Your whole project plan is often geared to a key decision point - the Go / No Become meeting which agrees whether the projection motility into implementation and roll-out. This meeting is normally very shut to the planned implementation and ofttimes has a large attendee listing with senior stakeholders which are difficult to reschedule. Therefore information technology is of import that proficient preparation occurs and the correct decision is made. I'll accept y'all through my approach in this post.

Project Implementation Go / No Go Meetings - achieving a GO with Caveats

Outcomes from Get/No-Go Coming together

You might recall that the meeting outcome is binary only in my Become/No Go meetings there are 3 possible outcomes and this is often useful to keep the project on rails.

My definition of the iii outcomes is as follows:

  1. GO - The meeting agrees that the project can proceed into implementation
  2. NO GO - The meeting agrees that the projection cannot go along into implementation for reasons which are minuted. When these points are addressed another meeting needs to be scheduled for consideration. With most projects, a no become decision is likely to create delay to the key go live milestone
  3. Become WITH CAVEATS - The coming together agrees that the project tin proceed into implementation if minuted points (caveats) are closed off in a set time. The meeting delegates the conclusion of whether these take been closed off to the Project Manager and no follow up meeting is required

Plant criteria past which a decision will be made

Well in accelerate of the meeting, agree the criteria by which the decision volition be made. This gives yous a definite framework for running the meeting and stops a "free for all" word. The exact criteria may change between projects but if you can brand it less subject to interpretation so that is what you should strive for. Here are some example criteria from IT system Get/No Go meetings I have run:

  • Testing complete? - evidenced through a signed off exam completion report
  • Business Readiness complete? - evidenced through sign-off from person responsible
  • Implementation Plan fully approved & resources for implementation event secured?
  • Mail service implementation enhanced support programme agreed - evidenced through a signed off document
  • Whatsoever Bug or Risks to highlight? - this allows me to highlight things to the meeting such as remainder project risks, implementation risks or indeed an effect which might impact the become decision
  • ITIL change process approved? - normally by approval of a record in the particular modify management arrangement

As this meeting is an example of a Gated Entry meeting, you might also desire to read my post on the general concepts of these meetings

Try and secure the evidence in accelerate of the meeting

If yous can secure the evidence confronting each criterion in advance of the coming together you lot are well placed for a Get determination. Then in the case above, secure the advisable sign-offs of the Test Completion Report and there should be no discussion on testing in the meeting. If the study highlights some residue risks then this should be included in your risk assessment role of the meeting.

Create a document with RAGB statuses confronting each agreed criteria

Create a certificate with a RAGB condition against each criteria based ideally on an objective assessment else make a judgement. Blue is a color I use to signal complete, Red, Amber, Green depending on how much concern the item is for the Go decision.

Employ this document to manage inside the project team as you arroyo the Become / No-Become meeting - the trick is where things aren't Blue or Dark-green to accept side discussions in advance of the coming together.

Then you should formally event the INPUT document to the coming together attendees in advance of the coming together

Project Implementation Go / No Go Checklist

Running the Go/No-Go meeting

Walk through the certificate criterion past criterion and permit any discussion although for completed items you shouldn't await much. In one case you lot have been through the whole list, you need to populate the voting section of the document. I e'er like to start the voting and past so doing, atomic number 82 the coming together.

I try very hard to exist objective and non just say Go as I believe demonstrating a proper objective view gives confidence to other stakeholders. Going alive and having a host of bug non highlighted as risks at the coming together won't be good for your reputation. Once again, the fox is to work hard before the coming together to ensure you are in the all-time possible position to say Become although my reputation is that I always vote "Go with caveats" as there is often a sign-off or two still to be chased downwards!

I e'er like the sponsor to stop the voting and frankly this the most of import vote which should prevail in 99% of meetings. The sponsor can listen to the other votes and where necessary make a sentence phone call.

Project Implementation Go / No Go - Recording Votes

Afterward the Go/No-Become meeting

Ship out the updated criteria / voting with the event from the meeting. If the outcome is Become with caveats or No Go, document and send out the deportment arising from the meeting.

Determination

The Go / No-Become meeting is a disquisitional milestone in your project programme. Skillful planning and preparation can give you the all-time opportunity of getting the correct conclusion. I commend the framework described here as an effective arroyo which I accept used for many years now. On ane project with many whorl-outs I was having upwards to 3 such meetings a week but it worked finer to become the right decision and equally of import, obtain buy-in from fundamental stakeholders.