Conducting a Project Healthcheck

Finding Out How a Project Is Progressing

Understand how your project is progressing.

© iStockphoto/alexsl

Projects don't always go as planned. Perhaps one is struggling to deliver the benefits specified, or a deadline has been missed for a key project phase, or costs are escalating and threatening the project's business case. Sometimes you can address these challenges as part of everyday activity within the project – but sometimes you can't.

For example, imagine that you're managing a project to introduce a new IT system. You've completed the design phase, and had your design approved. However, during the development and testing phase, you realize that key people think you're supposed to be doing something different. You've discussed this with some important business stakeholders, and the situation is complicated. How do you resolve it?

Conducting a project healthcheck gives you a complete picture of the project's progress, and helps you confirm how different stakeholders view its success. You can then agree how to proceed.

When You Need a Project Healthcheck

Healthchecks take time and cost money, so be sure they're needed. In general, they're worth running when you want to do the following:

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