1. Project Charter
Your one-page source of truth. Use it to lock alignment with your sponsor before anything else moves.
- Problem statement — one paragraph, in business language
- Objectives & success metrics — 2–4, all measurable
- In scope / Out of scope — explicit, so you can defend the line later
- Sponsor, PM, core team — names, not titles
- Milestones & target dates — high-level only
- Top 3 risks — known on day one
2. Weekly Status Update
Send the same shape every week. Stakeholders learn where to look and confidence compounds.
- RAG status (Red / Amber / Green) with a one-line reason
- Wins this week — 3 bullets max
- Focus next week — 3 bullets max
- Decisions needed — owner + due date
- Risks & blockers — only ones that need escalation
3. RACI
One row per deliverable, one column per person. Each row gets exactly one A (Accountable). The day you draw it is the day ambiguity dies.
4. Risk Log
Living document. Each risk has: description, likelihood (L/M/H), impact (L/M/H), mitigation, owner, status. Review it in every steering meeting — not just when something is already on fire.
5. Stakeholder Map
A 2x2: Influence (low → high) on one axis, Interest (low → high) on the other. Plot every named person. High influence / high interest gets a weekly 1:1. High influence / low interest gets monthly updates. This map determines where your political energy goes.
Want the editable versions?
PM Blueprint members get the live Notion + Google Doc versions of all five, pre-filled with examples. You can apply on the Programs page.