Move Over, Post-Mortems...

  Lessons Learned  

Projects always run smoothly, are under budget, within timelines and meet expectations…right? We all know that is what we wish would happen. The only problem with that scenario is that reality enters in! In this article, we'll cover two reviews--the Control Gate Review and the Post-Project Review.

What is a Control Gate?

As we plan projects, there are points that are considered milestones. Milestones are important points in the project that are typically associated with certain tasks being completed. When milestones occur, these are also good points to have control gates.

Control gates are essentially in-process audits where the health of a project is assessed and decisions are made. Whereas a milestone is an indicator of progress, a control gate is a systematic review of the project that determines what should happen next.

Control Gate Review

CGRs serve as opportunities to collect data, make decisions and then share information. Without these reviews, it is very easy for a project to be in trouble without anyone knowing about it. The longer a problem continues, the more difficult and costly it will be to correct.

Organizations and projects differ and, as a result, the questions needed to assess the health of the project will vary. To help demonstrate how a CGR template may be structured, a sample is provided for …

Please log in or sign up below to read the rest of the article.