Why do some projects go smoothly, while others get bogged down? One reason may be the type and quality of questions people ask at the beginning. Below are 17 insightful queries that can expose the uncertain aspects of your project, and thus help you avoid costly surprises later.

1. How would you describe your project?

Explain as expressively as possible the ultimate vision and purpose from the “big picture” of your completed effort. How will it look, feel, taste, sound, work, increase productivity, help your customers, or benefit humanity?

2. What are your goals and objectives?

What are you trying to achieve? List the goals and objectives of the project in terms that are clear, concise, achievable, and measurable. Example: “Produce a four-hour self-defense video training series along with a training resource guide and database to be accessible online by college students in May 2006.”

3.Who will benefit from your project?

Examples of audiences or beneficiaries include: Customers, customers, customers of customers, local communities, wildlife, students, and specific population segments.

4. Are you going to create any products?

Examples include: books, publications, studies, reports, manuals, videos, audio, multimedia productions, tools, instructional materials, graphics, software and information systems, websites, databases, widgets, and special equipment.

5. Will you provide any service?

Examples include: Providing phone support, business software training, childcare, statistical analysis, copy editing, and customer satisfaction surveys.

6. What methods will you use?

For example, will you start by researching the needs of your audience? Will you use phases for design, development, implementation, piloting, and go-live?

7. What kind of schedule do you anticipate?

Will your project or program involve an incremental implementation process that could occur over many months or years? If so, what long-term phases are you anticipating? Are there critical milestones within these phases? Can you create a detailed schedule for the short-term tasks you will be doing?

8. Will you need partners or collaborators?

Many types of projects will benefit from partnering with partners who can offer complementary strengths or a long-term track record in an important area. Do you anticipate joining forces with other organizations, consultants or agencies to complete the project? If so, what experience, expertise, credibility, funding, or other benefits will each party bring?

9. Will you need specific information or advice?

Do you plan to seek information and help from subject matter experts or other advisers? Will you need to do research, and if so, what sources will you tap into? Examples include Internet resources, company documentation, service reports, problem logs, customer feedback, surveys, focus group data, evaluation forms, census data, libraries, and formal studies.

10. Will you need special systems or equipment?

Some projects require establishing a technological infrastructure to create or deliver the products or services. Examples of items in your infrastructure may include: Servers, networks, computers and peripheral devices, and multimedia, sound, or video systems.

11. Will you need to use special tools or templates?

Some projects require the use of a certain set of software tools or a specific set of templates or techniques. It is important to specify them at the beginning so that everyone is clear about what is required.

12. How will you evaluate the success of the project?

How will you measure the progress and effectiveness of your project? Will you collect information on how you are carrying out your stated goals (process assessments) and how well you are serving the needs of your target audiences (outcome assessments)?

13. Who should review and approve decisions?

Will there be a clear process for submitting items for review and approval, and a set time frame for feedback? What protocol will be used? A key consideration is whether there will be a single responsible party with the authority to reconcile differing views if a review team is unable to reach consensus.

14. How could your project evolve over time?

Why should what happens in the future be so important today? One reason is that implementation of later opportunities can be helped or hindered by decisions made early on. It’s not unusual for a short-lived, “one-time” effort to take on a life of its own by adding unexpected phases, variations, and builds, so why not plan ahead?

15. Who will be responsible for what?

This aspect is especially important when multiple parties will contribute to the result, and even more so when they depend on each other. For example, your detailed schedule for Task X might specify that “Completing Task X is contingent on Person Y at Company C providing Results ABC by such-and-such date.”

16. What risks should you plan to manage?

There is nothing more difficult than anticipating, signaling and managing the potential risks of a project as a whole, or of the successful completion of your part of it. After all, no one wants to admit to possible failure, right? However, risk is a normal part of everyday life, and with the right care, we can manage it!

17. What open issues remain?

What problems and concerns remain after all the above issues have been considered? You and your team may keep a running list of unanswered and unknown questions. What are these items, and how and when do you think they will be resolved? Do they present risks until they are answered?

By thinking through the questions above, you can achieve your project goals with much less guesswork and much less hassle than you may have experienced in the past.

Copyright 2006 Adele Sommers