Checklist for Project Management
Define – What do you need to achieve?
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Consult with the project sponsor to clarify project requirements.
Gather evidence regarding the problem or change to be addressed.
Seek authorisation from your project sponsor and outline what you need to move forward.
Determine who the stakeholders are.
Liaise with stakeholders to determine what their interests are or how they will impact on the project.
Consult with your project sponsor and key stakeholders to determine:
o project objectives i.e. what will the project deliver/achieve? Use the SMART method for setting your
objectives
o how you will measure whether the project is a success. Establishing key performance indicators in
the early stages of project development will assist ongoing monitoring of the impact project
objectives achieve [refer resource]
o the change impact of the project and how it will be managed.
Explore:
o whether there is a specific project methodology which should be used for the project i.e. Redesign,
Clinical Practice Improvement (CPI) , Accelerated Implementation Methodology (AIM) or whether a
more general project management approach is applicable
o project budget requirements
o available resources (material and human)
o projects risks
o quality requirements
o local needs for registration of projects, if applicable
o reporting requirements.
Scope the project – what is in and what is out [refer template].
Identify milestones and key deliverables.
Form your project team (if applicable)[refer GEM online learning platform].
Plan – how will you do it?
 Determine what project planning tools you will use. Common project planning tools include:
o Microsoft Project
o Gantt Charts [refer CEC worksheets]
o Microsoft Visio
o Critical Path Analysis [refer CEC worksheets]
o Microsoft Excel
o Flow Charts.
 Develop a Work Breakdown Structure [refer template]:
o divide the work required for the project into logical groupings (activities)
o identify and sequence the individual tasks required for each activity.
 Develop your project plan [refer template]:
o Document your project objectives, measurable benefits and scope.
o Identify governance and reporting arrangements.
o Outline project deliverables and key milestones.
o Schedule project activities having regard for interrelationships and dependencies (refer to the Work
Breakdown Structure created earlier).
o Allocate responsibility for each task. Involve your project team in determining what their skills are,
who would be best suited to certain tasks and their capacity to undertake project tasks in
conjunction with their current work commitments.
o Outline resource and budget requirements.
o Undertake a risk analysis and develop risk management strategies.
o Include a communications plan outlining the strategies for keeping stakeholders informed on project
progress.
o Submit plan to sponsor for sign off.
 Consider if a separate change management strategy is required.
Health Education and Training Institute - Checklist for Project Management – Version 1 – 4 July 2013
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Checklist for Project Management
Action – getting it done
 Continuously monitor the triple constraints of time, cost and quality to ensure the project remains:
o on track to achieve key deliverables, milestones and agreed project objectives
o within scope – beware of scope creep
o fit for purpose i.e. changes in the environment have not impacted the effectiveness of project
objectives
o within budget and resource constraints.
 Monitor the effectiveness of the project team and address any issues as they arise.
 Monitor and manage risks.
 Document project progress.
 If appropriate, use graphs and charts to demonstrate outcomes [refer CEC worksheets].
 Communicate regularly with project stakeholders, including the project sponsor as outlined in the
communications strategy and keep records of the key communications.
Finalise – have you achieved the project objectives?
 Deliver on agreed project objectives.
 Undertake project evaluation to:
o determine how the project performed in relation to scope, quality, time and cost
o review lessons learnt in consultation with the project team
 What went well?
 What could have been done better?
 What may have improved the outcome of the project?
 Celebrate and market project successes.
 Finalise record keeping in line with the project’s established governance and reporting arrangements.
 Agree on a strategy for ongoing monitoring and reporting of project KPIs.
 Write the project report.
Specific project methodologies used in Health:
 Clinical Practice Improvement (CPI) – relevant where the project is driven by poor performance or
system breakdown. For more information visit : http://www.cec.health.nsw.gov.au/programs/clinicalpractice#resources and https://gem.workstar.com.au/public/index.cfm (Select ‘Learning Library’ from
top menu).
 Redesign – relevant where the project is about redesigning services. For more information visit the
NSW Health GEM site at https://gem.workstar.com.au/public/index.cfm (Select ‘Learning Library’ from
top menu).
 Accelerated Implementation Methodology (AIM) - relevant to large projects which include significant
elements of change. For more information visit the NSW Health GEM site at
https://gem.workstar.com.au/public/index.cfm (Select ‘Learning Library’ from top menu).
Health Education and Training Institute - Checklist for Project Management – Version 1 – 4 July 2013
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