Project Start-up Checklist

Read this before you start your project. Depending on the type of project, the following steps may be useful.

• Help transition your team members onto your project appropriately.
• Develop a project charter and obtain sign-off(s) from the appropriate people.
• Deliver all necessary documentation to the vendor for knowledge transfer.
• Start a physical project notebook.
• Review post-project reviews (aka a “post-mortem” or “sunset” meeting) from past similar projects, with a focus on: what worked well? what did not work well? what was suggested to improve the next project?
• Seek out individuals for background information
• Open the project accounts to billing. Make sure team members know the reference billing numbers.
• Make sure all non-internal labor (contractors) know how to invoice.
• Make sure all non-labor costs have been accounted for. These costs may include: photography cost, hardware and software costs, project expenses
• Make sure a solid project schedule baseline is established and reflects the most accurate picture of the project. Make sure major milestones are clear.
• Make sure your budget workbook accurately reflects all project labor costs
• Start a list of issues and action items
• Create a communications plan
• Create a risk management workbook
• Establish the templates to be used on the project
• Establish a well-organized project folder on the network
• Inform marketing and the rest of company of the project to generate enthusiasm. For marketing purposes, prepare a couple paragraphs on the overview of the project that includes the project overview and the importance of the project
• Hold a well-organized kick-off meeting