Project 101

10 things to have on your Project Management Checklist

A Project can be a tough animal to tame depending on how you structure it. Having the right tools and methodology behind you to define and run a project can go a long way towards a successful deployment or development effort.

Since a project can span several months and involve a variety of resources and skill sets, your role as a PM is to define the rules and manner in which the team will work under so the entire project does not falter.

Most team members often feel overwhelmed with the prospect of having to worry about timelines and tasks they need to accomplish over the duration of the project. Helping them to stay focused and organized is a key skill that a PM must bring to the table when running a project.

One of the tools you can use to get things structured and organized is the “Project Checklist”. This checklist is a roadmap to setup and put a framework around the project before it gets started.

Each PM has their own style and set of tools, but if you are working on building your own toolbox, the project checklist is an important item to have when defining the project itself.

Some of the standard project checklist items can include:

1.    Project Charter Template
2.    Roles and Responsibility Chart
3.    Project Definition document
4.    Project Rules and management structure
5.    Project review definition and schedule
6.    Project planning and reporting tools
7.    Executive briefing schedule
8.    Communication plan
9.    Phase Definition document
10.    Project Schedule document

In summary, each project manager can develop their own project checklist to help them define the rules and framework for each project they manage. Building the checklist and tools that support the methodology will help keep the project organized and easier to manage.


Gravity Gardener