Free download
The templates I use in real delivery, cleaned up for anyone starting out: a Project Charter, Risk Register, RAID Log and Sprint Planning workbook, plus a one-page guide to the five stages of a project.
No sign-up needed. Works in Word, Excel, Google Docs and Google Sheets.
Almost every project, IT or not, moves through the same five stages. Learn these first: the jargon makes much more sense once you know where it fits. Here is where each template belongs.
Agree why the project exists and who it is for.
Use: Project Charter
Decide scope, schedule, budget and who does what.
Use: Risk Register, Sprint Planning
The team does the work, and the PM keeps it moving.
Use: Sprint Planning
Check progress, risks and changes against the plan.
Use: RAID Log
Hand over, collect lessons, and close properly.
Use: Project Charter (check it was met)
Every template has a short "How to use" tab or section and a realistic example, so you are never staring at an empty grid.
Purpose, objectives, scope in and out, deliverables, milestones, stakeholders, budget and sign-off. Filled with a worked example so you can see what good looks like.
Write risks as 'If... then...', score probability and impact, and agree an owner and response. Ratings and the heat map update themselves.
Risks, Assumptions, Issues and Dependencies in one workbook, with a summary tab that shows what needs attention before every status meeting.
Work out real team capacity, choose backlog items against your velocity, and track progress with a burndown chart that draws itself.
What happens in each stage, the question it answers, which template to use, a first-week plan and the six terms you will hear most.
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If you would like a second pair of eyes on your charter, plan or delivery approach, I offer mentoring for new project managers and consulting for teams.