Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Scope the project and plan delivery
3 weeks
Pick a major project: three months or more, and three or more people. It should matter to the organisation. Write a delivery plan with five parts. First, scope, naming what is in and what is out. Second, a breakdown of the work. Third, a map of dependencies on other teams. Fourth, a risk register with likelihood and impact. Give the top five risks a mitigation each. Fifth, a milestone schedule. Get sign-off from the sponsor and key stakeholders.
Proof required
Submit the plan with all five parts. It must be at least 1,000 words, or an equal structured document. Add a record of the sponsor sign-off meeting, with any changes they asked for.
What gets checked
- Out-of-scope items are named, not implied.
- At least five risks, each with a specific mitigation, not 'monitor closely'.
- Sponsor sign-off is written down, with any requested changes.
Common mistakes
- Only in-scope items are listed. Unclear edges lead to scope creep.
- Mitigations are vague. 'Escalate to management' is not a mitigation.
- Work starts before sign-off. The sponsor was never actually aligned.
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
Masteryfor the dedicated
What a verifier looks for
- Ask what is out of scope and why. A real scope has clear edges.
- Ask them to walk through one risk. Is the mitigation specific and doable?
- Confirm the sponsor sign-off is written down, not assumed from a meeting.
You'll sign in first, then come straight back here.
Run steering and manage a change
6 weeks
Deliver for at least six weeks. Hold a weekly steering meeting with an agenda, decisions and owners for each action. Keep the risk register current: add, escalate and close risks. Take one significant scope, schedule or resource change through change control. That means: proposal, impact analysis, sponsor decision, then an updated plan. At week six, ask the team how steering is going.
Proof required
Submit six weekly steering records with agendas, decisions and action owners. Add the updated risk register. Add the change-control record for one significant change. Add short feedback on steering from at least three team members.
What gets checked
- All six records show decisions and owners, not just status.
- The change record shows impact analysis, sponsor decision and updated plan.
- At least three named team members give feedback on steering.
Common mistakes
- Steering turns into status updates. Nothing gets decided or tracked.
- A change is absorbed informally. No record, no sponsor decision, no new plan.
- The risk register is written at the start and never touched again.
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
What a verifier looks for
- Ask them to walk through the change: the proposal, the impact, the sponsor's call.
- Ask for one risk that was closed or escalated during delivery.
- Check steering decisions had owners, and that the actions were tracked.
You'll sign in first, then come straight back here.
Close the project and capture lessons
2 weeks
Finish delivery and close the project formally. Get the sponsor to sign off the deliverables. Survey at least five stakeholders on satisfaction. Run a lessons workshop with the core team, at least 60 minutes, with written findings. Write a post-project report. Cover results against plan for scope, schedule and budget. Cover the decisions that shaped the outcome most. Name three process improvements for next time. Then archive the project documents.
Proof required
Submit the sponsor's acceptance record, anonymised survey results and the workshop notes. Add the post-project report, at least 700 words, covering every required part.
What gets checked
- Sponsor acceptance is written down, not assumed at project end.
- The core team takes part in the lessons workshop, not only the manager.
- The report is honest about scope or schedule slips.
Common mistakes
- No formal close. Work is handed over but never accepted on record.
- Lessons stay private. The team never sees them and nothing carries forward.
- The report covers only successes. Slips and near-misses are left out.
Powstik Guide
Sponsor acceptance, survey results and a lessons workshop.
Steps
- Get written sponsor acceptance.
- Survey the team anonymously.
- Run a lessons-learned workshop.
- Write the post-project review.
Template
Sponsor acceptance (date): Survey results: Lessons: Actions and owners:
What gets sent back
- No sponsor acceptance.
- Survey not anonymous.
- Lessons without actions.
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
What a verifier looks for
- Confirm there is a specific sponsor sign-off record.
- Ask for the most important lesson and how they'd use it next time.
- Check the report compares actual to plan on scope, schedule and budget.
You'll sign in first, then come straight back here.
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