Project Plan Review - Checklist

Project level: 

• Project name:
  • Available and understandable
• Fixed date: 
  • Set desired end-date (fixed date).
  • Only set a “fixed” start date if you expect that you can only start in the future
• As soon as possible/ Just in Time (ASAP/ JIT) - Setting:
  • Decide on starting with planning from left to right (ASAP) or right to left (JIT) via project properties (JIT is considered as the “best practice”)
  • ASAP setting answers:
    • If I could start today, when can the project be ready?
    • JIT setting answers:
    • What is the latest start required to achieve the due date (start “As late as possible, and as early as needed”)?
  • Advise: Switch during planning process between ASAP and JIT, but end with JIT (recommended)

Task Level (1)

• Task names:
  • Understandable, also if the task is grouped under a parent or summary task
• Task length (1):
  • The expected lead times are discussed with the specialists (e.g. task managers, teamleads or resource managers)
  • Task have a 1-4 weeks duration typically
• Skill assignments to tasks:
  • All tasks have 1 or more skills assigned
  • Always assign the skill group first. Do not assign a task to an individual (named) person.
  • Assign the optimal set of Skills (and intensity – see below), required for fast and optimal task completion
• Skill Intensity (unit percentage):
  • When a skill is assigned the default intensity is set at 100 % (unit percentage)
  • Change the Intensity:
    • If the required tasks participation of a person is low (for example for “monitoring” or “expert contribution”) set a low(er) intensity. For example 10 %, instead of the default value of 100 %
    • If multiple persons(2 or more) with the same skill are required to work on the tasks assign the skill concerned multiple times (2 or more) or in case a skill or all skills are configured as “virtual skill”, see recommendation below (2)
• Dependencies:
  • Add necessary (technical) dependencies only, avoid superfluous dependencies
  • Do not assign dependencies to summary or parent tasks, but on the first task in the group or last task in the group
• Task Manager:
  • Task manager have been assigned to all tasks;
• Add full-kit checklist (optional):
  • Define checklists with start checks (FullKit at task level) and the definition of done (end-checks), via the “notes” icon;
• Other:
  • Mark tasks that are already finished as Completed, via Task Properties and Task status box at the bottom left of the screen;

Apply CCPM Behavior (3) :

• Shorten task duration:
  • Set default percentage (e.g. 50%);
• Buffers: 
  • Select the buffers (and percentage) that need to be inserted;
  • Add / remove buffers and check to overall shape of the project and if intended start and due date are matching;

Final Checks:

• Warning messages:
  • Check open (blue) warning messages next to the task and at the bottom of the screen
• Review the Critical chain (see filter):
  • Consider opportunities for making the critical chain faster, by for example splitting a task or parallelization (a dependency may not be required after all)

Releasing the Project:

• Project Management:

  • The process for releasing the project is typically a portfolio process involving the PMO or the Portfolio Manager;
  • Validate the project with portfolio management.

General remarks:

1. A guideline is to not have more than 300 tasks/project (in fact we try for less than 100 and a “good enough planning”). Especially if sub-task management (Cards) is implemented, the number of tasks (workpackages) in the schedule typically can stay limited
2. Skill Intensity in case of virtual skills without resources: in this case the unit percentages may be set to e.g. 200 % (if two FTE’s are expected to work on a task)
3. Applying CCPM behavior may be a responsibility of portfolio management (admin user). The responsibility of the Project Manager is to ensure first that a proper and logical plan is entered, with good enough estimates