Preparing

Project Documentation
Dr. G. Venkatraman
 Project documentation
• the process of recording the key project details
and producing the documents that are required
to implement a project successfully
• includes all the documents created during the
course of the project
• Project proposals, business cases, project plans
and project status reports
 Project Documents
• To define what should be documented over
the course of a project is difficult
• depends on the kind of project you are
managing
• A major project at a big enterprise usually
requires a lot more paperwork than a
small-scale initiative in an early-stage startup
• some basic documents are needed in most
cases
 Examples
1. Project Proposal
• written to initiate a project – it's the first step
in the project management process.
• to convince the decision-makers and
stakeholders that the idea behind the project
is worth pursuing.
• needs to outline the project's core value
proposition, which is often done in the form
of a business case.
 Examples
2. Project Charter
[Charter: a document issued by an authority which
defines purpose and privileges]
• a formal, typically short document that describes
your project in its entirety — including what the
objectives are, how it will be carried out, and who the
stakeholders are.
• outline how the business goals of the project will be
achieved by explaining the key requirements, budget,
tasks, roles, and responsibilities of the project.
• first document you write after your project proposal
is formally approved.
 Examples
3. Project Plan
• After the high-level project planning is
complete, a detailed project plan is created by
the project manager.
• serves as a roadmap for the project, defining
the key project milestones and the timeline.
• evolves together with the project, capturing all
changes and decisions and facilitating
communication among project stakeholders.
 Examples
4. Project Status Report
• drafted to keep all project stakeholders – both
internal and external – on the same page.
• contains an overview of the progress you've
made so far and the next steps you are
planning to take.
 Examples
5. Project Retrospective
[Retrospective: relating to past; looking backwards]
• Every project is a learning opportunity.
• What went well?
• What could be improved next time?
• After you conclude the project, sit together with
your team and do a project retrospective.
• Document your lessons learned in a separate
document and use it as a reference for your next
project.
 Other documents
• Project scope statement
• Business requirements document
• Risk management plan
• Cost management plan
• Communication plan
• Financial plan
• QA (Quality Assurance) plan
 The value of project documentation

• the project document forces you to think

through your idea and to verify.
• Makes your project much easier to manage by
helping your team to:
– Clarify the project expectations and objectives
– Break down the work into manageable blocks
– Plan and assign resources
– Ensure that all stakeholders are informed about
the progress
 Choosing the right documentation software
Different tools you can use to document a project –
Google Docs, Confluence, different types of internal
wikis and knowledge bases etc.
An ideal project documentation tool should:
• Be easily editable even by non-technical users,
ideally, in real time.
• Provide an instant and reliable search function.
• Have intuitive navigation.
• Make it easy to organize content.
• Integrate with other tools to keep all your project
assets in sync.
• One such documentation tool is Nuclino – create an
account and give it a try
 How to document a project

• Part of what makes project documentation seem

so frustrating – and even useless – is that the
finished documents are often not read by
anyone.
• Documentation is created only because it's what
you're expected to do, and then immediately
forgotten and discarded.
• Find out the ways to ensure that the time you
invest in documenting your project is not wasted
 How to document a project
Organize all project documentation in one place
• Project-related communication tends to scatter
across meetings, chat, email, and shared drives,
leaving your team without a single source of truth.
• Instead, bring all project-related documents
together in one place and don't waste time
hunting through outdated Confluence pages or
stale emails.
 How to document a project
Make it easy to access and search
• The easier you make it for people to find the
information they need, the more likely they
will be to read the documentation.
• Make sure your documentation tool is
equipped with a reliable and fast search
feature.
 How to document a project
Keep it Concise
• While it's important to keep your project
documentation thorough, it also needs to be
concise.
• No one will bother reading pages and pages of
text – write down what you need and only what
you need, with a clear purpose and audience in
mind.
• Follow the rules of Agile documentation.
[Agile documentation is an approach to create
concise documents]
 How to document a project
Collaboratively maintain it
• Don't rush to laminate your project
documents.
• As your project evolves and progresses, many
key details may change, and your
documentation needs to keep up.
• Create living documentation and give
stakeholders access to share feedback, ask
questions, and update it as needed.
 How to document a project
Project documentation template
• Every project is different and there is no
one-size-fits-all when it comes to project
documentation.
• But still you may make use of the project
documentation templates available on the
internet.
 Language Considerations
(while writing a Project Proposal)
• Clearly define your purpose and audience before you
begin to write
• Be sure you have done research so you know what
you are talking about
• Remain positive and constructive: you are seeking
to improve a situation
• Be solution oriented; don’t blame or dwell on the
negative
• Introduction: logical, objective, and empirical
• Use primarily logical and ethical appeals
 Adhere to the 7 Cs by making sure that your writing is:

• Clear and Coherent: don’t confuse your reader with

unclear ideas or an illogically organized structure.
• Concise and Courteous: don’t annoy your reader
with clutter, unnecessary padding, inappropriate
tone, or hard-to-read formatting.
• Concrete and Complete: avoid vague generalities;
give specifics. Don’t leave out necessary information.
• Correct: don’t undermine your professional
credibility by neglecting grammar and spelling, or by
including inaccurate information.
 Recapitulation
• We develop various project-related
documents like project proposal, status report
etc.
• You need to precisely record all details
• Keep the documents handy for further use
• Adhere to the language points while writing.