Project Health Reviews are a short, sharp and effective means of ensuring that a project or program is making progress and is on the right track.

The purpose of a project/program health review is to gain an independent assessment, at any point during the project/program life cycle, of how well a project or program is performing in accordance with its objectives and how well it adheres to the methodology’s best practices.  An effective health check will provide access to immediate findings that can be used by the project/program manager and sponsor during planning and execution of the project/program.  It provides opportunities to expand on what is going well, and make improvements where necessary, increasing the likelihood of success due to earlier detection of issues and optimization opportunities.

Health checks that are done during the project/program will ensure that:

• project/program is performing according to its stated objectives, goals, vision, and/or success criteria
• project/program methodology is being used correctly
• best practices are being followed
• the success and effectiveness of a project/program can be measured
• exposure to risk is being actively managed
• change and corrective actions are being actively managed and documented
• recommended improvements are identified early in the project/program when change is easier, less costly, and can prevent later issues
• opportunities for improvement for future projects/programs are available due to lessons learned from current projects/programs