If you are an IT project manager in today’s current business environment characterized by shifting priorities and scarce resources, there is a good chance that sooner or later you will be asked to take over a project that is already in the development phase.
It may be that the current project manager is leaving the company, having been promoted to new responsibilities, or the company needs that person to take over another project more related to their background. It may be that the project did not have a project manager and now someone is needed to take over, or it may be a late or over budget project that the organization needs you to “fix”.
You are facing a significant challenge ahead of you; the project performance reports could be inaccurate, technical designs could be incomplete and have missed key user requirements, the project plan could be incomplete or proper risk planning could have not been performed. The degree of uncertainty for you as the project manager is very high, that’s why it is recommended to perform an assessment of how the project has been run so far, reviewing each previous phase to raise relevant alarms and recommend corrective actions.
To support this assessment, following are 20 questions to ask when taking over an IT project:
1. Has a Project Charter been developed and signed off by the sponsor and key stakeholders?
2. Does the project have a developed business case that demonstrates its benefit and alignment with the strategic objectives of the organization?
5. Is there evidence that the business owners and users reviewed the functional design, and that their input was included in the final document?
8. Were the Test Cases available to developers so they could consider any scenario that could have been missed during technical design?
9. Do the Project technical specifications include non-functional requirements, in areas such as level of service, performance, security, compliance and technical quality?
12. Was the input of technical leads, developers and experts included in the schedule through an effective project planning meeting?
14. How is the project current performance in relation with planned scope, time, cost and quality objectives?
16. In case that the development team had to modify any functionally for technical reasons, were the changes discussed and agreed with the client? (Following change management procedures)
19. To what extent were the communication needs of stakeholders identified? Was a communications plan developed?
20. Is there a clearly defined procedure for scope change management approved and followed by all stakeholders? (That prevents scope creep.)
If the answer is yes to most of these questions, then you will be able to take over the project with the confidence that proper project management is in place, and chances of success are high. On the other hand, is the answer is no to most questions, the situation may look perilous, but nevertheless is an excellent opportunity to raise the alarm and get support for corrective and preventive actions before is too late.
Have you ever taken over an IT Project that was alread part-way through? What was your biggest challenge? Did we miss an important question? Which other questions would you ask? Please share your thoughts.
This article was written by our guest author Ricardo Rodriguez, editor of the blog The Tech Project Management Office[Update: the template website is no longer available, so we removed the link]. Ricardo is a systems engineer and a PMI project management professional (PMP) with more than twelve (12) years of experience; he has advised clients in the telecom, banking, manufacturing, wholesale and retail sectors. He has led various IT projects in areas such as web applications, mobile and telecom customer services. In addition, he is an expert in project management methodology and agile project management, and has provided consulting services in those areas. You may also follow Ricardo on Linkedin.
Kicking off a new project is an exciting time full of momentum and promise. But before diving in, savvy project managers take the time upfront to ask critical questions.
Thoroughly vetting key details early on can surface potential issues and lead to smarter planning. Skipping this step on the other hand, risks budget overruns missed deadlines, and failed deliverables down the road.
As the project lead, you play a pivotal role in guiding your team to success. Make it standard practice to have these conversations before starting any new initiative.
Here are 10 essential questions for project managers to ask in the planning stages:
1. What Are We Actually Delivering?
The first step is gaining absolute clarity around what you are producing for the client.
Sit down with stakeholders and walk through
- The purpose and justification for the project
- The tangible and intangible deliverables expected
- Success metrics and KPIs that define “done”
- The problem you are solving for customers
Leave the discussion with a firm grasp of the scope and objectives Document it in the project charter,
2. What Are We NOT Delivering?
It’s equally important to outline what falls outside of scope.
Get clear on what you won’t be handling so there’s no confusion down the line. For example:
- Additional features or enhancements
- Ongoing maintenance and support post-launch
- Peripheral activities like training or documentation
Spell out boundaries so your team knows where to focus their efforts.
3. Is There a Deadline?
Ask if there is a firm delivery date you need to work towards or if there is flexibility.
- How firm is the timeline?
- Will you get leeway if unpredictable issues emerge?
- What risks arise if the date isn’t met?
This gives helpful context for the urgency and any penalties tied to punctuality.
4. What Does Success Look Like?
Align early around how project success will be measured and who decides.
Discuss concrete metrics like:
- Coming under budget
- Hitting scheduled milestones
- Achieving growth or usage targets
- Customer satisfaction scores
- Quality benchmarks
Defining victory upfront allows you to plan deliberately to hit the marks.
5. Who Is the Client…Really?
Seems obvious but do you know who the actual client is?
- Who requested the project?
- Who controls the budget?
- Who will deem it successful?
There may be multiple project sponsors you need to please. Identify all key stakeholders and decision-makers.
6. Who Is the Point Person?
Ask who will serve as the chief contact overseeing the project and providing approvals.
Ideally, this is a single point person who can make timely decisions rather than a diffuse group. Push to identify one key stakeholder to streamline communication.
7. Who Is Doing the Work?
No project plan is complete without identifying roles, responsibilities, and required skill sets.
Figure out:
- What mix of skills is needed
- How much time each role will dedicate
- Who owns each component and deliverable
This steers you to assemble the right team.
8. What Expertise Is Needed?
Relatedly, outline what subject matter experts or outside specialists should be tapped to augment your existing team.
You may need:
- Technical skills like coding or analytics
- Niche market knowledge
- Legal, compliance or security capability
- Vendor partners offering tools or services
Determining expertise gaps prevents them from slowing progress later.
9. What Are the Budget, Resources, and Timeline?
Get specifics on budget constraints, resources provided, and time expectations.
Push for realistic targets aligned to scope rather than arbitrary guesses. Underestimates lead to shortfalls down the line so gather details to set pragmatic plans.
10. What Could Get in Our Way?
Every project faces a mix of known risks and unknown unknowns. Try to surface potential hurdles or blind spots early.
Ask stakeholders:
- What challenges do you anticipate?
- What unintended consequences do we need to monitor?
- What risks keep you up at night?
Addressing concerns proactively leads to smother sailing.
By taking time to thoroughly answer these questions at the start, you head off foreseeable pitfalls. You also demonstrate care, experience, and diligence – positioning you for long-term trust and success.
Don’t skip this step before embarking on your next mission-critical initiative!
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Project Manager Interview Questions [+ANSWERS!]
Should you ask questions before starting a project?
The spirit of asking these questions before starting a project is so you know as soon as possible what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and how you’ll be doing it. As a Project Manager, one of your key responsibilities is to be able to answer these questions—without really even having to think about it.
What are the most important questions for project managers?
As a general rule, deadlines are what brings urgency to a project. Without time constraints, it’s easy for tasks to meander, preventing your project from taking shape and leading to frustration. Therefore, one of the most important questions for project managers is the timing of the project.
How can a project manager prepare for an upcoming project?
Preparing for an upcoming project effectively is an important responsibility for project managers, and asking relevant questions is an integral part of preparation. Given the complexity of some projects, there are usually multiple aspects that a project manager can clarify and optimize before starting work.
What should I do before starting a project?
Before you start any project, take some time to sit down with your client and ask some tough direct questions. This will go a long way in ensuring you’re applying the right processes to the project and setting the right expectations about how your teams will work together.
