Basic Project Management Templates
The ITS Project Management Office (PMO) provides a scalable project framework of shared tools, templates and processes. The project methodology contained in this site explains the steps to follow for any project. They are listed in sequence, by phase. The information is intended to be a reference tool to assist in the management of a project from start to finish.
This symbol indicates a required document
Initiate
The goal of the Initiate process is to ensure that the projects in IT Services portfolio are aligned with its strategic goals and to control and prioritize projects coming in. The main activity in this phase includes turning an idea into a project request. While the project manager has limited involvement in this phase, this process must be in place in order to have effective project management within IT Services.
Templates and Resources
Project Proposal Form
Key Activities
Complete and submit form
Notes
The proposal form gets the project request into the PMO pipeline. It includes a brief description of the work and identifies who is asking for it. It is not a request for funding at this point. The request is reviewed by the appropriate ITS committee and a decision is made whether to invest in a Discovery.
Discover
The purpose of the Discover phase is to develop the Project Charter to formalize project purpose, objectives, scope and deliverables, identify key stakeholders and potential budget requirements. Project complexity should be classified to ensure the proper level of project management rigor is applied. It’s also a time to look at key resource availability. Project sponsors and stakeholders decide whether to commit to the project.
Templates and Resources
Key Activities
Draft Project Charter, review with key stakeholders and seek final approval before continuing with the project.
Notes
Define a number of key project elements including a project description, scope definition, and roles/responsibilities. The documentation and review of these key project elements at the beginning of the project helps to avoid misunderstandings or confusion later on.
Complexity Matrix
Review project sizing criteria
Determine the level and type of project management most appropriate for your project.
Plan
During this phase, the Project Manager works with the project team to document high level functional and technical requirements. The Project Manager defines high level resource, cost and time estimates, and begins developing a project plan. This is also the time to develop a project management plan. The project management plan defines how the project is executed, managed, and closed. The project management plan’s content varies depending on the application area and complexity, but may include plans for: scope, requirements, schedule, cost, resources, communication, risk, procurement, and stakeholder engagement.
Templates and Resources
Key Activities
Create communication plan
Notes
Establish agreement on how team will communicate important information during the project
Project Schedule (WBS)
Create project schedule
Document project tasks, deliverables, milestones, schedule, and resources. The project plan will be modified as more is known
High level Requirements
Hold requirements gathering sessions
Work with project team members to document high level functional and technical requirements
Kick-Off Presentation
Conduct project kick-off meeting
Familiarize the project team with the project, review key elements from the project charter, review project management processes (risk, issue, change management) and receive buy-in from all project participants.
Design
This phase is where the actual implementation or execution work begins. Project tasks and deliverables are completed and the project begins to realize the objectives and scoped defined in the Project Charter.
Design activities focus on translating the business requirements into system specifications, essentially creating “blueprints” for developing the production system.
Templates and Resources
Functional Specifiction
Key Activities
Describe how the product will work entirely from the user’s perspective
Notes
Detail what the finish product will do, how a user will interact with it, and what it looks like
Technical Specifiction
Provide a detailed description of each technical requirement to be implemented as part of the project.
Include a complete technical assessment of each customization object identified to be in scope. Define data structures, relational database models, choice of programming languages and tools, algorithms, etc.
Build
Build consists of developing or configuring project hardware, software, and business processes according to the agreed-upon specifications.
Templates and Resources
Test Plan
Key Activities
Create test plan and test cases
Notes
Establish agreement on how team will approach testing
Test
The Test phase ensures that all components of the solution are thoroughly tested, the production system is set up, mock system cut-overs are completed, and the training program is fully executed.
Templates and Resources
Key Activities
Document Production Support procedures
Notes
Documentation that defines support after project launches
Close
At Close, the new system has been implemented and the project team will monitor it for a pre-defined period to ensure it is stable. All components of the solution are fully installed in a production environment and become operational to business users.
The practice of project closeout ensures that all project activities are complete and transferred as appropriate. The project should be assessed, and lessons learned and best practices applied to future projects.
Templates and Resources
Project Closeout Checklist
Key Activities
Review project and assess schedule, budget, and resources.
Notes
Meet with project team to discuss pluses and deltas during the project. Identify product or services to be transitioned and agree on process and acceptance criteria. Conduct final project closing meeting to ensure no outstanding issues remain. Review lessons learned.
Manage
Manage is not a project phase. It occurs through all phases of the project. The document templates provided assist the Project Manager to ensure that the project stays on track and is delivered on time and within budget. It also provides documentation that identifies issues, risks, and decisions that occurred during the project for future reference.
Templates and Resources
Status Report
Key Activities
Highlight key project management updates
Notes
Ensure that key activities, change requests, risks, issues, action items and decisions are documented on weekly or monthly basis to provide stakeholder update
RAID Log – Risks, Actions, Issues and Decisions
Manage and track risks, action items, issues and decisions
The Project Manager is responsible for ensuring that risks, issues, action items and decisions are documented.