Project Tools Working Group Meeting 3 by Katrina

Project goals and theory of action

alirwilson — 2025-09-18 19:29:39 UTC

This is the one tool I feel like I use and reference with the most consistency

Project Roadmap

brian209 — 2025-09-18 19:30:55 UTC

Helpful when I complete it and have it ready, but I rarely have projects where I can complete it on the front end and forget to come back for regular updates to it. I end up creating a table or tool that we have in our ongoing agendas with the partner often, as we need something partner-facing, too.

Roadmap

2025-09-18 19:31:14 UTC

after talking to jenna, i understand the purpose of the roadmap pretty well! however, when collaborators are the ones on the ground doing the work, this sometimes becomes something i have to remind them of to complete. i have had to create calendars in google, for each of my projects, so that folks can add their events on that calendar, not cloud mine, and i can use it to complete the roadmap for those who are doing billing.

Roadmap

alirwilson — 2025-09-18 19:31:22 UTC

We are required to use SmartSheets for Project Management with the client...we are a sub on the contract so there is a whole process for assumptions, billing, etc. that would be difficult to capture within this specific format

PRM

brian209 — 2025-09-18 19:32:16 UTC

A number of projects have multiple streams within each category and it becomes somewhat cumbersome to format it for ease of use vs. just putting everything in and it feeling messy/less useful for folks.

Tools in Folders

2025-09-18 19:32:17 UTC

I consistently see the following tools across all my projects:

-roadmap

-Project goals and TofA

-Service Scope

-Roles & Responsibilities

-Service Tracker

-Project Time

-Project Launch Checklist

-Training policies and logistics folder with the ROS stuff

-Coaching Tracker/ Coaching Overview

R&R

brian209 — 2025-09-18 19:33:34 UTC

It'd be great if there were time at the start of every project launch to go through this as a project team and add/adjust for the specific context. However, it's full of a lot of information and can be daunting for people to review. How can we synthesize the responsibilities to be more clear so it's more useful and easier to adapt?

2025-09-18 19:34:12 UTC

sometimes depending on the project, the state, for example, requires different tools, so sometimes the tools in the folder get replaced by the other tools (but i am not sure of the consequences of that, ie who uses the tool for a purpose that we are unaware of)

Never Use

2025-09-18 19:34:52 UTC

Roadmap - I don't use it. I like to track things in Monday.
Launch Checklist - don't use it ever
Project Time - rarely use it and feels even less relevant now
The training logistics/ policies folder - never use. While I have a ROS, I revised the SK one so I return to my version.
Roles/ Responsibilities - never use

alirwilson — 2025-09-18 19:35:13 UTC

having clarity about the purpose and who uses the tool(s) would be helpful when needing to weigh using a client's tool vs. in internal tool and understanding the impact

2025-09-18 19:35:22 UTC

i see all of the tools in my folders always, but they aren't all used or used in the same way, depending on the project

Project Launch Agenda

brian209 — 2025-09-18 19:35:29 UTC

Inconsistently used across projects... I personally do not like the formatting of this document (everything is too big and bulky), so I recreate it often. Also, it's not very helpful to pick up and leverage on fast-moving projects that have to start before a launch can be held (which happens more often than not, it seems). Can it be redesigned to be helpful in all contexts?

Project Roadmap

2025-09-18 19:36:12 UTC

I probably use this document the most! It is the first place I check for dates of service to include in invoices. However, I think it is clunky or not formatted for the PD's use.

Roadmap

2025-09-18 19:36:36 UTC

This is the doc I use the most of the ones listed BUT... from previous feedback I've received, it is a redundant or "easily forgotten" document bc this information is being captured elsewhere either bc of client requirements or bc of PD's own tracking methods.

Consistently Use

2025-09-18 19:36:41 UTC

Service Tracker - jenna would throw a pie in my face if I didn't use it. I use it consistently
Goals & ToA - I use it consistently. I return to it but I want to figure out a way to put that info in Monday
Coaching Overview - use it as needed; but now have started using the Implementation Overview as well
ROS- I use my version consistently

ROS

brian209 — 2025-09-18 19:36:59 UTC

I leverage the multi-facilitator onsite for EVERYTHING. One facilitator? Multi-facilitator template. Multi-facilitator remote? I use the onsite version and adjust for remote. It has more stuff that is often relevant across the board and the single checklist for one facilitator puts so much on the collaborator who is already often short on time.

Workarounds

brian209 — 2025-09-18 19:38:31 UTC

Create tables that live at the top of ongoing agenda docs for services/dates; leverage Monday.com for PRM; provide gantt charts through Google sheets for timelines and deliverables...

Roadmap workarounds I have seen

2025-09-18 19:38:43 UTC

Some people don't use the roadmap at all and instead add comments to the unit cells in the service tracker to provide dates of service details OR provide links / screenshots of their own tracking systems for me to cross reference units & dates of service

Run of Show

2025-09-18 19:38:49 UTC

i think the run of show could be helpful but it's not in a format that's helpful to me. maybe google sheets instead could work. and maybe a little change on the information that's collected. i am working on staffing a larger project now and i am creating a different tool.

brian209 — 2025-09-18 19:39:47 UTC

Getting clear on expectations and supporting/holding folks accountable to ensure they're consistently used (or that a project-specific/partner-specific different approach is listed / named somewhere. Hard to look / work across projects when everyone does something different. Makes finding things really hard (especially as someone who has 14 other people's caseloads to navigate/manage/staff).

Roles & Responsibilities

2025-09-18 19:40:34 UTC

I use this for quick reference to who I should contact for project questions around billing or services. Daunting doc, but the section I need/use is teeny tiny

Project Roadmap

vikki8 — 2025-09-18 19:41:40 UTC

The project roadmap is rarely utilized in my experience. I have often wished for one source of truth for training dates but usually have to hunt across multiple agendas

MONDAY!!!

2025-09-18 19:42:55 UTC

Goals & Theory of Action

vikki8 — 2025-09-18 19:43:20 UTC

Inconsistent -- Usually at the beginning of the project there is an effort to draft some goals, but we usually don't finish :(

ROS

vikki8 — 2025-09-18 19:44:48 UTC

Likely the most consistently used tool that I engage with