Project management

Checklists are useful tools for building consistency in work practices. A project management checklist can help you whether you are starting your project from scratch, or taking over one that’s already underway.

Quick project management checklist

This checklist focuses on top-line items grouped under a number of main headings. You will need to consider all of these, ideally before you start your project, to ensure that you can deliver it successfully.

Preliminary planning

• consider all stakeholders
• consider mandate, brief and business case
• check the 'lessons learned' from previous projects
• consider cost, resources and budget

Project brief

• draw up project scope and objectives
• agree outputs or outcomes with all parties
• define a project approach
• identify project weaknesses, constraints and risks

Project organisation

• build a project team, project group or a steering group
• consider appointing a project manager
• identify and assign clear roles and responsibilities to all involved
• consider staff training and management support
• agree milestones
• create a resource allocation plan

Project plan and execution

• set down a clear project plan
• identify key tasks and activities
• factor in time and effort needed to achieve these tasks, and create a timeline
• consider scheduling, task co-dependencies and critical path of the project
• monitor progress against milestones, schedules, cost, resources available
• respond to change and revise plan according to the changing needs
• use tools to help you present and keep track of the plan, eg charts and calendars
• log, monitor and report expenditure against budget
• assess against risks and plan how you will mitigate/minimise impact
• consider the need to document or audit trail the project
• devise the project document library, if needed, and assign responsibility to manage it

Project closure

• hand over work, responsibilities and deliverables, if appropriate
• identify relevant people and tell them 'what, when and how' they will inherit
• carry out a project review or 'lessons learned' exercise

To find out more on how to manage the different stages of a project, see five stages of project management.