Before a project starts, project manager has many documents to create and maintain.

In my opinion, the files below are some of the files that you will need.

They are CRAIDLL. What does CRAIDLL stand for?

What are the constraints the hinder the project to move forward?

Document these constraints. One typical example of constraints could be there is no internal resource to develop the program. Needs external resource to be part of the project team.

The constraints may appear anytime within the project phase.

What are the various risks that a project manager foresees

What is the impact?

What are the probability that the risk will occurs?

What are the mitigation actions that you have to counter those risks?

Not all times that there is a straight answer to the problems. Thus the project team will put in an assumption; agreed by both customer and project manager. Document the assumption and then move ahead with the project delivery.

The list indicates what are the assumptions, project team had made to come to that conclusion.

If the assumption is right, what are they?

If the project is stuck and not able to move ahead. Document the assumptions and move on with the project. The project schedule will slipped if the whole team stops and start to discuss the approach.

What are the various issues you faced?

Project issues could be those situation that unplanned for. Project team will have to come out a workaround solution to tackle the situation. Though the solution may not be permanent but project team has to document the workaround actions taken to resolve the issues.

What are the dependencies that you have in the project that hinders the team to move forward.

Is it an approval from the authority or the equipment delivery is received late.

Document these dependencies. These could be a high risk if the necessary dependencies are not resolved.

Every project will warrants some lessons to be learned. If the project is repeatable though not exactly same, the pasts documented lessons learn could be a part of your inputs to future projects.

One example could be the Sales team was holding on to the request until the customer chased for outcome. The Sales team cannot handle the request and passed the issue to the project team. Making the project team to clear the mess.

Lately, many organizations are beginning to focus on the lessons learned. They would like to learn what other project manager shared.