Project Documents: Paperwork is the Key for the Project’s Success!

Many of us may find the paperwork boring and even sometimes, an unnecessary process. But not in project management! As the projects are complex endeavors, there are many steps to be taken during the project life cycle. For managing a project according to the project management techniques explained in the PMP certification training, there should be a solid framework of what needs to be done when. What sets these frameworks are the project management processes. What are these important project documents?

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A project can not be managed without the proper documentation, so many project documents should be used during all the processes. The project documents will ensure the successful outcomes of the project. These project documents can be also used for the future projects of the organization as a part of organizational process assets.

In this article, we are going to name the most important project documents. You can find detailed information about all of the project documents in the CAPM courses as well.

What are the main project documents?

Any document used to manage a project is called a project document, as the project management professional course defines. Now let us give you some examples of project documents:

• Requirements traceability matrix (RTM): RTM is a document that helps to determine which project requirement has been met with which deliverable. It belongs to executing process group.
• RACI Matrix: RACI is an acronym which is made of the first letters of these four words: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed. The main objective of the RACI matrix is to define who is responsible for what, in a clear and easily comprehensible matrix. Using the RACI matrix document is a good way to designate roles and responsibilities in a task, activity or project.
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• Project charter: Project charter is one of the important project documents. The main purpose of the creating a project charter is to document high-level project information. This document includes business case, stakeholders, acceptance criteria, high-level risks, product specification. All these information plays an indispensable role in the start of the planning process.

• Procurement papers: These project documents serve to report the relationships between the organization and the vendors or suppliers. They document how goods or services will be procured. Proposals, contracts, offers, etc. can be named as types of procurement papers.
• Assignments sheets: Assignment sheets, as the name suggests, are like the lists of which task is assigned to which project team member.
• Statement of work:  This type of document determines activities which are specific to that project, deliverables, and schedule expected from a vendor providing services to the client. This document is generated by customer or sponsor. SOW describes the needs, product scope, and how the project fits into their strategic plan. This is a kind of a legal contract between the organization and the vendor, ensuring that the requests will be provided by the vendor.
• Activity list: This document lists all the activities to be done during all the processes of a particular project, in a detailed way. It helps to all members of the project team to see what is done or going to be done during the processes.
• Quality metrics: The project documents called the quality metrics has three aspects: the schedule and the budget of the project also the measurable qualities of the project outcomes. This document confirms that the project will be managed within the agreed budget, the schedule and also will produce the deliverables fitting the requests of the customer. This quality metrics document will record the performance of the project.

Project documents might be updated during the project, as defined in change management plan. As long as new information becomes available or actual results of the project requires updates on other aspects of the project, project documents are updated accordingly. 

Remember that the project documents are not part of a project management plan. They exist apart from the project management plans but they are critical for the success of the project as well. So if you want to learn more about project documents, you may think of enrolling in a PMP Training.