Project Management for Waterfall Web Projects
Purpose
The purpose of this document is to outline standardized project management procedures for waterfall web projects, ensuring clear task creation, assignment, and workflow progression to facilitate efficient project execution.
Audience
This document is intended for project managers, developers, designers, and all team members involved in the planning and execution of waterfall web projects.
Task Creation & Assignment
Task Creation
The Project Manager creates tasks all tasks based on project requirements following the approved client sitemap
All tasks must follow the standardized naming convention [Client Name] - [Project Name] — [Task Name]
Priority Setting
The Project Manager assigns the priority level (Low, Medium, High) for each task based on importance and expected deliverables as formalized in the project plan.
The Project Manager assigns tasks to the appropriate developer(s) based on availability and areas of expertise.
Project Status Definitions and Updates
Not started: A task is created but work has not begun.
Ready for Design: The task is ready for the design phase.
Design in Progress: Design work is currently being done.
Ready for Dev: The task is ready for initial development.
In Progress: The task is currently being worked on.
Ready for Review: The task is completed and ready for review by a senior team member.
With Client: The task is with the client for feedback or approval.
Ready to Launch: The task is approved and ready for deployment. Any changes past this point go into the final QA checklist
Done: The task is completed and has passed all QA checks.
Archived: The task is no longer active and has been moved to the archive.
Blocked: The task cannot proceed due to dependencies or issues.
Workflow for Task Progression
Task Setup
The Project Manager assigns the task with a clear description, priority, and assignee.
On creation of a task, the status is set to Not Started
Design Phase
For tasks that require design, the status is set to Ready for Design.
The designer changes the status to Design in Progress when work begins.
Upon completion, the designer sends designs to the client and updates the status to With Client.
Once the design is approved, the status is updated to Ready for Development.
Developer Phase
The developer changes the status to In Progress when development work begins.
If any blockers arise, the status is updated to Blocked with comments explaining the issue and tagging the Project Manager for resolution.
Review & QA
Upon completion, the developer updates the status to Ready for Review.
The assigned reviewer conducts a thorough review and sanity check.
The reviewer provides feedback or approves the task. Feedback is documented in task comments.
Feedback or changes are addressed by the developer, who then updates the status back to In Progress until the task is ready to be reviewed again.
Client Feedback
The task status is updated to With Client for any client review or feedback.
The Project Manager tracks client feedback and assigns necessary changes back to the developer, updating the status to Ready for Client Changes.
The developer reviews the client feedback and updates the status to In Progress when starting to work on the client-requested changes.
Once the developer completes the client changes, the status is updated to Ready for Review for another review cycle, or With Client if they request another review, or directly to Ready to Launch if no further review is necessary.
Pre-Launch & Final Review
The Project Manager ensures a pre-launch checklist is added to the Final sign-off page, with designated individuals responsible for each item.
A senior team member conducts the final sanity check and ensures all steps in the Pre-Launch checklist have been completed.
Completion & Archival
Once approved, the overall project status is updated to Ready to Launch.
After successful deployment, the project status is updated to Done.
Pre-Launch Checklist & Sign-off
Checklist Creation: PM creates a pre-launch checklist for each project.
Sign-off Process: Each checklist is assigned to a specific team member for verification.
Tracking: Use task comments for team members to confirm the item is complete
Confirm a task is done by adding a “Complete” comment to the item
Final Review: Senior team member ensures all items are checked off before the final sign-off.
Feedback & Communication
Feedback Documentation: All feedback and changes are documented within the task as checklist items
Any discussions should take place within comments to ensure the checklist remains easy to follow
Explanation of Changes: Developers must provide brief explanations for significant changes or decisions.
Communication: Use task comments for discussions related to specific tasks; avoid using Slack for formal feedback.
Supporting Conversations: If further discussion is needed, schedule a brief meeting and document key points in the task comments.
Example Status Update Procedure
Task Assigned: Status set to Not started.
Ready for Design: The task is ready for the design phase.
Design in Progress: The designer begins work.
Design Approved: Status updated to Ready for Development after review and approval.
Development Begins: The developer changes the status to In Progress.
Issue Detected: Status updated to Blocked with an explanation in comments.
Task Completed: Status updated to Ready for Review and assigned to a reviewer.
Review Feedback: Feedback provided and status remains Ready for Review until development starts again, at which point it is updated to In Progress.
Client Feedback: Status updated to With Client.
Ready for Client Changes: The task is waiting for the developer to start working on client-requested changes.
Working on Client Changes: The developer changes the status to In Progress when addressing client feedback.
Post-Client Feedback Review:
Ready for Review: After implementing client feedback, the task status is updated to Ready for Review for another review cycle.
Ready to Launch: If no further review is necessary after the client changes, the status is updated to Ready to Launch.
Approval for Launch: Status updated to Ready to Launch.
Post-Launch: Status updated to Done and task archived.
Centralized Project Management Process
Task Management: The Project Manager maintains a centralized list of all tasks in the project.
Task Addition: Tasks are moved to the QA list when marked "Ready for Review."
Senior Review: A senior team member rechecks all tasks to ensure all items are completed.
Final QA: A senior team member performs final checks before changing the status to "Ready to Launch.
