Templates
OIT PMO has several templates ready to help you through the project lifecycle. Commonly used templates are available below. To request additional templates or schedule a discovery session, email us.
Project Charter
The Project Charter template is the document of record used to gain initial agreement. It starts the planning process by describing the project in detail and is used as input for the project plan. The Sponsor(s) provide a commitment of time, money, and people to the project. The people who work on the project are “team members” and commit themselves to produce certain work products or deliverables.
Project Scope
The Project Scope template is the description of the scope, major deliverables, assumptions, and constraints of the project. It describes in detail the project's deliverables and the work required to produce them. It also provides a common understanding of the project scope among the stakeholders. It establishes a baseline for evaluating whether requests for changes or additional work are contained within or outside the project’s boundaries. It expands on the earlier work done in the Project Charter and creates a shared understanding of the project scope among project stakeholders.
Risk, Action Items, Issues & Decisions (RAID Log)
The RAID Log template tracks risks, action items, issues, and decisions made throughout the project's life. It provides a history of the project team's accomplishments and outcomes on key decisions.
Communication Plan
The Communication Plan template defines who should be given specific information, when it is distributed, and how it will be delivered.
Complexity and Risk Assessment
The Complexity and Risk Assessment template forecasts the complexity and risk of a proposed project/idea for project approval and expenditure authority.
Is Your Idea or Initiative a “Project”?
A member of our PMO team will meet with you for a "Discovery" meeting to ensure your idea or initiative fits the definition of a project. To request a consultation, submit a request.
We also invite you to learn more by reading through the material on this page to acquaint yourself better with common project attributes and the typical project lifecycle.
Things to Consider
- Does it align with UC Merced's Strategic Vision? [Visioning & Change Alignment Map]
- Who does it benefit, and how? (Examples: Advantages from cost savings, demonstrable student outcomes, research or business productivity, business process improvement, or revenue opportunities. Benefits should be specific and measurable.)
- Do you have a primary sponsor?
- How broadly will this effort impact the university community as a whole or specific constituents?.
Areas that Require IT Expertise
- Single Sign-On
- Data Integration
- Data Reporting (Cognos)
- Security Review & Assessment
For more information about how PMO can help you deliver your desired outcomes, please refer to our Services page.
Project Life Cycle
The PMO has aligned its project management methodologies with the Project Management Institute (PMI). By applying knowledge and experience with these practices, PMO staff help increase the opportunity for project success. The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) divides projects into five phases. These phases represent the path a project takes from the beginning to its end and are generally referred to as the project's “life cycle."
The Project Management Life Cycle has five phases (including Phase 0, Discovery): Initiation, Planning, Execution, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closure. Each project life cycle phase is described below.
Discovery is just that - pre-project communication between you and the PMO team to understand your needs and how we can help. A member of our PMO team will meet with you for a "Discovery" meeting to ensure your idea or initiative fits the definition of a project.
Initiation is the first phase of the project lifecycle. This is the start of the project, and the goal of this phase is to define the project at a high level (30,000 feet). This phase usually begins with the definition of a Project Charter. The document is perhaps the most critical in project management. It provides a preliminary outline of the project’s scope and objectives, identifies the participants in a project (referred to as the project’s stakeholders), and defines their roles and responsibilities. The project charter also serves as a formal written and signed agreement between the project’s stakeholders regarding the project details.
This phase is vital to successful project management and focuses on developing a roadmap that everyone will follow. This is where the project manager will lay out every detail of the plan from beginning to end. The created plan will lead a team through the execution, monitoring, and control, and closure phases of the project management process.
The project plan also prepares teams for the obstacles they might encounter throughout the project and helps them understand the cost, scope, and timeframe of the project.
With a clear definition of the project and detailed project plans, this project phase is where the team gets off and running! Execution is when the actual work is done. Teams collaborate, review work, present to stakeholders, and revise.
This often feels like the meat of the project—a lot is happening during this time, like status reports and meetings, development updates, and performance reports. Execution relies heavily on the planning phase. The team's work and efforts during the execution phase are derived from the project plan.
Phase 4: Monitoring and Controlling
This phase is about ensuring the project runs smoothly and that things go according to plan. As teams execute their project plan, they must constantly monitor their own progress. To guarantee delivery of what was promised, teams must monitor the quality of deliverables, calculate key performance indicators, and track variations from allotted cost and time. This constant vigilance helps keep the project moving ahead smoothly.
When your project is complete, and everyone is happy with what’s been delivered, tested, and released, it’s time to wrap up. In the project closure phase, the team will complete the steps needed to close tasks, hand off the project to stakeholders, finalize any reporting, and celebrate the project.
This vital step in the project lifecycle also allows the team to evaluate and document what went well in a project and identify project failures. This is especially helpful to understand lessons learned so that improvements can be made for future projects. The PMO uses these informed successes and improvements to build stronger processes and more successful teams.
