Project Planning Checklist

This checklist has been reproduced with David Allen’s permission from Project Kickstart. David says, “Talking to corporate executives across the country, I often find that project planning is an issue. I developed this Project Planning Checklist to scan possible ideas to be considered in your projects. It is especially good when you’re just brainstorming, and giving yourself permission to capture any and all ideas that pop into your head”.

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

Issues?
Regulations?

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?