Project Management Checklists For Dummies

Project Management Checklists For Dummies

by Nick Graham
Released November 2014
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9781118931431

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Book description

Your must-have tool for perfect project management

Want to take your career to the next level and be a master of planning, organising, motivating and controlling resources to meet your goals? This easy-to-use guide has you covered! Project Management Checklists For Dummies takes the intimidation out of project management, and shows you step by step how to use rigorous self-check questions to save significant time—and headaches—in managing your projects effectively.

Project Management Checklists For Dummies gives you to-do lists, hands-on checklists and helpful guidance for managing every phase of a project from start to finish. Before you know it, you'll be a star project manager as you organise, estimate and schedule projects in today's time-crunched, cost-conscious global business environment.

  • Includes useful to-do lists and checklists to ensure all the necessary steps are completed

  • Offers simple exercises to help clarify needs and requirements along the way

  • Provides templates to complete, which can also be downloaded from Dummies.com and customised to suit your unique requirements

  • Supplies hints and tips to help you along the way

    • If you're a project manager—or any professional charged with managing a project and wondering where to start—Project Management Checklists For Dummies is your ready-made tool for success.

    Table of contents

      1. Introduction
        1. About this Book
        2. Foolish Assumptions
        3. Icons Used in This book
        4. Beyond the Book
        5. Where to Go from Here
      2. Part I: Understanding Projects and Checklists
        1. Chapter 1: Using Checklists and Templates in Projects
          1. Using the Checklists
          2. Using Lists As An Expert – Or Not
          3. Understanding Checklist Types
          4. Using Templates
          5. Understanding Project Structure
            1. Kicking off the project
            2. Doing the Planning
            3. Delivering Project Products
            4. Closing the Project
            5. Evaluating the Project
        2. Chapter 2: The Key Documents
          1. Kick Off
          2. Project Planning
            1. The major planning documents
            2. The logs
            3. Two checklists
          3. Project Control
          4. Thinking About What You Need
        3. Chapter 3: Using Project Standards
          1. Standardising Internationally
          2. Following a PMBoK
          3. Using a Project Method
          4. Using Checklists with Standards
      3. Part II: Checklists for Kick Off
        1. Chapter 4: Kicking Off the Project
          1. The Idea Checklist
          2. The Recommendation Checklist
          3. Consultation Checklist
          4. The Outline Checklist
          5. The Ready-to-roll Checklist
          6. Planning Stage Checklist
        2. Chapter 5: Checking the Justification and Benefits
          1. Project Justification Checklist
          2. Benefit Types Checklist
          3. Benefits Consultation Checklist
          4. Measurement Points Checklist
          5. Benefits Checklist
            1. Savings
            2. Gains
          6. Disadvantages Checklist
        3. Chapter 6: Tackling the Roles and Responsibilities
          1. Project Roles Checklist
          2. Project Steering Group Checklist
          3. Sponsor Checklist
          4. Project User Checklist
          5. Project Supplier Checklist
          6. Optional PSG Roles
          7. Project Manager Checklist
          8. Optional Management Roles
          9. Team Leader Checklist
          10. Project Audit Checklist
            1. What you’re responsible for
            2. What you’re not responsible for
          11. Project Administration Checklist
        4. Chapter 7: Templates for Kick Off
          1. The Idea
          2. The Recommendation
          3. Outline Charter
      4. Part III: Checklists for Planning
        1. Chapter 8: Creating the Plans
          1. Business Case Checklist
          2. Product Planning Checklist
          3. Activity Planning Checklist
          4. Resources - Staff Checklist
          5. Resources –Equipment Checklist
          6. Resources – Facilities Checklist
          7. Budget Checklist
          8. The Four Dogs Checklist
          9. Risk Category Checklist
          10. Risk Action Checklist
          11. Risk Plan Checklist
          12. Quality Plan Checklist
          13. Stakeholder Log Checklist
          14. Stakeholder Plan Checklist
          15. Communications Plan Checklist
            1. Inbound communications
            2. Comms within the project
            3. Outbound communications
          16. Types of Project Memo
          17. Communication Media Checklist
          18. Procurement Plan Checklist
        2. Chapter 9: Establishing Controls
          1. Project Characteristics Checklist
          2. Stage Decision Checklist
          3. Progress Report Checklist
          4. Problem Solving Checklist
            1. Timing problems
            2. Resourcing problems
            3. Spending problems
          5. Change Checklist
          6. Change Options Checklist
          7. Communication Pattern Checklist
          8. Quality Crosscheck Checklist
          9. Risk Review Checklist
          10. Project Log Checklist
          11. Lessons Checklist
        3. Chapter 10: Managing the People
          1. Three Areas to Watch
          2. Performance Levels
          3. The Motivation Checklist
          4. Motivation Points Checklist
          5. Performance Problems Checklist
          6. Motivator and Hygiene Checklist
          7. Stage Briefing Checklist
          8. Supplier Staff Checklist
        4. Chapter 11: Templates for Planning
          1. Header Block
          2. The Project Charter
          3. Business Case
          4. The Project Management Plan
          5. Procurement Plan
          6. Quality Plan
          7. Risk Plan
          8. Stakeholder Plan
          9. Communication Plan
      5. Part IV: Checklists for Project Control
        1. Chapter 12: Checking Each Stage
          1. Team Progress Checklist
          2. Team Visit Checklist
          3. Stage Check Checklist
          4. Risk Check Checklist
          5. Business Case Check Checklist
          6. Supplier Check Checklist
          7. Stakeholder Check Checklist
          8. Readiness Check Checklist
          9. Lessons Checklist
        2. Chapter 13: Stage Reporting
          1. Team Progress Report Checklist
          2. Stage Progress Report Checklist
          3. Risk Report Checklist
          4. Financial Report Checklist
        3. Chapter 14: Conducting a Stage Gate
          1. The ‘Look Back’ Checklist
          2. The ‘Current State’ Checklist
          3. The ‘Look Forward’ Checklist
          4. PM’s Stage Gate Checklist
        4. Chapter 15: Reviewing the Project
          1. Closing and Evaluating a Project in PRINCE2 and PRIME
          2. Project Completion Checklist
          3. Crash Stop Checklist
          4. Evaluation Plan Checklist
        5. Chapter 16: Templates for Control
          1. Change Log Entry
          2. Change Log Overview
          3. Product Definition
          4. Project Log
          5. Risk Log Entry
          6. Risk Log Overview
          7. Stakeholder Log
          8. Quality Checklist Template
          9. Version Control Record
          10. Work Checklist Template
          11. Work Package
          12. Stage Gate Agenda
            1. The Last Stage
            2. The Present Position
            3. The next stage
            4. Conclusion
        6. Chapter 17: Templates for Reporting
          1. Team Progress Report
          2. Stage Progress Report
          3. Stage Completion Report
          4. Project Completion Report
          5. Project Evaluation Report
      6. Part V: More Project Checklists
        1. Chapter 18: Taking Over an Existing Project
          1. Project Manager Checklist
          2. ‘Problem Project’ Checklist
          3. ‘Problem Project’ Actions
          4. Sponsor Checklist
        2. Chapter 19: Auditing Someone Else’s Project
          1. Audit Focus Checklist
          2. Outline Charter Audit Checklist
          3. Planning Audit Checklist
          4. Project Charter Audit Checklist
          5. PMP Audit Checklist
          6. Project Plan Audit Checklist
          7. Risk Plan Audit Checklist
          8. Quality Plan Audit Checklist
          9. Project Controls Audit Checklist
          10. Stage Audit Checklist
          11. Stage Gate Audit Checklist
          12. Project Closure Audit Checklist
        3. Chapter 20: Finding Useful Techniques
          1. Planning Techniques Checklist
          2. Control Techniques Checklist
          3. Business Case Techniques Checklist
          4. Risk Techniques Checklist
      7. Part VI: The Part of Tens
        1. Chapter 21: Ten Sets of AKAs
          1. Kick Off
          2. Planning Stage
          3. Plans
          4. Organisation
          5. Project Roles
          6. Support services
          7. Stages
          8. Control
          9. Closure
          10. Evaluation
        2. Chapter 22: Ten Tips for Effective Planning
          1. Balancing the Plans
          2. Using Planning Levels
          3. Using Stage Plans
          4. Basing Planning on Products
          5. Consulting Others
          6. Working Hard At Estimates
          7. Being Brutally Realistic
          8. Levelling the Resource
          9. Adding Contingency
          10. Updating the Plan
        3. Chapter 23: Ten Tips for Estimating
          1. Holding Historical Data
          2. Thinking ‘Retrieval’
          3. Maintaining Accessibility
          4. Modifying Generic Data
          5. Using the PERT formula
          6. Consulting the Delphi Oracle
          7. Estimating When You’re Not Sure
          8. Stating Your Confidence Level
          9. Using the Three Strand Rope
      8. About the Author
      9. Cheat Sheet
      10. More Dummies Products

    Product information

    • Title: Project Management Checklists For Dummies
    • Author(s): Nick Graham
    • Release date: November 2014
    • Publisher(s): For Dummies
    • ISBN: 9781118931431