Start Writing on Day

If a document is one of the project deliverables, start writing it when the project starts (Walesh 2004c). Do I really mean writing on the first day of the project No, not exactly. But I do mean during the first week of a project having duration of months. 

The document should be written while work is in progress and, as draft portions of it are produced, they should be provided to members of the project team the client, owner, customer and possibly other interested parties. Experience suggests three benefits of writing parallel to working  

Consider a scenario for starting the writing on Day 1. During the first week of a multi-month project, the project manager drafts an outline or table of contents of the document and shares it with the project team. This provides a means to further communicate his or her ideas of where the project is going and to solicit input. 

During the second week of the project, the project manager sends the revised outline to the client, owner, customer, and possibly some stakeholders asking them to review the outline or table of contents in light of their understanding of the project and its deliverables. 

As the project progresses, drafts of various document sections or chapters are shared first with the project team and then, as refined versions, with the client, owner, customer, and stakeholders. The process improves communication between the project manager and the project team, within the project team, and between the team and others. 

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Walesh, S. G. 2004c. Managing and Leading 52 Lessons Learned for Engineers. Lesson 21 Start Writing on Day 1, ASCE Press Reston, VA. 

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