Project Health Check Skill
Systematic assessment of individual project health across multiple dimensions.
Purpose
This skill provides a framework for:
- Comprehensive project status assessment
- Early warning identification
- Root cause analysis
- Recovery recommendation
- Stakeholder communication
Prerequisites
Before health check, ensure:
| Prerequisite | Required For | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Project baseline | Variance calculation | Project plan |
| Current status data | Health assessment | Project manager |
| Stakeholder feedback | Satisfaction assessment | Stakeholders |
| Risk register | Risk health | Risk analyst |
Health Check Dimensions
Dimension 1: Schedule Health
Metrics:
| Metric | Formula | Green | Yellow | Red |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPI | EV / PV | >= 0.95 | 0.85-0.94 | < 0.85 |
| Schedule Variance | EV - PV | >= 0 | -5% to 0 | < -5% |
| Milestone Status | On-time % | >= 90% | 70-89% | < 70% |
Assessment Questions:
- Is the project on schedule?
- Are milestones being met?
- What is causing any delays?
- Is the critical path protected?
Dimension 2: Cost Health
Metrics:
| Metric | Formula | Green | Yellow | Red |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPI | EV / AC | >= 0.95 | 0.85-0.94 | < 0.85 |
| Cost Variance | EV - AC | >= 0 | -5% to 0 | < -5% |
| EAC vs Budget | EAC / BAC | <= 1.05 | 1.05-1.15 | > 1.15 |
Assessment Questions:
- Is the project within budget?
- What is driving cost variance?
- Is the estimate at completion acceptable?
- Are there unplanned costs emerging?
Dimension 3: Scope Health
Metrics:
| Metric | Green | Yellow | Red |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope Changes | < 3 | 3-5 | > 5 |
| Change Impact | < 5% baseline | 5-10% | > 10% |
| Requirements Stability | Stable | Some changes | Significant flux |
Assessment Questions:
- Is scope under control?
- How many changes since baseline?
- What is driving scope changes?
- Is there scope creep occurring?
Dimension 4: Quality Health
Metrics:
| Metric | Green | Yellow | Red |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defect Rate | Below target | At target | Above target |
| Rework % | < 10% | 10-20% | > 20% |
| Test Pass Rate | > 95% | 85-95% | < 85% |
Assessment Questions:
- Is quality acceptable?
- What is the defect trend?
- Is rework manageable?
- Are acceptance criteria being met?
Dimension 5: Risk Health
Metrics:
| Metric | Green | Yellow | Red |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Critical Risks | 0 | 1-2 | > 2 |
| Risk Trend | Decreasing | Stable | Increasing |
| Mitigation Progress | On track | Delayed | Blocked |
Assessment Questions:
- Are risks being managed?
- Are mitigations effective?
- Any new critical risks?
- Are issues being resolved?
Dimension 6: Stakeholder Health
Metrics:
| Metric | Green | Yellow | Red |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stakeholder Satisfaction | Satisfied | Concerns | Escalations |
| Communication Effectiveness | Good | Gaps noted | Major issues |
| Decision Timeliness | Timely | Some delays | Blocked |
Assessment Questions:
- Are stakeholders satisfied?
- Is communication effective?
- Are decisions being made timely?
- Any relationship issues?
Health Check Gates
Gate 1: Data Collection
Objective: Gather current project data
Actions:
- Collect schedule data (actuals, forecasts)
- Collect cost data (actuals, forecasts)
- Review scope changes
- Review quality metrics
- Update risk register
- Gather stakeholder feedback
Output: docs/pmo/{date}/project-{name}-data.md
Gate 2: Health Assessment
Objective: Assess each dimension and overall health
Actions:
- Score each dimension (1-10)
- Calculate overall health score
- Identify red flags
- Document root causes
Health Score Calculation:
| Dimension | Weight |
|---|---|
| Schedule | 25% |
| Cost | 20% |
| Scope | 15% |
| Quality | 20% |
| Risk | 10% |
| Stakeholder | 10% |
Overall Score Interpretation:
- 8-10: Healthy
- 6-7.9: Manageable
- 4-5.9: At Risk
- < 4: Critical
Output: docs/pmo/{date}/project-{name}-assessment.md
Gate 3: Recommendations
Objective: Provide actionable recommendations
Actions:
- Prioritize issues by impact
- Identify quick wins
- Recommend recovery actions
- Define success criteria
Recommendation Categories:
| Category | Urgency | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate | This week | Escalation, resource injection |
| Short-term | This month | Process change, replan |
| Medium-term | This quarter | Restructure, descope |
| Long-term | Future | Lessons learned, prevention |
Output: docs/pmo/{date}/project-{name}-recommendations.md
Anti-Rationalization Table
See shared-patterns/anti-rationalization.md for universal anti-rationalizations.
Health Check-Specific Anti-Rationalizations
| Rationalization | Why It's WRONG | Required Action |
|---|---|---|
| "PM says project is green" | Self-reported status often optimistic. Verify with data. | Validate with metrics |
| "One dimension is off, overall is fine" | One critical dimension can sink a project. | Address all yellow/red dimensions |
| "Wait and see if it improves" | Delays compound problems. Early intervention is cheaper. | Act on warning signs |
| "They're aware of the issues" | Awareness ≠ action. Verify mitigation progress. | Confirm corrective actions |
Pressure Resistance
See shared-patterns/pressure-resistance.md for universal pressure scenarios.
Health Check-Specific Pressures
| Pressure Type | Request | Agent Response |
|---|---|---|
| "Make the status green for the exec report" | "Status must reflect reality. Will provide accurate status with context and recovery plan." | |
| "Don't dig into that dimension" | "All dimensions must be assessed. Selective assessment misses problems." | |
| "The PM has it under control" | "PM optimism is natural. Independent assessment provides balance." |
Blocker Criteria - STOP and Report
ALWAYS pause and report blocker for:
| Situation | Required Action |
|---|---|
| Overall health < 4 (Critical) | STOP. Immediate executive escalation required. |
| Multiple dimensions Red | STOP. Recovery intervention needed. |
| Data unavailable for assessment | STOP. Cannot assess without data. Request information. |
| Stakeholder loss of confidence | STOP. Relationship repair needed before project work. |
Cannot Be Overridden
The following requirements are NON-NEGOTIABLE:
| Requirement | Cannot Override Because |
|---|---|
| All six dimensions assessed | Partial assessment misses critical issues |
| Data-driven scoring | Opinions without data lead to wrong conclusions |
| Root cause analysis for Red | Symptoms without causes cannot be fixed |
| Evidence-based status | Feelings don't predict project outcomes |
| Stakeholder feedback inclusion | Project health includes perception, not just metrics |
If user insists on violating these:
- Escalate to orchestrator
- Do NOT proceed with incomplete assessment
- Document the request and your refusal
Severity Calibration
When assessing health check findings:
| Severity | Criteria | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| CRITICAL | Project viability at risk | Overall health < 4, sponsor withdrawing, budget frozen |
| HIGH | Significant intervention needed | Any dimension Red, schedule slip > 2 weeks, cost overrun > 15% |
| MEDIUM | Active management required | Dimensions Yellow, minor variances, stakeholder concerns |
| LOW | Normal monitoring | All Green with minor improvements possible |
Escalate CRITICAL immediately. Address HIGH this week. Monitor MEDIUM bi-weekly.
Output Format
Health Check Report
# Project Health Check - [Project Name] - [Date]
## Overall Health Score: X/10 - [Green/Yellow/Red]
## Dimension Scores
| Dimension | Score | Status | Trend |
|-----------|-------|--------|-------|
| Schedule | X/10 | G/Y/R | Up/Stable/Down |
| Cost | X/10 | G/Y/R | Up/Stable/Down |
| Scope | X/10 | G/Y/R | Up/Stable/Down |
| Quality | X/10 | G/Y/R | Up/Stable/Down |
| Risk | X/10 | G/Y/R | Up/Stable/Down |
| Stakeholder | X/10 | G/Y/R | Up/Stable/Down |
## Key Findings
### Red Flags
1. [Finding with evidence]
### Yellow Flags
1. [Finding with evidence]
### Positive Signs
1. [Finding with evidence]
## Root Cause Analysis
| Issue | Root Cause | Impact |
|-------|------------|--------|
| [Issue] | [Cause] | [Impact] |
## Recommendations
### Immediate (This Week)
1. [Action] - Owner: [Name]
### Short-term (This Month)
1. [Action] - Owner: [Name]
## Decisions Required
1. [Decision needed with options]Execution Report
Base metrics per shared-patterns/execution-report.md:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Analysis Date | YYYY-MM-DD |
| Scope | [Project name] |
| Duration | Xh Ym |
| Result | COMPLETE/PARTIAL/BLOCKED |
Health Check-Specific Details
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| health_score | X/10 |
| schedule_variance | X% |
| cost_variance | X% |
| scope_changes | N |
When Health Check Is Not Needed
| Condition | Verification |
|---|---|
| Recent check exists (<14 days) | Reference existing health check |
| No reported issues | Confirm no new risks or blockers |
| Project in maintenance phase | Verify no active development |
| Stakeholders satisfied | Confirm no escalations or concerns |
MUST: Full health check REQUIRED for the following conditions:
| Condition | Why Required |
|---|---|
| Project status changed | Yellow/Red requires immediate assessment |
| Milestone approaching | Risk assessment needed before milestone |
| Stakeholder escalation received | Must diagnose the concern |
| Project phase transition | Entry/exit criteria must be validated |
| Periodic review cadence | Regular health monitoring required |
MUST: When in doubt, conduct the health check. Undetected issues become crises.