The Project Management Checklist to Nail Every Project

Do you dread starting a new project because of all the tasks you have to manage? And you’re also afraid of going over budget and missing deadlines?

Don’t worry. Because we’ve got the secret weapon that is sure to boost your productivity and efficiency – the project management checklist.

And the best part; our project checklist isn't just a typical boring list of tasks. It’s the ultimate guide covering everything you need to make your project a great success.

So let’s dive in and get this blueprint of project management and say goodbye to your worries.

Simple 9-Point Project Management Checklist

We’ve used this checklist for project management several times, and it has proved extremely helpful. That’s why we’re sharing this project checklist template to assist you in becoming a successful project manager.

Here’s an overview of our project management checklist:

• Identify Your Goal First
• Meet With Project Stakeholders
• Define Your Deliverables
• Create a Work Breakdown Structure
• Allocate the Resources
• Map out Your Schedule
• Channel a Communication Path
• Figure Out Your Budget
• Run a Risk Assessment

We’ll also explain every step of this checklist and show you how to make the most out of it. Let’s get started.

1. Identify Your Goal First

Defining a project's goal is like setting the destination on GPS before starting a journey. Just as GPS guides you, a well-defined project goal helps you stay focused on the desired outcome.

Without a clear goal, the project will be heading aimlessly, leading to wasted time and resources. So make sure to have a clear-cut goal for your project to avoid problems later on.

Feeling stuck on how to establish a goal? Start by asking yourself these key questions:

• Why are we undertaking this project, and what's its importance?
• How can we align the project with our organization's goals and strategy?
• What specific results or outcomes do we want to achieve from this project?

This way, you’ll get your mind cleared and identify a specific goal to target. But how will you determine if you have set the right goal? Well, no one actually can.

All you have to do is make sure your goal is SMART enough. I mean, it follows the SMART goals formula.

An example of a SMART goal is to aim for increasing your online sales by 25% in the next 3 months. This goal is highly specific, time-bound, measurable, and achievable.

Having goals like this gives you a clear project vision and a solid framework to start your project.

2. Meet With Project Stakeholders

Stakeholders are the pillars of your project, and how you handle them determines the end of your project. But what are the different types of stakeholders?

These are the individuals who either have an impact on the project or are impacted by it, including:

• Project sponsors or clients
• Your team members
• Vendors
• Internal management

You see, these are really important members of the project. So you just can’t ignore them. Try to meet with all the project stakeholders to get their feedback on the project and secure project buy-in.

But don’t limit the meetings only to the project’s beginning. Make sure to meet at various checkpoints during the project to keep the key stakeholders informed about the project's progress.

3. Define Your Deliverables

You have a goal, and it has been approved by the project stakeholders. But how will you achieve this goal? What will be your strategy to make your project successful?

That’s where project deliverables come in. These are the tangible or intangible goods and services to be presented to the client or other stakeholders.

It can be a fully developed app, content strategy, analysis report, or anything that marks the completion of the project.

By defining project deliverables, you set stakeholders’ expectations and create the action plan to achieve your goal. So never skip this step, or you’ll be wasting your budget and resources on unnecessary tasks.

4. Create a Work Breakdown Structure

Now it’s time to simplify things further by creating a work breakdown structure. It’s a system for organizing complex projects into easily manageable chunks.

A work breakdown structure (WBS) simplifies the process and helps in understanding how to develop a project plan. Let’s take a look at the work breakdown structure of a home construction project to comprehend it:

By creating such systems, project managers can proactively identify potential issues that may arise during the project. This ensures that problems are addressed before they become major roadblocks to success.

Additionally, WBS clearly defines the project scope, ensuring that all project activities and deliverables are identified and accounted for.

In summary, WBS gives you a complete project management plan to accomplish your goals.

5. Allocate the Resources

After you have worked out the project plan, it’s time to brainstorm the resources to put that plan into action. Because, in reality, you’ll never be lucky to have unlimited resources.

So you have to put together a resource allocation plan. And how are you going to do that? Simply figure out who will work on what.

But that’s not all. The project resources also include:

• Equipment
• Production material
• Technology

So you have to do your homework here and allocate the resources effectively to get the results you’re aiming for. Otherwise, you’ll mess up the whole project.

Keep these key considerations in mind to properly manage your resources:

• Make decisions about resource allocation based on data, such as project timelines, budgets, and team member availability.
• Avoid overloading team members with too much work or underutilizing their skills and expertise.
• Resource allocation is not set in stone – be willing to adjust as needed based on changes in the project scope, timeline, or budget.

6. Map Out Your Schedule

The next step on the project management checklist is scheduling. Without a structured schedule, you're destined for chaos, confusion, and, ultimately, failure.

And you don’t want that, right? So roll up your sleeves, and let’s map out the project schedule!

Outlining your project schedule helps to identify what needs to be done and when. Without it, staying focused and meeting essential deadlines can be a challenge.

But mapping out your schedule isn't just about assigning tasks and deadlines. It's also a chance to spot potential roadblocks and come up with solutions to overcome them.

By doing this, you can proactively address issues and make adjustments to keep your project on track.

Here are a few tips to help you understand how to create a project schedule:

• Identify the critical tasks and prioritize them to set the tone of the project.
• Be realistic. Avoid over-promising or underestimating the time required for each task.
• Assign tasks to team members based on their strengths and availability.
• Regularly review and update your schedule as needed to stay on track.

7. Channel a Communication Path

Communication is the glue that holds a project together. Without clear and concise communication, a project can easily derail, leading to missed deadlines and confusion.

So you must put effort into creating a collaborative environment among your team members.

But how can you create a communication plan that keeps everyone in the loop and ensures that your project is a success? Here are a few tips:

• Establish a Clear Chain of Command: In any project, there should be a clear hierarchy of who reports to whom. Everyone on the team should know who their immediate supervisor is and who they should go to with their queries.

• Use Multiple Channels: Different team members may prefer different channels of communication. So use a variety of channels to reach everyone and ensure they're comfortable with their mode of communication.

• Keep It Concise: When sending messages, keep them clear, concise, and to the point. Nobody wants to wade through an essay of rambling messages to find the critical information they need.

• Celebrate Small Wins: Keeping the team motivated is essential for a project's success. Celebrate small wins and achievements along the way. It keeps everyone on track and looking forward to the next milestone.

Believe me, these small efforts will save you from a lot of hassles down the road. So you must incorporate this step in your project planning and work towards setting up a project communication plan.

8. Figure Out Your Budget

Money is the lifeblood of your project. And as a project manager, you're the financial detective tasked with effectively managing it and ensuring the project budget doesn’t go bust.

To do that aptly, you have to draft a detailed and well-thought budget. Till now, you would have surely got a figure from your stakeholders.

But, forget it for a moment.

First, estimate the max budget required to execute the project to the best of your ability. Then take that stakeholder’s figure into consideration.

Make the cuts wherever possible and try to get a close number to what they gave you. But never sacrifice the project's quality or quote too low, as you’ll be digging your own grave in that case.

So follow the strategy of starting with a broad estimate and then drilling down to a more precise figure. And if possible, keep a small amount of money as a contingency reserve in case things go wrong.

9. Run a Risk Assessment

No matter how much effort you put into developing a project plan, there will be roadblocks, unexpected issues, and risks of scope creep.

Turning a blind eye to such risks won’t make them disappear. You have to assess those risks and come up with a plan to manage them.

That’s what we call risk management. It’s a step that no project manager will ever wish to skip. Risk management comprises three main steps:

• Identifying the potential risks
• Evaluating the likelihood and the impact of each risk
• Developing strategies to tackle those risks

If this step is done correctly, you’ll have the upper hand on potential headaches and risks. And if every risk is accounted for, nothing can stop you and the project from being successful.

Tackle the risks head-on through a risk management plan rather than letting them paralyze the project.

What is a Project Checklist?

A project checklist comprises a step-by-step formula to get the work done without any trouble. It’s a brief yet comprehensive document that maps out the entire project.

In simplest words, it’s a tool for organizing the work. Think of it like a friend who lets you know what to do and when to do it, ensuring that nothing important is overlooked.

Still confused? Let’s take my example of writing a blog post. The project checklist would look something like this:

• Choose a topic and title
• Conduct research
• Create an outline
• Write and edit
• Publish and promote

You got it, right? Now replace these steps with the 9-point checklist and customize it as per your project requirements. With these changes, you'll have a complete and organized checklist that's sure to make your project a success.

Why Do You Need a Project Checklist?

The question should be: why would someone not use a project checklist? When you can easily get the work done, stay on budget, and never miss deadlines by using a project checklist. And that’s not all. Here are the 3 main reasons why a checklist is a must-have for project managers:

1. Increased Accountability

A project checklist can help to create a culture of accountability within the project team. By assigning tasks and deadlines to specific team members and tracking progress against the checklist, project managers can ensure that everyone is taking responsibility for their role in the project.

2. Improved Communication

As per PMI, poor communication is the leading cause of project failure contributing to 56% of failed projects. So communication is the cornerstone of a project, and it should be paid due attention.

Luckily, it’s not much difficult with a project checklist in hand. Because it gives everyone a clear picture of what they’re working on and reminds the project manager to frequently motivate and update all the project team members.

3. Reduced Risks

A project checklist empowers you to think 10 steps ahead and avoid potential risks. With everything planned already, things will go smoothly. Even if unforeseen delays happen, the project management checklists will track them and alert you to speed up those tasks.

Create Your Own Project Checklist Using Project Management Software

We gave you a project management checklist template that covers everything you have to do. But how will you manage all of this stuff, like scheduling, resource allocation, tracking reports, etc.? Doing it manually and on paper is quite a hectic task.

That’s where the best project management software comes in handy. It offers an all-in-one solution to all your project needs.

You can easily create tasks, assign them, and track the reports using project management software. With organization and color boards, you can visualize project progress at a glance.

And that’s not all. You can also communicate and share files with your team members through project management tools. And not to mention the automation like reminders and free project management templates that save you hours of time.

With all these features, you can’t say no to project management software. So, go ahead, create your own project checklist using project management software, and streamline your project management process!

Explore Further

• 10 Effective Tips on How to Manage A Project from Start to Finish
• What Are the Roles and Responsibilities of a Project Manager?
• 12 Key Benefits of Using Project Management Software
• 9 Essential Roles In Project Management

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