Checklist to get your project off to a good start

Summary

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FirstHeading

Agility:

1. Take ownership of the project
2. Create the project in the tracking tool adopted by the company
3. Create Document Sharing
4. Set up project tools
5. Organize and plan the project
6. Track risks
7. Review workloads and planning
8. Prepare for kick-offs

Agility:

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1. Take ownership of the project

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Action	Activities	Comment
Retrieve the Pre-Sales Folder	RFP and/or specifications Requirements Repository Business Proposal Estimation and load plan Phasing & Planning Risk Matrix Budget with target margin and provisions Organization Commitment model (package, control room, etc.)	The Pre-Sales team will ensure the proper consolidation of useful information and documents. The Bid Manager can be called upon for these purposes.
Understand the context	Through discussions with the Pre-Sales team: Client/project context Personalities of the actors Power-map Feedback on the defense Informal teachings	A point of alignment should be organized between the pre-sales and project teams as soon as possible after the customer’s decision: any hot information, even subjective, can be of great help.
Appropriating contractual documents	CCTP (The Book of Special Technical Clauses) or contract signed with the client Procedures (acceptance, warranty, ramp-up/down, etc.) Service Level Agreement (SLA) Indicators of Success (KPIs) Potential Penalties Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) Security Assurance Plan (SAP) Project Plan (PP) Document Templates	The contract must be signed before the actual start of the project. Otherwise, (LOI or formal derogation), the project manager must contact the sales manager to secure the start-up. If the required documentation (e.g., AQP or SAP) is not available, production must be scheduled without delay.
Involve the Legal	If there is no contract, LAW or formal derogation To ensure GDPR implementation
Analyzes RetEx from similar projects	Through exchanges with the other project teams (MD, DP and CP): RetEx (feedback) and Project Reviews Project check-ups Similar products Search for similar projects in the database or archive.

2. Create the project in the tracking tool adopted by the company

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Action	Activities	Comment
Request project creation in the tracker	Contact the Project Director or Authorized Signatory Manager	All information must be duly filled in.
Check and allocate the budget	Validate budgets with the various managers Check how budgets are allocated	The distribution between the Business Units can be fixed or prorated.
Giving employees the rights	Ensure that all members of the project team have the necessary rights in the tool	Inform the project team and remind them of good practices.

3. Create Document Sharing

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Action	Activities	Comment
Create document directories	Ensure collaborators’ access to folders in tools: SharePoint, Confluence, GitLab, etc. Create the folder tree in the tools	Inform the project team and communicate best practices.

4. Set up project tools

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Action	Activities	Comment
Define the tools used for the project	Depending on the project under consideration: Management tool (monitoring, metrics, reporting, etc.) Testing tool (depending on testing strategy) Load Tracking Tool Deliverable Tracker	Jira, Azure DevOps, etc.
Initialize the project in the management tool	Create the project in the tool Set up the project Assign rights to identified users Create tasks according to predefined loads Assign them to employees/cost profiles Initialize KPIs in the tool	Refer to the charges and profiles sold under the Pre-Sales to fill in the management tool ( Azure DevOps, etc.).
Set up the ticketing tool	Define the tool(s) used to monitor anomalies and incidents, change requests, customer requests, etc. Set up measurement dashboards according to the KPIs to be monitored. Create the project in the ticketing tools Assign rights to identified users	We will favor the JIRA ticketing tool , and its EazyBI module for monitoring. If the ticketing tool is the customer’s, dashboards must still be set up (this is a prerequisite).
Configure the testing tool	Define the tool used for internal acceptance (design and execution) Create the project in the tool Give (or request) rights for affected users	The tool used depends on the project context. A client tool may be preferred.
Create technical environments	Create the required technical environments Manage Configuration	Check with the DevOps init.
Define the document repository	Define the document repository used for the documentation of the project (steering, functional, technical)	SharePoint and/or Confluence tools.
Define communication channels	Define communication tools, both internally and with stakeholders (customers, suppliers, others) Ensure the presence of contacts in the tools (directory, mailing lists, invitations, etc.)	e.g: Teams, Skype, Google Meet. Take into consideration the need for traceability and archiving of exchanges.

5. Organize and plan the project

Action	Activities	Comment
Revision of requirements	Review the repository of requirements addressed in the context of Pre-Sales Identify rejected (exclusions) or partially accepted requirements (based on sizing and limiting assumptions)	The scope of the requirements must not be modified at a later date without an analysis of the impacts: technical, budgetary, etc.
Identify staffing needs	Determine the typical project team based on the profiles and skills identified in Pre-Sales Take into consideration possible replacements, to balance the pyramid of the project team, to compensate for missing or undervalued profiles, to anticipate additional needs, etc. at equivalent costs/margins	In the context of large projects, remember to identify a configuration management manager and plan his interventions.
Initialize the workload plan	Based on the expenses identified in Pre-Sales, initialize the workload plan in order to plan the interventions of the various stakeholders necessary over time. Also plan the intervention of external stakeholders (architect, technical expert, etc.) for support and reviews	The workload plan is a strictly internal document, which must be updated throughout the project.
Managing remote work	Define the number of days of teleworking per site, as well as the rituals requiring the presence of on-site teams. Adapt the pace for newcomers. Set up a schedule and a tool for supervising telework	At least 1 day per week when the entire team is present in situ.
Identify resources	Depending on the intervention schedule and the skills required, identify the resources to be allocated to the project by contacting the resource managers of the BUs involved	Depending on the resources available, the cost plan can be updated as well as the budget and margins.
Training	Identify the necessary training needs Complete the training plan Schedule training sessions	The training courses are ideally anticipated and estimated in the Pre-Sales phase.
Hardware and/or software resources	In the context of project-specific hardware and/or software resources, obtain assignments and availability from IT. In the context of a purchase, involve management in the acquisition process.	Validate with IT the exact needs in terms of machines (or VMs), specifying the expectations on the operating system and the characteristics of the machine – allow at least 3 weeks.
Telecommuting conditions	Ensure that the conditions are met to allow the teleworking of the members of the project team: sufficient Internet connection, alternative means of communication, dedicated environment, camera and microphone, etc.
Products & Licenses	Identify the needs of development environments (client workstations, integration server, software licenses, etc.) Identify products to include in the configuration repository

6. Track risks

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Action	Activities	Comment
Review AVV Risks	Initialize the risks identified in Pre-Sales Review them in the risk tracker Complete them if necessary
Review the AVV action plan	Review the preventive and/or corrective actions identified in Pre-Sales, and identify any new actions	For each action, report the provision for risk and enter it in the expense tracking tool
Plan for risk monitoring	Plan instances of risk reviews and action plans	Align yourself with the project governance bodies (Project County, Steering Committee, etc.)
Postponing telecommuting risks	Initialize the identified risks, revise them in the tool

7. Review workloads and planning

Action	Activities	Comment
Formalize the list of deliverables	Fill in the deliverable tracker	SharePoint, Confluence, GitLab, etc.
Review the Pre-Sales Estimate and Validate it	Taking into account the allocated resources, the revised list of deliverables, the planned trainings and the identified risk provisions, revise the budget estimate produced in Pre-Sales and the associated target margin	In the case of deviations impacting project objectives (margin, milestones, scope, etc.), define an action plan or validate new objectives with management.
Review the schedule	Revise the schedule according to new elements (resources, expenses, risks, etc.) Plan governance bodies and project rituals	The various stakeholders (suppliers, customers, service providers, etc.) are consulted for the revision of the schedule.
Update the workload plan	Depending on the project schedule, update the project workload plan
Feed the load monitoring tool	Create the project in the Expense and Financial Tracker Put the planned target ADR in Pre-Sales	Load Tracking Tool
Initialize Tracking Tools	Create the requirements repository (Backlog, …) in the Jira tool Create and assign follow-up tasks (expenses, provisions, etc.) Create milestones, iterations, batches, sprints, etc.

8. Prepare for kick-offs

Action	Activities	Comment
Customer Kick-off	The objective of this kick-off meeting is to validate with the client the project as a whole and the organization set up for this project
Complete the Quality Assurance Plan	If necessary, update the QAP to reflect new elements, to be as close as possible to a final version	Ideally, the QAP should be shareable with the client along with the kick-off meeting minutes
Internal kick-off	The objective of this meeting is to present to the whole team the project as a whole and the organization set up for this project

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