In general, all milestones must include the following:

• A cover page including the project name, the names of the group members, the name of the milestone manager, and the name of the project leader.
• A table of contents. Make certain that the milestone is page-numbered throughout.
• A section containing client documents. (See guidelines below.)
• A section containing project leader documents. (See guidelines below.)
• A section containing meeting communications, which are memos and reports confirming all decisions and agreements made between the team members (such as the division of tasks and the project agenda), the project leader and the team, and the client and the team (if necessary). These memos document your progress as well as all important project decisions made. Much of the contents for these memos and reports comes from your weekly progress reports and from the minutes of group meetings and meetings with the project leader.

All milestones must be of professional quality. This refers to the content as well as to the style. Make certain that your work looks neat and professional, using a word-processor and laser-printer or letter-quality printer. If graphics are required as part of your milestone, prepare them using a CASE-tool or graphics program. Handwritten work will simply not be accepted, nor will photocopied work.

The professional style extends to your writing style. Your writing should be clear, concise, and free of spelling and grammatical errors.

GUIDELINES FOR CLIENT DOCUMENTS

The client documents of the milestone contain materials specifically written for a non-technical audience. You may safely assume that the client thoroughly understands the problem area your project applies to. However, technical matters regarding computer systems and information systems development are usually not part of the client’s expertise. This section of the milestone, then, serves as the main means of communication between the systems development project group and the client. As such, it may include (but is not limited to) the following sections: (Note: the first section - the Executive Summary - is required for all milestones.)

• Opening Statement: Milestone # of the ### system has been completed. The systems development project continues to remain on time and on budget. (If not, explain the whys and wherefores.) This section is required for all milestones.
• Executive Summary: a summary of the materials contained in the milestone, written up without the use of excessive jargon or highly technical language. Include in this section both the work you did for the milestone and the reason or purpose behind it. Explain why the work you performed is relevant to the project. This section is required for all milestones.
• Implications for Client Operations: this section describes the potential impact of the milestone on the operations of the client. As such it may answer the following questions: What existing work processes are affected and how? How will current client operations or common practices be affected by this milestone? What new client skills are required? And so forth. This section could also include a description of how the current milestone will affect the client’s operational efficiency and effectiveness.
• Items for Approval: this section outlines those items and issues which require client approval and sign-off. If the milestone requires the client to purchase additional hardware and/or software or if a change of client work-practices is required, having the written agreement of the client may protect the systems project as well as the development group at a later point in time. It will also ensure the continued progress of the project.

GUIDELINES FOR PROJECT MANAGER DOCUMENTS

All technical aspects of the milestone are contained in this section. This includes charts, graphs, lay-outs, designs, etc., along with descriptive sections which place them in the larger systems context. The specific materials to be contained in this section vary for each milestone. Write up and organize these materials in a clear and comprehensive manner, using the appropriate systems development terminology and tools.

Each milestone requires the project leader to sign off on the full milestone. Only after a milestone has been approved can the following milestones be completed. If the project leader requires some changes, additions, or improvements to the milestone, the project group will be notified within one week after turning in the milestone.