Can I sign the review criteria electronically?

Yes. Electronic signatures are legally binding for most commercial transactions under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA, provided intent, consent, attribution, and retention are satisfied.

What evidence is needed to support a numeric score?

Attach source documents (schedule baseline, risk register, budget worksheets) and add concise rationale in the comments field so scores are auditable and defensible.

Are remote notarizations required for plan approvals?

Project plan approvals typically do not require notarization. If a specific signature requires notarization or RON, follow state rules and retain notarization evidence as required.

How long should review records be retained?

Follow retention guidance: at minimum keep records for the project life plus 3 years; apply IRC §6501(a), HIPAA 45 CFR §164.530(j), or longer state/contractual periods as applicable.

What authentication level should be used for approvers?

Use SSO or multi-factor authentication for executive approvals and sensitive projects; email-only may be acceptable for low-risk internal acknowledgements.

How do I update a completed review if changes are needed?

Document the amendment as a new version, record the reason and date, and require re-approval if changes alter scope, schedule, budget, or governance materially.

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Project Management
Project Management Plan Review Criteria

Project Management Plan Review Criteria

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

What the Project Management Plan Review Criteria Is

The Project Management Plan Review Criteria is a structured checklist and scoring framework used to evaluate a project's management plan for completeness, compliance, and readiness. It summarizes required plan elements—scope, schedule, budget, risk management, quality assurance, communications, and governance—and provides objective pass/fail or weighted scoring to guide reviewers and stakeholders during formal plan acceptance reviews.

Why a Formal Review Criteria Matters

A consistent review criteria reduces subjective judgment, helps catch gaps early, and documents reviewer decisions for audit or governance. It speeds approvals by standardizing expectations across projects and supports regulatory or contractual compliance where project controls are required.

Who Typically Uses This Review Checklist

Use the document as a live artifact during plan reviews and as evidence of review decisions retained in project records.

Project Managers and PMO staff who prepare and submit plans for formal acceptance and need to demonstrate completeness and readiness.
Functional leads (engineering, QA, procurement) who confirm that technical, quality, and procurement elements meet enterprise standards.
Executive sponsors and steering committees who require a concise, scored view of project readiness before funding or execution approval.

Core Sections to Include in a Professional Review Criteria

A robust criteria covers six core areas to ensure the plan is actionable: scope control, schedule realism, budget completeness, risk and issue handling, quality assurance, and governance roles and responsibilities.

Scope Control

Criteria should verify a clear scope statement, work breakdown structure (WBS), scope change process, and acceptance criteria for deliverables.

Schedule

Confirm baseline schedule, critical path identification, resource assignments, schedule assumptions, and contingency allocations for key milestones.

Budget

Check cost estimates, funding source identification, contingency budgets, cost baseline, and a documented variance reporting process.

Risk & Issues

Require a risk register with owners, probability/impact scoring, mitigation plans, and issue escalation paths linked to governance bodies.

Quality Assurance

Include acceptance criteria, test/inspection plans, quality control processes, and metrics for measuring compliance with deliverable standards.

Governance

Assess decision rights, escalation routes, approval authorities, stakeholder matrix, and required reporting cadence for oversight.

Step-by-Step: Conducting a Plan Review

Follow these steps to perform a structured review from intake to sign-off.

01

Intake: Receive plan and verify required attachments are present.
02

Section Review: Evaluate each criteria section and record scores with evidence notes.
03

Consolidation: Aggregate scores, identify critical gaps, and prepare a findings summary.
04

Approval: Route for sign-off and capture signatures and dates in the record.

How to Configure a Digital Review Workflow

Set up a repeatable workflow to route plans for review, capture decisions, and archive final records.

Field	Configuration
Template	Create a reusable review checklist template with locked fields for required artifacts.
Conditional Fields	Show follow-up fields when scores fall below threshold to capture remediation plans.
Authentication	Require secure signer authentication to attribute approvals (email, SSO, or MFA).
Notifications	Send automatic reminders for outstanding reviews and escalate as defined by SLA.

Where Reviewed Plans Are Routed and Stored

After review, route the plan to intended recipients and archive per recordkeeping rules.

Internal Reviewer: Primary reviewer receives the working copy and records scores and comments.
PMO Archive: Final signed plan stored in the PMO repository for governance reporting.
Stakeholders: Executive sponsors and affected managers receive the findings summary and approval status.
External Parties: Share redacted copies with auditors or vendors as authorized.

Technical Considerations for Digital Review and eSubmission

When selecting a provider, confirm compliance needs (HIPAA, 21 CFR Part 11) and available integrations such as Salesforce, NetSuite, or Microsoft 365.

Authentication: Multi-factor or SSO reduces the risk of misattributed approvals.
Audit Trail: Capture timestamps, IP addresses, and action logs for legal defensibility.
Integrations: Connect with PMIS, document storage, and ticketing systems for seamless routing.

Typical Timelines and Processing Expectations

Set clear target dates for each review phase to avoid delays and to meet program governance SLAs.

Initial Submission Window:

Submit plans at least 20 business days before scheduled project start for full review.

First Review Turnaround:

Allow 5–10 business days for an initial consolidated review, depending on complexity.

Remediation Period:

Allow 7–14 days for authors to address identified gaps and resubmit.

Final Approval Target:

Aim for sign-off within 30 business days from initial submission when schedules permit.

Archiving Deadline:

Archive the signed plan within 5 business days of final approval for recordkeeping.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Preparing the Criteria

Submitting an incomplete attachment list — missing WBS, schedule baseline, or cost estimate creates review delays and rework.
Using inconsistent project identifiers — mismatched IDs prevent proper archival and traceability across governance systems.
Scoring without evidence — numerical scores must be paired with comments or document references to be defensible.
Failing to require authorized signatories — unsigned or unauthorized approvals expose the organization to compliance and audit risk.

Risks if Review Criteria Is Incorrect or Incomplete

Schedule Overruns: Missed milestones

Budget Exposure: Unidentified cost growth

Contract Noncompliance: Breach of supplier terms

Regulatory Risk: Recordkeeping violations

Audit Findings: Unresolved documentation gaps

Legal Invalidity: Unattributed approvals

eSignature Vendor Comparison for Signing Review Criteria Documents

Comparing basic plan and capability indicators helps choose a platform for eSigning and secure routing of review documents; signNow is listed first per vendor ordering rules.

	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	Yes	Yes	Yes	Varies	Varies
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Varies	Varies	Varies	Varies
Envelope Cap	No cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies	Varies	Varies

Frequently Asked Questions and Troubleshooting

Answers to common questions about using the review criteria, eSigning, and recordkeeping for project management plans.

Need help? Contact support

Can I sign the review criteria electronically?
Yes. Electronic signatures are legally binding for most commercial transactions under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA, provided intent, consent, attribution, and retention are satisfied.
What evidence is needed to support a numeric score?
Attach source documents (schedule baseline, risk register, budget worksheets) and add concise rationale in the comments field so scores are auditable and defensible.
Are remote notarizations required for plan approvals?
Project plan approvals typically do not require notarization. If a specific signature requires notarization or RON, follow state rules and retain notarization evidence as required.
How long should review records be retained?
Follow retention guidance: at minimum keep records for the project life plus 3 years; apply IRC §6501(a), HIPAA 45 CFR §164.530(j), or longer state/contractual periods as applicable.
What authentication level should be used for approvers?
Use SSO or multi-factor authentication for executive approvals and sensitive projects; email-only may be acceptable for low-risk internal acknowledgements.
How do I update a completed review if changes are needed?
Document the amendment as a new version, record the reason and date, and require re-approval if changes alter scope, schedule, budget, or governance materially.

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Project Management Plan Review Criteria