5 Essential Project Documents [YOU NEED THESE] (2023)

Introduction

Are you in the midst of project planning and wondering, “What project documents do I need?” In this video, I’m sharing the 5 essential project management documents that you absolutely cannot live without.

No matter what kind of project you’re doing, you need the right project documentation if you want to be successful. That’s why, in this video, we’re talking about:

- What documents for project managers are necessary
- How to plan a project without forgetting any documentation
- What the most essential project documents are
- How to use documents as your best project management tools
- What documents you need to make as a project manager

So, if you need a refresher on some project management basics about documentation, or if you’re still learning project management for beginners, make sure you stick around for this whole video to learn all about project documentation – one of the biggest project management fundamentals!

➡️ F R E E D O W N L O A D :
Download my free “Why Are My Projects Struggling?” Cheat Sheet:
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➡️ F R E E W E B I N A R ! Are you striving for successful projects, but get overwhelmed figuring out what elements of project management to focus on for the best results? You need THE FAB 5 FUNDAMENTALS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT webinar! You’ll learn the 5 things you need to do on EVERY project to bring it to success. So, if you can only focus your time and attention on 5 things when running your project, THESE are the 5 things you need to focus on. Sign up here: www.slayprojectmanagement.com/webinar

➡️ 🌟SLAY Project Management Online Course 🌟: adrianagirdler.thinkific.com/courses/slaypm

➡️ Videos mentioned:
Project Charter Guide [HOW TO WRITE A PROJECT MANAGEMENT CHARTER]: youtu.be/FIPeKqrvNCs
Work Breakdown Structure [WBS EXPLAINED]: youtu.be/BVcd9uy9kuQ
Project Communication Plan [STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS]: youtu.be/XCX9hsdt-v8
Guide to Lessons Learned Meeting in Project Management: youtu.be/XIHKn_VR8PU

➡️ Order your #SLAYprojectmanagment T-shirt here: shop.cornerstonedynamics.com/collections/all/products/projectslayer-unisex-t-shirt

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➡️S A Y H I O N S O C I A L :
Website: www.CornerStoneDynamics.com/
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LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/adriana-girdler-cet-pmp-0a95484/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CornerStoneDynamics

Thanks for watching my video “5 Essential Project Documents”: youtu.be/XTTN-rT_aAA

#AdrianaGirdler
#ProjectManagement

Content

Not sure what essential project documents, you may need in order to ensure your projects are successful? Well, tune in, because in this video, I'm going to give you my top, five essential project documents that I use all the time that are just going to make your project sing.

Before.

We get into project documentation, I'm going to be sharing with you at the end of this video, how to get your hands on something really, well, not really.

It is brand new, six basics on how to ensure your projects don't fail.

So stay tuned for that.

Hi.

If you're new here, welcome., My name is Adriana Girdler.

And you have landed on the best practical project management channel out there in YouTube world., My, personal opinion.

So.

We would be grateful if you would like this video, subscribe.

So it grows our community.

Now on that note, let's get to those five project document, essentials., Project, Charter.

Now.

This is the most essential project document that you need to have in all of your projects, particularly at the beginning, because it sets the tone for you and your team.

Why? Because.

It has all of the critical information you need to give to your team in order for them to be successful.

Like.

The background justification, the scope template, what's in and out, big, milestones, risks, assumptions, rules and responsibility.

And so much more.

In fact.

If you're interested, you go to the YouTube search bar, put in Adriana Girdler charter.

And there is so much more information I have for you specifically on this topic.

But it is something that, again, from a project essential, for project documentation.

The charter is a must, must, must., Scope, Statement.

Now.

This is a really essential project document because it gives you what it is that you're doing.

At, the very beginning of the project, when you get your marching orders that you're.

Now the project manager of project ABC, in the ideal world, the senior executives or your project sponsor are supposed to give you the scope statement., They're supposed to say, here's, what I want you to do and here's? How I want you to do it.

Here are the ins and outs, and it's supposed to be very robust, but let's be honest.

It doesn't really happen.

So.

Why is this so essential? Because now you, as a project manager, have to get that information.

You're going to need it anyway,? Because as I said, in my first project, essential document, charter, you have to populate that scope statement and transfer it into the charter, because everyone really needs to know and be very clear with what is it that they're doing, what's in and out.

And any other high level, expectations., The, Project, Plan., Okay, you're, probably saying, thank goodness.

Adriana.

You actually said, this is an essential document.

Absolutely.

The project plan is laying out all of the tasks that you need to do in order to achieve the scope statement and the deliverable and everything that you laid out in that charter.

So.

This is your action, plan, the project plan.

So that everyone really knows what they have to do from start to finish.

Ultimately to get that deliverable that your project is supposed to be doing.

Project plans can exist in many types of documents.

We see them all the time in spreadsheets, using Excel or Sheets., You can use them in a document like Word or Docs as well.

As there is project planning software, if you prefer that.

Again, it's going to be your choice, but you need to ensure that everyone has access to that particular software if you're going to use a project software in order to create your project, plan., It's, also, very interesting too, because you really want to ensure that you look over all of everything that you're supposed to be doing from a work breakdown structure, perspective.

Now.

If you go to the YouTube search bar, Adriana, Girdler work, breakdown, structure, I actually have a video on how to create and really create the buckets that you need of action tasks.

So that you can get all of this detail from start to finish of your project.

Plan.

So, definitely take a look at that.

And a very important essential, document., In, fact.

How do you know what you're going to do if you don't have a plan? And? Now, the next thing I would love if you do is hit that Like button, subscribe, because it tells YouTube we're doing a really good job.

Now.

Another essential project documentation is the communication plan.

And this sometimes can get missed, 'cause I'm going to talk just about the communication plan that you're going to do to your end users who are going to be receiving your deliverable.

I'm talking about the project communication plan.

This is the plan that you're are going to use as a project manager, as a project lead, as to how are you going to talk to your sponsors.

Senior executives? How is your team going to communicate other stakeholders? Really.

How are you going to assure that everyone is aware of what's going on? And that they get the right pieces of information? 'cause.

We all know if you don't have a strong communication, plan, what happens? People start assuming.

They start making up their own ideas as to what's going on in your project.

And that is- You actually, don't want that.

That creates a lot of work.

So.

The key here is to have a communication plan for your project itself, and how you're going to educate all the stakeholders, not just for the end user.

But for those that are within your project as well.

Lessons, Learned Document, or as I like to say, AKA, after action, review, or here's, another acronym, AAR.

Okay.

So why is this such an essential project? Document?, As, your project progresses, whether it's at the beginning, middle or end,? You are always going to have things that come up.

You're going to have these milestones that you've all been working towards and you've achieved.

And you want to do a lessons learned.

You want to have an understanding as to what went well, what didn't go well.

What do we have to improve upon when we go into the next phase of this project? It's valuable and the beauty of a lessons learned, if you do it properly, is it is going to take away emotional charge because you're looking at the facts.

You're, not looking at personality or people, per se, but at the deliverable, and it really ensures that everyone understands, hey, here's.

What we did.

Did, we like it, did it work,? And if so, what are we going to change? And what are we going to keep? Very valuable and really helps evolve your project? So it just gets better and better.

Now that you know what project documents are essential for you and your project, guess what? I have this for you.

It's, brand, new, we're.

So excited., I'm so excited to be launching this to you and it's free.

You can get the link underneath this video.

So.

If your projects are struggling, then this is going to give you six basics to ensure that you're successful.

Check.

It out.