“TO DO” LISTS AND ITEMS TO HELP YOU MANAGE, CONTROL AND CLOSE YOUR PROJECT
Instructions: Since your project plan has been approved and you are already “in the race”, you can use this checklist and other items to keep things going according to plan. Go through the list at least once a week, for each project you run.
CHECK THE SCOPE OF YOUR PROJECT
Refresh your memory regarding project goals and boundaries. In particular, be sure to have a clear picture of where your requirements should be at this point in relation to project objectives, cost allocation, quality, and so on
CHECK ITEMS FOR DELIVERY
Analyze the status of each project result. Are they progressing according to plan? If appropriate:
1. Find a list of quality criteria that can be applied to check the quality and completeness of the results at this stage of the project.
2. Check the bids or contracts of the contractor, to make sure you know what you should have received by this point.
3. Review all project results.
4. Decide whether to accept the reviewed results or request a rework.
CHECK YOUR SCHEDULE.
Review your key dates and critical path. Are you where you should be?
ANALYZE VARIANCES (DEVIATIONS OF THE PLAN), COMPARING “ASSESSED” AND “CURRENT”.
1. Do the activities last longer than planned? (Are you exceeding the duration estimate?)
2. Do you use more resource hours than planned?
3. Do your current expenses exceed the estimated ones?
4. If minor variations are detected (those that can be resolved without changing the plan or scope of work), smooth them out.
5. If larger variations are found (those that change the scope of work or ask significant project questions), do the following:
FOCUS ON CHANGES IN THE SCOPE OF WORK.
1. Identify changes in workload (changes in results, schedules, costs, etc.)
2. Deal with changes in workload, if necessary.
MAKE A LIST, FOLLOW AND TRY TO SOLVE OPEN ITEMS.
1. Make a list of all unresolved items, or
2. Review the list of open items from the last reviewed period, and try to resolve them.
LOOK AT POTENTIAL PROJECT RISKS AGAIN
1. Find a risk management plan, if any.
2. Indicate in particular whether any current or impending events have been identified in the risk management plan as particularly sensitive to risk.
REPORT PROJECT STATUS
1. After completing the previous checks, if you have not already done so, talk to team members and determine how they see the status of the project.
2. Create and submit a status report.
LEAD THE CLOSURE OF ACTIVITIES AND ACCEPTANCE OF RESULTS AS NEEDED.
1. Ask yourself, “What activities can I conclude? Which results have been formally approved and deregistered? ”
2. Prepare and obtain signatures on the appropriate acceptance forms.
DECIDE WHETHER IT IS NECESSARY TO KILL THE PROJECT, AND THEN, IF YOU ARE, DO IT.
MAKE A LIST OF LESSONS LEARNED.
Make a list of lessons learned that describe the ways in which the following project activities must be modified, in order to avoid the difficulties so far.
FILL IN THE APPROPRIATE CHECKLISTS.
Fill in the checklists, if applicable, and attach them as part of the official project archive.
Author: Michael Greer
This is a copy of the tool from The Project Manager’s Partner, by Michael Greer
(C) Copyright 2004 from Michael Greer´s Project Management Resources web site. The URL is http://www.michaelgreer.com. For more information, send an email toinfo@michaelgreer.com. – Feel free to copy and distribute for informational (not-for-profit) purposes.