As a project manager, documentation is a critical part of your role. While your team handles many deliverables, some key documents fall solely under your responsibility. Understanding these documents and ensuring their accuracy can significantly impact the success of your project.
In this blog post, we’ll walk through five essential documents that every project manager must create and manage.
1. The Business Case
The business case is the foundation of your project. It outlines:
- The purpose and objectives of the project
- Estimated costs and timeframes
- Key risks and issues
This document is essentially your pitch to secure funding and approval. It is usually reviewed by the Treasury Department or budget holders to determine whether the project should move forward. Since the project manager has the most comprehensive understanding of the project, they are best positioned to create this document.
2. The Project Plan
The project plan serves as the roadmap for your project. It details:
- All the tasks and activities required to complete the project
- The start and end dates for each activity
- Dependencies and milestones
While you should collaborate with your team to build the plan, ownership remains with you, the project manager. You must know the project plan inside and out to track progress, anticipate roadblocks, and adjust as needed.
3. The Resource Plan & Budget
Managing project resources and budget is a core responsibility of a project manager. This document includes:
- A list of team members and their required allocation over the project’s duration
- A breakdown of full-time vs. part-time resource needs
- Estimated costs based on resource requirements
Since most project expenses stem from resource costs, keeping this document updated is crucial for budget control and stakeholder reporting.
4. The Risks & Issues Log
A well-maintained risk and issues log is a fundamental tool for project management. It should:
- Identify potential risks before they become issues
- Define mitigation strategies
- Include regular updates and status tracking
This document allows you to proactively manage risks rather than react to them. If a risk escalates into an issue, you should log and track its resolution in the same document.
5. The Handover Document
At the end of a project, the handover document ensures a smooth transition to business-as-usual (BAU) operations. It typically includes:
- A summary of the delivered product or service
- Details of any outstanding defects or follow-up tasks
- Key processes and responsibilities for ongoing maintenance
- A plan for tracking benefits realization
Since many project team members have likely moved on by this stage, you are responsible for compiling and finalizing this document. It serves as a formal acknowledgment that the project is complete and the deliverables are accepted by the business.
Final Recap
To summarize, the five essential documents every project manager must deliver are:
- Business Case – Secures funding and approval
- Project Plan – Defines activities and schedules
- Resource Plan & Budget – Allocates resources and controls costs
- Risks & Issues Log – Manages risks and mitigates issues
- Handover Document – Ensures a smooth transition post-project
By mastering these documents, you’ll be better equipped to lead successful projects and maintain control throughout the project lifecycle.
What’s Next?
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Project Manaverse 