Technology and Service Improvement Project Startup Checklist

What is it? When to use it?

A quick check that you are setting up all
the necessary elements of your project
correctly
How to use it?
Think about whether you have each of
the components listed below properly
thought through, agreed with your client
and in place
At the start of a project to ensure you
have thought through all the main
components your project will need
completed for success
What does it achieve?
Well formed projects

1. Scoping study - evaluation needs to be commenced at the very start of the project
by the establishment of clear outcomes and the means by which they will be
delivered. Without this, evaluation at the end is virtually impossible.

2. Chunking up the project - once the scoping work is complete it is important to

understand the chunks it can be divided into to make it more manageable. This also
provides insight into the discrete pieces of work the completion of which enables stop
valves to be closed to stabilise progress and prevent a run away.

3. Project management - in addition to the technical, cultural, and political workstreams

it is also important to identify the project management architecture and the critical
path sequence that may determine the timing of project events.

4. Control Procedures - as part of the project management infrastructure it is important

to ensure that effective communication, command and control procedures are put in
place to ensure that target completion dates are achieved and that work is completed
at the right time and to the right standard.

5. Exit strategy - It is important to know at the start how the project will be
mainstreamed at the end and how the project team will exit. Evaluation and
measurement of outcomes are obviously an important part of measuring
effectiveness but it is also important for the project team not to create dependency
and find an effective way to withdraw leaving in place the skills and knowledge
needed for the line organisation to subsequently manage its own affairs and deliver
results it requires on an ongoing basis.

This initial scoping study may require a significant investment of time lasting weeks or
even months to ensure that, before resources are deployed, the overall structure and
integrity of the project is appropriately thought through. The following questions may be
helpful in surfacing some of the detail issues in relation to your project: -

Whats safe? What Facilitators would be needed?

Whats reasonable and necessary? Where is the best place to locate the
What exists already? project office?
What potential is there for access to What do locals want?
necessary information? What are the likely rate limiting steps?