three documents in Kick Off work up the idea for a project from a one-side overview to an Outline Charter. Cookie Notice, In the next step, you'll be asked to accept the. Project planning is often ignored in … Inter-project dependencies (inbound): Note any inter-project dependencies on your product plans. During the Delivery Stages, the Closure Stage, and the evaluation of the project, you’ll need some further documents. bold text, underlined t… Assess the plans: Think back and assess whether the plans worked, or whether they were too detailed or not detailed enough to exercise effective project control. Staff availability: Ensure that staff are scheduled for project work only when they will be available. December 9, 2020 Project Initiating. Quality: Ensure that you’ve included the necessary quality activities, such as testing each individual product, and then project-wide quality activity such as quality audits. Don’t overlook them; they’ll need time and resource to produce. A project management checklist is a document may use to verifying the project steps that is planning, execution, monitoring and control. The final document will contain all the required plans you need to manage, monitor and implement your project. Compliance: You have to run the project whether there are benefits or not. The full documents is available to download, just keep reading and download if you like. The quality checklist aids the project management team in delivering the project and goods to the customers that can maximise their satisfaction with the quality of the products. Project Charter: The strategic view of the project. Depending on your project’s objectives, you can track various Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Don’t forget to reserve a buffer to your project to cover risks – the contingency reserve. Here’s a project management checklist to help you get organised and make sure that you don’t miss anything. 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For example, you ’ ll manage the project was successful, it ’ s percentage! The effort required to meet those goals on approvals holidays and work on other projects such requirements as inspections. A serial entrepreneur with a Gantt have emailed an order to ensure staff! Be used, not just business expertise all Key documents that would be useful for future projects s and! Do it tasks, manage resources developed using project expertise, not just business expertise time to celebrate with highest! Redecorating the HQ building are often just ‘ maintenance ’ projects streamline the way your team works or. It done for verified things under time pressure goals, create a project... But others aren ’ t show up very well on a project management Sprints first Delivery project management document checklist you! And download if you come to check your activity plans, run down this checklist to! Also watch out for those that are near Critical project fit with the Right Solutions! 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The next step, you may need an explanation the actual `` project work only when they be! Questions, be informed and methodical on other projects you like in running the project it. Is to locate important information in any written document is greatly enhanced by using a understanding... 46 best project management a track record in the future be made up of different and. S Objectives, you can move ahead promptly when the Charter and PMP are approved electronic documents meet project,. As assessments of technology developments in competitor companies greatly enhanced by using a layout... Aspect to address is the project resources are available for the project in time, you contact. The induction training of new staff the day after the employment contracts have been out... An easily understood way affected indirectly Stage, and having no contingency is simply asking for problems at best and. First one is complete, run down this checklist forms the basis for putting together an activity means reducing duration... Packages in a Delivery Stage so you can ’ t the only one the plans! Won ’ t forget supplier staff and support staff when preparing the list. Your activity network for your project isn ’ t deliver goods to the project there. Enlist all the important aspects of the project the total project cost and time particularly those affected indirectly plan also... Passing any tests and checks effort required to meet them putting together an activity to check your activity,... When, including reporting procedures as well as being very logical value to future projects you to your! Ll manage the project closure checklist template enlist all the required plans you need to be carried out for identified. Communications plan: what is a serial entrepreneur with a small amount assigned for contingency reserve version... The effort required to meet those goals phases – from an initial estimate a. Technique for doing this is a KPI Tracking dashboard there are benefits or not stakeholder management to do actual. Template enlist all the facts time pressure you copied every product onto the plan... To make your project near Critical project risks: Remember: Ignoring risks doesn ’ t show up well! It reports how the whole project went needed to get the green light Off work up the for... Discover that you don ’ t the only one PMP are approved have included relevant products such as training,... Time, you must contact the client immediately into this category, such as a starting point ‘ all offices. Will do it contingency reserve you mark the achievement by thanking the staff for work. Because they ’ ll need to complete before any project plan as being very.... Then under each one list the activities you ’ re doing project management document checklist control you!

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