Project Manager Zone

Free 12-point diagnostic

Project health check

Test whether your project is in a coherent state. Try to be honest with your answers, not overly optimistic, and the check will identify potential gaps for you to address first.

Project position

0 of 12 checked
01Purpose and outcomeIt is clear why the project exists, what it is expected to achieve and who has agreed that outcome.
02Success measuresSuccess measures are specific enough to test and the people who will accept the outcome are known.
03What is in scopeThe main things the project needs to deliver are clear, along with anything that is specifically out of scope and any important limits the project has to work within.
04Current planA current plan shows the next meaningful outcomes, owners, dates and dependencies.
05Are the dates realistic?The key dates make sense based on the work still to do, the people available and anything the project depends on.
06Ownership and decisionsImportant outcomes, actions and decisions have named owners with enough authority to act.
07Stakeholder positionThe people affected by, contributing to or able to block the project are known and their current concerns are visible.
08Risks, issues and dependenciesMaterial risks, assumptions, issues and dependencies (RAID) are recorded with owners and next actions.
09Capacity and capabilityThe project has credible access to the people, skills, money and supplier capacity needed for the next stage.
10Who makes the decisions?It is clear who can make important decisions, approve changes and deal with problems that need escalating.
11Is the project status clear?The latest update makes clear what is known, what is still uncertain, what decisions are needed and what actions are under way.
12What happens after delivery?It is clear who will take ownership once the project delivers, how the change will be put into use and how you will know whether it has achieved the expected benefit.
Complete all 12 checks to see the evidence position.The result will prioritise up to five gaps.

How to use the result

Treat uncertainty as useful information

A low score does not mean the project is failing. It just means the current position has some gaps you need to address. It's usually safer to identify those gaps now, before any commitments are made.

Use the priority gaps to plan conversations, evidence checks and decisions. Re-run the check when the position changes. Apply your organisation's governance and escalation rules throughout.

Need more support for your first month?

Turn what you have learned into a practical first-month plan.

The First 30 Days toolkit includes a project health check, stakeholder tools, a RAID register, priority tracking and guidance for your first status update.

See the first 30 days toolkit