Project Maintenance Checklist

Read this once each week during your project. Depending on the type of project, the following activities may apply.

• Update your project schedule at least every other day.
• Review the project charter periodically to make sure it is still in alignment.
• Understand the project financials fully each week.
• Deliver a status report each week
• Make sure that your issues and action items are up to date.
• Vigilantly pursue project issues and action items each day
• Meet with your team at least once a week.
• Make sure that your project risks are up to date.
• Make sure invoices are processed.
• Check the tidiness of the network folder and files.
• Update project accomplishments at least once a week.
• Update the project journal or diary at least once a week.

What's in a Good Work Plan

Many people throw around the terms Project Plan and Work Plan. Sometimes when people say project plan, they're really referring to the project schedule. Personally, I use Work Plan and Project Plan synonymously, and the Project Schedule is a very specific item and only one element of a successful project. A Work Plan should essentially tell you how this project is going to get done, across many topics. I have a Work Plan template that I'd like to share here. It incorporates the following elements:

• Project Objectives


• Success Criteria


• Overall Project Strategy


• Project Scope


• What's In Scope


• What's Out of Scope


• Project Phases – High-level descriptions


• Key Project Deliverables


• Communication Plan Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)


• Project Schedule


• Risk Management Plan


• Project Organization & Staffing


• Team Organization Model & Core Responsibilities


• Individual Roles & Responsibilities


• Deliverable Review Matrix


• Technical Overview


• Project Budget

Any of the above might refer out to a supporting document as needed.

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