A.2.1 Planning templates
Summary
Copyable starting points for a project scope, plan, update, weekly plan, and handoff. Each is a starting point, not a form to fill out without discussion: keep what helps, adapt the examples, and leave out sections that don't serve the work. Use them when you're scoping, planning, updating on, or handing off a project and want the fields a good scope or plan should cover. Store completed records with the project and link them from Atlas rather than in the handbook.
Project scope
Based on the Fellowship's scope template.
| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
| Project | Name, owner, team, and timeframe |
| Objective | The change you want to achieve and why it matters |
| Audience | Who will use or benefit from the result |
| Success criteria | How you will know it worked |
| Outputs | The concrete things that will exist |
| Key questions | Tradeoffs, assumptions, and uncertainties to resolve |
| Scope | What is included and explicitly excluded |
| Constraints | Time, capacity, budget, dependencies, and other limits |
| Decision rights | What the owner decides, where consultation is needed, and who approves reserved decisions |
| Milestones | Meaningful results or decision points on the way to completion |
Copy this outline into your project document:
Project (name, owner, team, timeframe):
Objective:
Audience:
Success criteria:
Outputs:
Key questions:
Scope (included / excluded):
Constraints:
Decision rights (decide / consult / approve):
Milestones:ExampleA first-meeting guide
Objective: Help a new organizer run a welcoming first meeting.
Output: A short guide and sample agenda.
Success criteria: Agree criteria with the project contact. For example, a new organizer can use the guide to prepare and run a pilot meeting, and identify a next step with participants.
In scope: Invitations, preparation, facilitation, and follow-up.
Out of scope: A complete chapter constitution or a full training curriculum.
Key question: What do first-time organizers find hardest?
Milestones: Understand the needs; draft the guide; pilot it; revise and hand off.
This is an illustrative scope, not a current assigned project.
Project plan
Objective:
Final output:
Success criteria:
Owner and decision holders:
Available capacity and deadline:
Important assumptions or open questions:
By [date]: [specific milestone outcome]
- [ ] [Concrete next action]
- [ ] [Feedback, test, or decision needed]
- [ ] [Follow-up action]
Completion and handoff:
- [ ] Review the output against the success criteria.
- [ ] Organize files and essential instructions.
- [ ] Record remaining limitations and next steps.
- [ ] Confirm who receives or maintains the work.Project update
Project / period:
Completed and learned:
Work or evidence: [links]
Blockers and decisions needed:
Next steps:
Changes to scope, timing, or capacity:Weekly plan
This supports the proposed weekly review.
Available time:
Priority outcome or milestone:
Next actions, with links to context:
Waiting on:
Help or decisions needed:Handoff
What is finished:
Where the work lives:
How to use or maintain it:
Open questions and limitations:
Next steps:
Receiving owner or contact:
Access or transfer still needed:AI planning prompt
An AI assistant can help turn a project scope into a plan. The reusable prompt is maintained at A.3.1 Project planning prompt.