Project documents list
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| Project phase | Document | Purpose | Content | Prepared by | Approved by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initiate | Project request or statement of work | A description of products, services, or results to be delivered by the project | Business need, product scope description, alignment with strategic plan | Customer or project initiator | Governance | |
| Business case | To determine if project is worth the investment | Cost benefit analysis including total cost of ownership | Business or financial analyst | Governance | ||
| Project charter | Formally authorizes the project | Project purpose, project objectives and success criteria, high-level requirements, high-level risks, summary milestone schedule, summary budget, stakeholder list, project approval requirements, roles and responsibilities | Sponsor and project manager | Sponsor(s) | ||
| Plan | Project plan (combination of sub plans) | Project manager and project team | Sponsor(s), applicable resource managers | With the exception of the baselines, all project documents are living documents that are updated as the project is executed | ||
| Scope baseline | Baseline for tracking scope | Defines the scope in detail | Project manager and project team | Sponsor(s), applicable resource managers | ||
| Detailed requirements | Baseline for tracking requirements | Defines requirements and completion criteria in detail tied to deliverable(s) | Project manager and project team | Sponsor(s), applicable resource managers | ||
| Schedule baseline | Baseline for tracking schedule | WBS structure, detailed activity list with dependencies, milestones | Project manager and project team | Sponsor(s), applicable resource managers | This is not a form but is completed in a tracking tool (e.g., Basecamp or MS Project) | |
| Cost baseline | Baseline for tracking cost | Detailed cost breakdown for personnel, nonpersonnel operational and capital expenses, including contingency reserves | Project manager and project team | Sponsor(s), applicable resource managers | ||
| Risk management | Identification and strategies for managing risks | Outlines risks, prioritizes them, and provides mitigation strategies | Project manager and project team | Sponsor(s), applicable resource managers | ||
| Stakeholder management | Outlines stakeholder management | Identification, assessment, and classification of project stakeholders | Project manager and project team | This is an internal document for the project manager | This is an internal document for the project manager | |
| Communications | Outlines communication strategy, tools, and techniques to be used | Describes how, when, and by whom information about the project will be administered and disseminated | Project manager and project team | Sponsor(s), applicable resource managers | ||
| Project governance | Outlines how the project will be governed | Outlines project success metrics, change management procedures, meeting and sponsor reporting cadence, and thresholds for action | Project manager | Sponsor(s), applicable resource managers | This will likely be standard for all projects unless there are exceptions | |
| Procurement | Identifies all contracts and who manages them | List of contracts, who manages them, and close-out criteria | Project manager | Sponsor(s), applicable resource managers | ||
| Project kick-off | Standard project kick-off agenda | Outlines project kick-off agenda | Project manager | N/A | ||
| Execute | Change request | Request form to modify or add a requirement or deliverable | Outlines impact and schedule for requested change | Sponsor, client, or team member | Project change control board | |
| Change control log | History of requests and their status | Records each request and if approved/implemented or put on hold | Project manager | N/A | ||
| Issue log | Documents project issues | Issue and person assigned person to resolve | Project manager | N/A | ||
| Monitor and control | Project status meeting template | Outlines format for project status meeting | Notes and action items for each meeting | Project manager | N/A | |
| Individual project status report | Provides scheduled updates to sponsors | Status on budget, schedule, scope, risks, and key milestones | Project manager | N/A | Weekly or biweekly depending on sponsor | |
| Consolidated dashboard | Provides high-level project status | Consolidated status for budget, schedule, and scope | Project manager | N/A | Biweekly report | |
| Close | Project sign-off | Authorizes the project to be released | Deliverable status, outstanding issues, and final QA report | Project manager | Sponsor(s) | |
| Lessons learned | Provides a history of project success/failures as a reference for future projects | Documents projects failures, successes | Project manager and team | N/A | ||
| Transition to operations checklist and documentation | Provides project/product information so operations can successfully maintain | Development support contacts, outstanding issues and work-arounds, product documentation and training manuals | Project manager and team | Operations |