The craft · manual 06Run a real internal project on firm-grade disciplinePart of the operator manual library

Practical manual

Plan a project before work starts

Set the result, responsibilities, schedule, and checks for completion.

Project planning steps Business Advisor vs Consultant: How the Roles Differ
Operator scoping an internal project.

Worksheets and guides

Before you start

Write down the result you need, the work included, who is responsible, and how you will check completion. Use the same brief whether your team does the work or you hire someone.

A responsible person

Choose who can approve the scope and resolve changes.

A defined result

Describe what should be different when the project is finished.

Time and budget limits

Make constraints visible before agreeing the work.

People and information

Check that the people doing the work can access what they need.

Project planning steps

  1. 01

    Write the brief

    State the situation, the intended result, and what is outside the project. Include relevant evidence rather than assuming the cause is already known.

    • What result would make this project worthwhile?
    • What still needs investigation?
  2. 02

    Plan the work

    Break the project into tasks. Give each task a responsible person, a date, and any dependency on another task.

    • Does each task contribute to the result?
    • Where could the work be delayed?
  3. 03

    Specify the deliverables

    Describe the documents, systems, decisions, or other work that must be provided. Explain who will use them.

    • Could two people read this and expect the same thing?
    • Who will review each deliverable?
  4. 04

    Agree completion checks

    Write how you will check the work and who can accept it. Agree how problems found during review will be handled.

    • What evidence shows the work is complete?
    • Who approves completion?
  5. 05

    Review progress and changes

    Check the work at agreed points. Record changes to scope, cost, responsibility, or timing before treating them as agreed.

    • What changed, and who approved it?
    • Is the expected result still achievable?
  6. 06

    Finish, hand over, or stop

    Review the completion checks. Hand over the files, access, and responsibilities needed for use. If the project no longer makes sense, record why it should change or stop.

    • Can the intended users use what was delivered?
    • What remains unfinished, and who owns it?

Use the worksheets

When to get help

A clear brief does not replace specialist investigation or delivery expertise. A consultant can help define the problem as well as complete agreed work. Choose the help based on the work and the qualifications it requires.

Business Advisor vs Consultant: How the Roles Differ

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