Project Objectives and Scope

  • What are the goals and objectives of this project?
  • How does this project bring value to customers/society?
  • How will the capabilities created by this project support the organization’s strategic goals?
  • What is the scope and deliverables?
  • If there are any non-negotiable constraints (e.g., regulatory, time, budget), what are they?

Stakeholders

  • Who are the key stakeholders?
  • What are their expectations and influence?
  • How will stakeholder feedback be incorporated throughout the project?
  • How will we continue to sync with them?

Team

  • Who is on the team and what are their roles?
  • Is the project aligned with team values and passions?
  • How will decisions be made as a team?
  • How will we handle skill gaps within the team, if any?
  • How will we handle conflicts within the team?
  • How will we celebrate wins and milestones together?

Communication

  • How often will we meet for updates?
  • What communication tools or platforms will we use?
  • What anonymous channels can we use for feedback?
  • How will we document key decisions and who will be responsible for this?
  • How will we continue to communicate with stakeholders?

Timelines and Milestones

  • What is the timeline and milestones?
  • Are there any schedule dependencies?
  • How flexible are the milestones and deadlines? Can they be adjusted based on project progress or unforeseen obstacles?
  • How can we build in feedback loops and iterations?

Risks and Obstacles

  • What risks and challenges may arise?
  • What pitfalls have we faced before that we can now avoid?
  • How will we identify and monitor emerging risks as the project progresses?
  • Do we have backup plans and contingencies?
  • What could potentially derail this project?

Resources

  • What resources are available?
  • What is our plan for resource allocation and management throughout the project?
  • Are any key resources missing?

Sustainability

  • How can this project be sustained long-term?
  • How will the results of this project be maintained or enhanced after project completion?

Project Management

  • What methodology will be used?
  • How will we track progress and reassess?
  • How will we manage scope creep, if it occurs?
  • How will we handle change requests?

Success Criteria

  • How will we define and measure success?
  • What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) for this project?
  • What would it feel like to do a good job?
  • When and how will we reevaluate our approach?
  • What lessons learned from past projects can we apply to this one to increase its success?