Free checklist for executive sponsors and PMO leaders
Your project keeps slipping. Make the next Steering Committee count.
Use a 10-question checklist and a one-page recovery brief to work out what is blocked, which decisions are needed and who needs to act.
The Slipping Project Check: 10 Questions Before Your Next Steering Committee.
Free resource / 15-minute check
The Slipping Project Check
10 Questions Before Your Next Steering Committee
- 01Milestone evidenceCan we show completed, accepted work for the last milestone we reported as on track?
- 02Approval ownershipIs one named person accountable for each approval the next milestone depends on?
- 03DependenciesDo we know who we are waiting on, and when each will deliver?
- 04Resource conflictsAre the people we need for the next four weeks actually available?
- 05Unfinished workIs work that is started but not finished growing or shrinking?
- 06Readiness for testingAre environments, data, test cases and testers confirmed ready?
- 07Acceptance criteriaHas the business agreed in writing what 'done' looks like?
- 08Recurring issuesAre the same issues reappearing for three or more cycles?
- 09Recovery ownershipIs one person responsible for recovery, with authority to act?
- 10Forecast confidenceWould the delivery team privately stand behind the forecast date?
Investigation prompts only. Not a validated risk score or diagnosis.
Sound familiar?
Project delays that a status report can miss.
Milestones keep moving
The milestone date moves with each report, even when the reasons for the delay change.
Decisions are waiting
An approval is still pending because the person responsible is busy, needs more information or does not know it is theirs to decide.
Priorities conflict
The same people are needed for the project and day-to-day work, with no agreement on which takes priority.
Testing becomes a queue
Work reaches testing late and all at once. The environments, data or acceptance criteria are not ready.
What's inside
A 14-page toolkit for your next project review.
Use the questions to identify what needs investigating. There is no score or pass mark, and the checklist is not a diagnosis.
- 15 minutes
10-question check
Answer Yes, Partly, No or Not sure, and note the evidence behind each answer. The answers are not scored.
- Fillable
Six fillable worksheets
Record facts and assumptions, trace blocked work and set out a decision in a one-page recovery brief. Fill in the worksheets on screen or print them.
- Follow through
14-day action plan
Agree who will do what and by when. Review what has been completed, what is still waiting and whether the blockage has changed.
- Illustrative
Worked example
See how the worksheets are used in a hypothetical project. The example does not describe a real client or result.
- In the room
Meeting scripts
Suggested wording for asking a sponsor or Steering Committee to resolve a blocked decision.
- Optional
Three AI prompts
Use the prompts to organise your notes and check the evidence. Do not paste confidential information into AI tools.
How the toolkit works
Five steps to prepare a decision for review.
Check the evidence and trace the blocked work. Set out the decision needed, agree the next actions and review what has changed. These steps help you prepare for the meeting; they do not produce a risk score.
- 10-question check
- Six fillable worksheets
- 14-day action plan
- Worked example
- Meeting scripts
- Three AI prompts
How to use it in 15 minutes
Prepare before the Steering Committee meets.
- 15 min
Answer the ten questions
Work through them with your delivery lead if possible. Use 'Not sure' when the evidence is missing.
- 25 min
Circle the evidence gaps
Pick the one blocked item that holds up the most other work.
- 35 min
Complete the brief
Record the decision needed, who owns it and when you will review it. Use the 14-day plan to follow up.
Who's behind it
Colin brings approximately 28 years of project delivery experience, connecting technical work, stakeholder decisions and business outcomes.
Colin, founder, Constraint to Completion
FAQs
Your questions answered.
Is this a risk score or a diagnosis?
No. The questions help you identify what needs investigating. The checklist is not a validated risk score, diagnosis or prediction, and it does not guarantee recovery.
Do I need to share project details to get it?
No. We only ask for your work email and, optionally, your first name. Please do not send confidential project information.
Who is it for?
Executive sponsors, CIOs and PMO leaders responsible for a late IT or business transformation project, particularly when a Steering Committee meeting is approaching.
What happens after I sign up?
You can download the 14-page toolkit and infographic straight away, or open the printable brief. We save your details and consent for future project recovery emails and occasional programme invitations. Email sending is not set up yet, so you will not receive an email after signing up.
Is it really free?
Yes. There is nothing to buy.
Free · 14-page fillable toolkit · Printable brief