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Project Management Due Diligence Checklist

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Project Management Due Diligence Checklist

Project Identification

Project Title:

Assessment Date:   Primary Contact:

Scope of Due Diligence

Scope Description:

Out-of-Scope Items:

Governance & Organization

Confirm existence of governance bodies and decision authority:

Established
Documented and communicated

Requirements & Scope Validation

Verify requirements baseline, change history, and sign-offs:

Baseline documented
Change history maintained
Formal sign-offs obtained

Timeline & Milestones

Project Start Date:   Projected End Date:

Milestone 1 Name:  Planned Date:

Milestone 2 Name:  Planned Date:

Milestone 3 Name:  Planned Date:

Deliverables & Acceptance

List primary deliverables, due dates, and acceptance criteria. Acceptance requires documented evidence and client sign-off.

Due Date:  Acceptance Criteria:

Due Date:  Acceptance Criteria:

Budget & Payment

Total Budget:

Change Order Process: The parties agree that any material change to scope, schedule, or budget will be documented in a written change order, signed by authorized representatives, and incorporated into the project baseline prior to execution of changed work.

Resources & Staffing

Confirm staff allocation, roles and replacement plans.

Staffing plan documented
Backfill / ramp plan exists

Risk, Issues & Mitigation

Identify top project risks and mitigation actions. Verify issue tracking and reporting cadence.

Issue tracking system in use

Legal, Compliance & Contracts

Verify contract alignment with scope, insurance requirements, IP ownership, data protection, and regulatory obligations.

Contract aligns with scope
Insurance requirements met
Data protection measures in place

Technical & Architecture

Review solution architecture, interfaces, non-functional requirements, and deployment plans.

Architecture documented
Non-functional requirements defined
Deployment plan and rollback defined

Acceptance & Certification

The undersigned representatives certify that, to the best of their knowledge after reasonable inquiry, the items checked above are accurate and complete for the purposes of initial project onboarding and baseline establishment. Any exceptions are recorded in the comments fields above and must be addressed in accordance with the project's change order procedure.

Confidentiality: Both parties acknowledge that information exchanged pursuant to this due diligence assessment may be confidential. Each party agrees to protect confidential information with at least the same care as it uses to protect its own confidential information and not to disclose it except as authorized or required by law.

Governing Law:

Acknowledgment: I acknowledge that this checklist does not modify the underlying contract unless both parties execute a written amendment.

Record of Review

Reviewer Name:

Review Notes:

Client

Printed Name:

By:

Date:

Service Provider

Printed Name:

By:

Date:

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What the Project Management Due Diligence Checklist Is

The Project Management Due Diligence Checklist is a structured template that records essential project background, contractual terms, stakeholder approvals, technical constraints, financial commitments, and compliance requirements before work begins. It centralizes documentation for risk assessment, identifies critical dependencies, and ensures responsibilities and decision points are documented. Use it to confirm scope, schedule, budget, permits, insurance, and legal approvals have been reviewed and accepted. The checklist supports transparent handoffs between teams and creates an auditable record that can be retained for regulatory or contractual purposes.

Why a Due Diligence Checklist Matters for Projects

A formal checklist reduces miscommunication, surfaces contractual risks early, and documents approvals to limit scope creep and disputes. It helps teams make consistent decisions, speeds onboarding for new stakeholders, and creates an evidentiary trail for audits or claims.

Why a Due Diligence Checklist Matters for Projects

Who Typically Completes This Checklist

The checklist is most useful when completed by cross-functional owners who understand scope, budget, and legal commitments.

  • Project Manager — central owner responsible for assembling inputs, confirming scope, and tracking outstanding approvals across teams.
  • Legal Counsel — reviews contract terms, identifies liability or indemnity issues, and confirms required signatures and notices.
  • Procurement / Finance — verifies budget, payment milestones, vendor qualifications, insurance, and change-order procedures.

Combining those perspectives reduces gaps and produces a single source of truth for project launch decisions.

Core Components to Include in a Professional Checklist

A complete checklist groups items into clear sections so reviewers can validate each project dimension quickly and consistently.

Project Overview

Include project name, sponsor, objectives, critical success factors, and high-level deliverables to orient reviewers.

Scope & Deliverables

List in-scope and out-of-scope items, acceptance criteria, and deliverable owners to prevent ambiguity during execution.

Schedule

Record key milestones, baseline durations, handoff dates, and critical-path dependencies that affect project timing.

Budget & Payments

Capture approved budget, cost contingency, invoicing schedule, and payment approval authority to control spend.

Risk & Compliance

Document top risks, mitigation plans, required permits, insurance coverages, and regulatory checkpoints to reduce surprises.

Approvals & Signatures

Identify required signers, approval order, and evidence of authorization to ensure enforceable commitments.

Step-by-Step: Completing the Due Diligence Checklist

Complete the checklist in staged steps to gather inputs, confirm approvals, and finalize signatures for a compliant record.

  • 01
    Gather Documents: Collect contracts, permits, insurance certificates and vendor qualifications first.
  • 02
    Verify Financials: Confirm budget, payment terms, and invoice schedule with finance owners.
  • 03
    Legal Review: Have counsel review clauses related to liability, indemnity, and termination.
  • 04
    Obtain Signatures: Route for signatures in the documented order and record dates of execution.

Configuring an Online Approval Workflow

Set up routing rules and field behaviors to automate approvals and reduce manual follow-up.

Field Configuration
Signer Order Sequential or parallel, enforce required order
Authentication Email link, SMS code, or advanced verification
Conditional Fields Show or hide fields based on earlier answers
Retention Auto-archive signed copies and audit trail

How Electronic Checklist Submission Typically Works

An online checklist streamlines review by attaching documents, guiding signers, and capturing an audit trail automatically.

  • Upload Documents: Attach contract, permits, insurance, and exhibits.
  • Place Fields: Add signature, date, and data fields where required.
  • Send for Signatures: Route via email or signing link to designated parties.
  • Store Audit Trail: Capture timestamps, IPs, and completion evidence automatically.

Technical Capabilities to Look for in an eSubmission Platform

Choose platforms that support required authentication, formats, and integrations for project workflows.

  • File Formats: PDF, DOCX, XLSX supported
  • Integrations: Salesforce, NetSuite, Microsoft 365
  • Audit & Security: Tamper-evident audit trail

Confirm the platform can export signed PDFs, retain audit logs, and connect to your document storage and project systems.

Key Timing Considerations and Deadlines

Certain filings and tax-related items tied to projects have fixed deadlines; track them in the checklist and assign owners.

W-9 Provision:

Provided on request; obtain before first payment to avoid backup withholding.

W-2 / 1099 Deadlines:

Employee and contractor reporting typically due to recipients by Jan 31.

Federal Tax Return:

Individual returns due April 15; extensions available with Form 4868.

FBAR Filing:

Annual report due April 15 with automatic extension to Oct 15.

Contract Milestones:

Tie payment triggers to milestone completion dates in the checklist.

Notarization and Witness Authentication Flow

For documents requiring notarization or witnesses, follow a clear, sequential authentication process to preserve enforceability.

01

Determine Requirement

Confirm whether a notary or witness is legally required for the document.

02

Select Notarization Type

Choose in-person notarization or Remote Online Notarization where permitted.

03

Identity Proofing

Use ID verification and multifactor checks for RON sessions.

04

Record AV Session

Retain audio-video recording if RON is used per state rules.

05

Witness Attestation

Obtain witness signatures when statute or parties require them.

06

Notary Journal Entry

Ensure notary records session details in the journal.

07

Attach Acknowledgement

Attach notary acknowledgement to the signed document copy.

08

Store Evidence

Archive signed PDF, notary record, and witness affidavits together.

Security and Compliance Details to Record

Encryption In Transit: TLS 1.2/1.3
Encryption At Rest: AES-256
Certifications: SOC 2 Type II
Regulatory Compliance: ESIGN and UETA
Healthcare Support: HIPAA with BAA
Audit Trail: Tamper-evident logs

Consequences of Incomplete or Incorrect Checklists

1099 Filing Penalty: $60–$330 per form
Intentional Disregard: $660+ per form, no cap
I-9 Paperwork Violation: $281–$2,789 per violation
Contract Disputes: Delay claims and litigation risk
Insurance Gaps: Denied claims, potential liability
Regulatory Noncompliance: Fines and remediation costs

Common Preparation Errors to Avoid

  • Missing or mismatched signer names that cause payment holds and identity disputes during execution.
  • Incomplete supporting documents such as missing insurance certificates or unrecorded permits that block approvals.
  • Unclear scope language or absent acceptance criteria leading to scope creep and change-order conflicts.
  • Incorrect dates or inconsistent version control that undermines which document is the governing agreement.

Real-World Examples of Checklist Use

These brief case examples show how organizations used a due diligence checklist to reduce delays and create an auditable record.

Optica Ventures — COO

Optica Ventures standardized document intake and review to simplify customer interactions.

  • The interface and checklist reduced back-and-forth.
  • The result was faster customer acceptance and fewer missing attachments, improving turnaround and client satisfaction while preserving a clear audit trail for contract handoffs.

Martin Properties — Founder

Martin Properties moved lease and vendor review online and required checklist completion before execution.

  • Mobile signing enabled on-site approvals.
  • Processing and executing documents online maintained compliance, shortened approval cycles, and allowed the firm to close transactions without in-person signings while keeping secure signed records.

eSignature Vendor Pricing and Feature Comparison

This table compares starting prices and core capabilities relevant to executing and archiving the Project Management Due Diligence Checklist.

signNow DocuSign Adobe Sign PandaDoc HelloSign
Starting Price $8/user/mo $15/user/mo $14/user/mo $19/user/mo $15/user/mo
Free Trial 7-day free trial Varies by plan Varies by plan Varies by plan Varies by plan
Bulk Send Available (Premium+) Varies by plan Varies by plan Varies by plan Varies by plan
Audit Trail Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
HIPAA Compliant Yes (BAA) Varies by plan Varies by plan Varies by plan Varies by plan
Envelope Cap No cap 100 envelopes/user/year Varies Varies Varies

Common Signatories and Their Roles

Project Manager

The project manager compiles checklist inputs, coordinates reviews with stakeholders, tracks outstanding items, and has authority to confirm operational readiness for execution.

Legal Counsel

Legal counsel reviews contract terms, advises on liability and indemnity language, and confirms whether notarization or witness signatures are required under applicable law.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Checklist

Answers to common questions help prevent execution errors and clarify legal and procedural expectations for records and signatures.


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