You need to execute any project with due diligence and using right tools & techniques. Many vital documents enable sponsors, project managers, teams and stakeholders the ability to carefully and precisely manage required project activities. There is a different kind of project management techniques involved. Which creates numerous documents. Each document has a different role to play. I will give you a list below that will tell you the role each document plays.
1. Project charter-
While initiating the project, the project initiator develops a document called a project charter. Project charter identifies the need for a project, formally provides authorization for a project. Grants authority to the project manager to request resources and conduct project activities. The project charter contains:
- A project statement of work that refers to the business need, product/service scope and strategic plan.
- The business case for the project details the demand, customer requests, technologies, legal and social requirements
- Crucial agreements that describe the goals or intent of the project.
- Environmental factors of the enterprise
- Organization process assets
2.Project management plan-
During the planning phase, the project management plan is developed by the project manager in collaboration with the project sponsor or initiator. On the basis of information provided by project charter the project is planned out. This is the most important document that guides the entire project and details of the management plans. These cover the following:
- Communications
- Costs
- human resources
- procurement
- process improvements
- quality of deliverables
- business requirements
- risks
- schedules
- project scope
- stakeholders
- project updates
3.Work breakdown structure (WBS)
This is a essential document as it is a decomposition of the entire project. This document recognizes all the work to carried out by the project team to meet the goals successfully. In the WBS structure all deliverables product or services are broken down to the smallest unit. All the information in the WBS comes from the scope management plan.
There is a lot of information that goes into WBS from scope management plan, scope statement of the project, requirements documentation, and environmental factors and organizational processes that are recognized.
4.Risk management plan-
Dealing with potential risks is always a matter of concern to any project manager and their team. The risk management plan identifies any risks that could hamper the success of the project. The risk manager documents all these risks. Input for this plan will be coming from project management plan and project charter. Inputs for this plan will come from project management plan and project charter.
5. Change request log-
This document plays a vital role, as it will save organizations, project managers, team sponsors and stakeholders from facing any grief. The document identifies change requests and also tells us who requested the change and who is authorized to enact it. A slight change can adversely affect the entire project.
6.Progress reports-
Progress reports will keep your stakeholders up-to-date with the progress on the project. The progress report will tell if it is on time, on a budget, meeting all the quality specifications and most importantly if the project is meeting the intended goals as expected to be delivered.
These are the six most vital necessary documents required for project management. You can go paperless by installing a document management software. A document management software will always help you implement these documentation process easily.
