Project document template

When you're working across teams and departments, finding the right documents shouldn't slow you down. Searching for scattered files is a key contributor to busywork that cuts into your team's productive hours every day. Sourcing and organizing all the documents you need to collaborate effectively is critical, but it doesn't have to be time-consuming.

A project documentation template can help. It makes sure everyone uses the same process across the company, so you always know where to find important documents, no matter who created them. In this article, you’ll learn what a project documentation template is, which documents your team needs, how to organize them by project phase, and tips for using your template effectively.

What is a project documentation template?

A project documentation template is a reusable outline that standardizes how your team creates, organizes, and stores project documents. You can customize it to list every document that needs to be created before a new project begins. This keeps all your information in one central location, so it's easy for stakeholders to access.

Do you need a project documentation template?

Short answer: yes, especially if you coordinate work across multiple teams. When you launch a project, you usually connect with many different teams to source and create documents like change requests or communication plans. But when each team has its own way of documenting information, it can be hard to find and collect project knowledge.

At a minimum, this is confusing. However, it can also be downright disruptive, causing unnecessary stress when team members are endlessly searching for information. That's where a project documentation template comes in: everyone in your company can use the same process to find, sort, and house all relevant documents in one central source of truth.

Improving cross-functional collaboration at work

A project documentation template is the first step in disrupting the container model and breaking workplace silos. The container model, a data model in which work can live in only one place, limits teams by forcing every task, project, and folder into a one-to-one relationship. But when you use your project documentation template alongside other project management templates, you can improve your business processes to foster cross-functional collaboration.

That's why we created the Asana Work Graph® data model, a system that lets all your work connect to many different relationships at once.

Types of project documentation

Project documents have different purposes, and every project is unique. Knowing the main types of project documentation helps you choose which documents to add to your template. Here are the most common types:

• Planning documents: These set the foundation for your project. They include your project charter, business case, scope statement, and project plan.

• Execution documents: These support day-to-day project work. They include status reports, change requests, meeting minutes, and issue logs.

• Monitoring documents: These help you track progress against your plan. They include progress reports, timesheets, risk registers, and quality assurance reports.

• Closure documents: These wrap up the project and capture what you've learned. They include lessons learned reports, final project reports, and client sign-offs.

Organizing your template by these categories makes it easier for your team to find the right documents when they need them.

Project documentation by phase

You can also set up your project documentation template based on each phase of the project lifecycle. Each stage needs different documents, so having them ready from the beginning to the end helps your team stay on track. Here’s a list of the documents you’ll need at each phase:

Initiation

• Purpose: Define the project’s purpose and secure approval

• Key documents: Project charter, business case, stakeholder register

Planning

• Purpose: Create a detailed roadmap for execution

• Key documents: Project plan, scope statement, budget, schedule, risk register, communication plan

Execution

• Purpose: Track progress and document changes during active work

• Key documents: Status reports, change requests, meeting minutes

Monitoring and controlling

• Purpose: Compare actual progress against the project plan

• Key documents: Performance reports, risk assessments, change logs

Closure

• Purpose: Wrap up the project and capture what you’ve learned

• Key documents: Project closure report, lessons learned summary, final project report

When you organize your template by project phases, your team knows exactly which documents to create and when. This keeps your projects organized from start to finish and helps everyone use the template consistently.

How to use a project documentation template in project management

To make your project documentation process work best, adjust your template to match your company’s needs. Here are some best practices to help you:

1. Don't reinvent the wheel. If you already have a successful project document process, base your template on your current workflow. Keep track of the documents you reference throughout the project's lifecycle, everything from the project planning phase through your final project status report. Then include these in your template, such as your project proposal, project goals, project closure reports, and final metrics.

2. Refine and lock in your process. One of the most useful parts of your template is how it fosters cross-functional collaboration. Get feedback from other teams and departments so you can use a single, consistent template that works for many different groups. Once you've established the key steps of your most successful project documentation process, save it as a template.

3. Use a collaborative tool. With a work management tool, you can sync and streamline every step of your project documentation workflow with a process map. Storing everything in one place reduces app switching, which is critical since the average worker switches between 10 apps 25 times a day. Plus, project stakeholders can view your project documentation process with a simple link to your template.

What to include in your project documentation template

You should tailor your project documentation template to fit your needs, but here are some helpful sections to include when you begin:

• ​​Document description: Include the document's purpose and business case

• Location: Link to the document's location

• Deliverables: Associated deliverables and dependencies

• Supporting initiatives: Connect to all goals the document supports

• Assignee: An assigned team member responsible for each document

Examples of documents you can attach to your template:

• Project plan document

• Project charter

• Project scope statement

• Project objectives

• Project schedule (including relevant deadlines and milestones)

• Project roadmap

• Project budget

• Communication plan

• Change management plans

• Business requirements document

Integrated features

• List View. List View is a grid-style view that lets you see all your project's information at a glance. Like a to-do list or a spreadsheet, List View displays all your tasks at once so you can not only see task titles and due dates, but also view any relevant custom fields, such as Priority, Status, and more. Unlock effortless collaboration by giving your entire team visibility into who's doing what by when.

• Board View. Board View is a Kanban board-style view that displays your project's information in columns. Columns are typically organized by work status (like To Do, Doing, and Done), but you can adjust column titles depending on your project needs. Within each column, tasks are displayed as cards, with a variety of associated information, including task title, due date, and custom fields. Track work as it moves through stages and get an at-a-glance insight into where your project stands.

• Custom fields. Custom fields are the best way to tag, sort, and filter work. Create custom fields for any information you need to track, from priority and status to email addresses and phone numbers. Use custom fields to sort and schedule your to-dos so you know what to work on first. Plus, share custom fields across tasks and projects to ensure consistency across your organization.

• Adding tasks to multiple projects. The nature of work is cross-functional. Teams need to be able to work effectively across departments. But if each department has its own filing system, work gets stalled and siloed. Asana makes it easy to track and manage tasks across multiple projects. This doesn't just reduce duplicative work and increase cross-team visibility. It also helps your team see tasks in context, view who's working on what, and keep tasks and team members connected.

Recommended apps

• Dropbox. Attach files directly to tasks in Asana using the Dropbox file chooser, built into the Asana task pane.

• Google Workplace. Attach files directly to tasks in Asana using the Google Workspace file picker, built into the Asana task pane. Easily attach any My Drive file with just a few clicks.

• OneDrive. Attach files directly to tasks in Asana using the Microsoft OneDrive file chooser, built into the Asana task pane. Easily attach files from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more.

• Gmail. With the Asana for Gmail integration, you can create Asana tasks directly from your Gmail inbox. Any tasks you create from Gmail will automatically include the context from your email, so you never miss a beat. Need to refer to an Asana task while composing an email? Instead of opening Asana, use the Asana for Gmail add-on to simply search for that task directly from your Gmail inbox.

Organize your project documentation with Asana

A project documentation template helps your team stop searching for scattered files and start focusing on the work that matters. When everyone follows the same process for creating, organizing, and locating documents, you reduce confusion, save time, and keep projects moving forward. With Asana, you can build a centralized documentation system that connects your documents to the people and work they support; get started today.

FAQs about project documentation templates