Project Planning Checklist
Resources
- Whose input do we need?
- Whose input could we use?
- Has anything like this been done before?
- What mistakes can we learn from?
- What successes can we learn from?
- What resources do we have?
- What resources might we need?
Executive issues
- How does this relate to the strategic plan?
- How does it relate to other priorities, directions, goals?
- How will this affect our competitive position?
Administration
- Who’s accountable for this project’s success?
- Lines of communication
- Methods of reporting
- What structures do we need?
- What planning is still likely to be required?
- What re-grouping will we need? How often?
- What people do we need?
- Current staffing?
- Hiring?
- Subcontractors?
- Consultants?
- How do we get involvement?
- What skills are required?
- Who needs to know how to do what?
- What training do we need?
- How do we get it?
- What other communication do we need?
- Who needs to be informed as we go along?
- What policies/procedures affected? What needed?
- What about morale? Fun?
- Staffing?
Finance
- What will this cost?
- How do we get it?
- What might affect the cost?
- Might we need additional $?
- What are the potential payoffs ($)?
- Who signs the checks?
Operations
- What is the timing?
- Hard deadlines?
- What might affect timing?
- Who’s going to do the work?
- How do we ensure complete delivery?
Quality
- How will we monitor our progress?
- How will we know if we’re on course?
- What data do we need, when?
- What reports, to whom, when?
Politics
- Whose buy-in do you need?
- How can you get it?
Stakeholders – Considerations?
- Board
- Stockholders
- Employees
- Suppliers
- Customers
- Community
Legal
Space/Facilities/Equipment
- What requires room?
- How do you get it?
- What tools do we need? When?
- Phones
- Computers
Research
- What might you need to know?
Public Relations
- Is there value in others knowing about this?
- How do we do that?
Risks
- What could happen?
- Could we handle it?
Creative thinking…
- Who would have concern about the success of this project?
- What would they say, ask, or input, that you haven’t yet?
- What’s the worst idea you can imagine, about doing this project?
- (What is therefore the best idea, which is its opposite?)
- What is the most outrageous thing you can think of, about this project?
- How would a 12-year-old kid relate to this project?
- What would make this project particularly unique?
- What the worst that could happen?
- How could we deal with that?
- What’s the best that could happen?
- Are we ready to deal with that?
- How do we feel about this project?
