8/11/2019 The Project Go No Go Checklist

1/2

The Project Go/No-Go Checklist

By James WJ Hutt

Many projects have failed at the last hurdle due to poor

implementation planning or inadequate analysis immediately priorto go-live. It is the Project Manager's responsibility to ensure thatthe implementation has been planned out and communicated tostakeholders, and that sufficient due diligence is undertakenbefore the project proceeds. This second point is oftenoverlooked. Many project managers put together some form of

implementation or cutover plan yet fail to carry out the necessary

rigorous analysis to determine whether they should proceed. Thisarticle focuses on this analysis - what is termed the 'go-live decision'.

The decision to go-live or not should not be taken lightly; it is without doubt one of the mostimportant decisions in the project lifecycle and getting it wrong can jeopardise the success ofthe entire project.

Going-live without everything in place may result in:

Unresolved defects.Inadequate testing.Insufficient training.

Business processes not understood.Procedures not written.Stakeholders missed.Lack of communications.Data migration failure.

Interfaces not working.System administration and support not in place.Business areas not ready for the changes.No contingencies in place.Workflows and exceptions not mapped out.No backups and disaster recovery in place.Inadequate system security.Unclear responsibilities, accountabilities and ownership.Inadequate implementation strategy.

And ultimately...

System/application failure.Impact to the business/organisation.Project failure.

Whilst the Project Manager is always under pressure to deliver within schedule, sometimes itis prudent for them to step back and delay go-live rather than risk the consequences ofsteaming ahead.

What due diligence needs to be done?

Ideally the Project should secure an independent resource to perform the readinessassessment. If the analysis is undertaken by the Project Manager, or people closely

1

8/11/2019 The Project Go No Go Checklist

2/2

associated with the project, there is a risk of bias or influence from the pressure toimplement on time. Using an independent resource provides a level of impartiality andtherefore credibility to the decision making process. It is also useful to get an outsider'sperspective, especially if it's from someone with years of project experience and knowledge.Well funded projects often employ outside consultants to perform audits and health checksthroughout the project lifecycle, including the go-live readiness assessments.

Unfortunately not all projects have the means or desire to employ consultants, and therefore

need to utilise internal staff. In this case it's best to use a resource with prior projectexperience (e.g. another project manager), but with no vested interest in the outcome of theproject. This improves the chances of an objective outcome and recommendations.Remember, it is in the project manager's interests to get an honest assessment of where theproject is really at, as any major deficiencies must be either addressed or mitigated against

before go-live. If the outcome of the assessment is pre-determined or intentionally slanted,there is little point in doing the assessment!

If it's not possible to secure an independent internal resource to carry out the readinessassessment, the Project Manager can do it themselves. However they need to make surethat they give an honest account of the situation, ask searching questions of people anddon't hide issues. These assessments should never be conducted without extensive

consultation, as it's vital to speak to as many project people as possible to find out the truestate of play. Some people may hide issues or only tell you the positives. It's important toget the 'warts and all' view, as any major issues and roadblocks must be uncovered andaddressed before a decision is made.

Go/No-Go Checklist

What should the assessment cover? Rather than starting from scratch, it's easier to use aGo/No-Go checklist. This provides a starting place, based upon common best practice, andensures that you won't miss any key areas in your review. Use what's in the checklist toprompt other questions and checks that may be relevant to the project.

The project does not have to tick all of the boxes to proceed, and there is no required scoreor pass/fail mark. However, if there are several glaring gaps the decision becomes fairlyobvious. The checklist helps to identify serious gaps and deficiencies to be addressed before

go-live. It may also provide support for further funds or resources if a particular area needsaddressing. The checklist should support the decision making process, rather than form thebasis of a decision. Whoever makes the decision (normally a steering committee) must alsoconsider the bigger picture and include other factors such as external pressures, urgency toproceed, appetite for risk, consequences of delays etc.

If significant gaps are identified, it is usually far better for all concerned to delayimplementation until these gaps have been addressed/mitigated. The implications and costs

of a failed or troublesome go-live are often far worse than a minor delay in the schedule. Theonly exception to this is if there is a non-negotiable implementation date (e.g. a response tolegislation changes that have to be in by a certain date). In this case the gaps on thechecklist should be prioritised and addressed in order of importance and ability to resolve. Inthis case by going-live the steering committee would essentially be accepting the risksidentified in the assessment, on the basis that meeting the implementation date is more

important than mitigating the risks and having a smooth go-live.

For further information about the Project Implementation Phase, including a 'Go-LiveChecklist' template, go to project-documents.com

Project Smart 2000-2011. All rights reserved.

2