10.2 Simple Governance Checklists

10.2.1 Why Governance Matters for Quick Wins

Governance can sometimes be perceived as overly formal or bureaucratic, especially in organizations where project processes have historically been informal. However, a lightweight governance structure is crucial for quick wins because it:

1. Ensures Clarity: Stakeholders know who is responsible for decisions, how to escalate issues, and where to find information.
2. Reduces Risk: Even small projects benefit from oversight to help avoid scope creep, budget overruns, and misalignment with strategic priorities.
3. Improves Communication: By establishing regular check-ins, status updates, and review points, governance helps keep everyone informed and engaged.
4. Builds Trust: Demonstrating that there is a transparent, fair process for resource allocation and project decisions increases confidence in PPM and lays the groundwork for scaling to more complex governance later.

10.2.2 Basic Governance Elements

To keep governance simple and effective, focus on a few core components that can be applied consistently across your quick-win initiatives:

1. Executive Champion
   • A senior leader (often the CIO or another C-level executive) who owns and promotes the quick-win approach.
   • Provides final approval for funding and removes barriers if conflicts arise.
2. Steering Group or Mini-Committee
   • A small group (3–5 people) representing key functions (e.g., Finance, IT, Business, and PMO leads).
   • Meets periodically (weekly or bi-weekly for quick wins) to review project status, approve milestones, and address escalations.
3. Project Manager or Coordinator
   • Responsible for day-to-day management of the quick-win project, ensuring tasks stay on track.
   • Reports updates to the steering group, gathers feedback, and escalates issues if needed.
4. Stakeholder Representatives
   • Individuals who speak for the user community or impacted departments.
   • Provide input on requirements, validate project outcomes, and facilitate adoption in their areas.

By limiting governance structures to these fundamentals, you strike a balance between necessary oversight and speed.

10.2.3 Checklists for Initial Governance

Rather than creating elaborate governance manuals, use simple checklists that everyone understands and can follow quickly. Here are some core checklists to consider:

10.2.3.1 Steering Group Checklist

• Membership: Have we identified key decision-makers?
• Meeting Cadence: Are we meeting weekly (or bi-weekly) for no more than 30 minutes?
• Agenda: Do we have a standard agenda covering progress updates, decisions needed, and risks/issues?
• Escalation Path: If a decision can’t be made at the steering group level, is there a clear escalation to the executive champion?
• Actions and Follow-ups: Are action items clearly documented with due dates and assigned owners?

10.2.3.2 Project Kickoff Checklist

• Objectives: Have we defined clear goals and success criteria aligned with strategic priorities?
• Scope: Is the scope appropriately sized for a quick win (i.e., low complexity, high impact)?
• Resources: Do we have assigned team members with enough time to work on the project?
• Milestones: Are there specific checkpoints (stage gates) where we will review progress and decide whether to continue, pivot, or stop?
• Risk Assessment: Have we identified the top 3–5 risks and basic mitigation plans?

10.2.3.3 Status Reporting Checklist

• Frequency: Is there a regular cadence (e.g., weekly email update or short meeting)?
• Format: Does the report include key metrics (e.g., % complete, budget spend, next steps)?
• Red Flags: Are we capturing any delays, issues, or scope changes that need immediate attention?
• Distribution: Is the report circulated to all relevant stakeholders (including the steering group and executive champion)?

10.2.3.4 Closure Checklist

• Delivery Confirmation: Have we verified that the project deliverables met the agreed-upon objectives?
• Lessons Learned: Did we conduct a brief retrospective to gather insights on what went well and what could improve?
• Documentation: Are outcomes, final costs, and benefits recorded in a central repository or knowledge base?
• Handoff: If the project deliverables require ongoing support, who is responsible going forward?
• Recognition: Have we acknowledged the contributions of key team members and stakeholders?

These concise checklists can serve as a practical toolkit for governance, ensuring nothing critical is overlooked while maintaining lightweight processes suited for quick, impactful projects.

10.2.4 Creating Transparency and Accountability

Governance is not just about managing projects; it’s about fostering an environment where individuals feel responsible for delivering on commitments and communicating effectively.

1. Open Communication Channels
   • Establish a shared platform (e.g., SharePoint, Teams, or Slack) for project-related updates and documents.
   • Encourage short, frequent touchpoints (e.g., stand-up meetings) instead of long, infrequent status reviews.
2. Documented Decision-Making
   • Summarize decisions in meeting notes or a simple log so everyone understands the rationale behind changes or approvals.
   • Make these notes accessible to all team members and stakeholders, reinforcing a culture of transparency.
3. Clear Responsibility
   • Ensure each task or deliverable has a single owner who is accountable for its completion.
   • Encourage an atmosphere where team members escalate problems quickly rather than struggling in isolation.
4. Visible Metrics
   • Use simple dashboards (e.g., a Red-Amber-Green status for schedule, budget, scope) that are periodically updated.
   • Provide both summary views for senior leaders and detailed views for project teams, ensuring the right level of visibility.

Why It Matters

By creating structured yet flexible governance mechanisms, you reduce ambiguity and promote accountability. This is particularly important in the early stages of PPM, where even a small misstep can undermine confidence in the new framework. Conversely, simple, well-executed governance builds credibility and helps quick-win projects achieve timely, successful outcomes.

Summary

Section 10.2 stresses the importance of straightforward governance for quick-win initiatives. By adopting concise checklists at key stages—steering group setup, project kickoff, status reporting, and closure—organizations create the necessary guardrails without drowning teams in bureaucracy. This approach boosts transparency, fosters accountability, and ensures each quick win delivers visible value, further solidifying PPM as a critical enabler of strategic IT initiatives.