Teams Guide for Project Management

The Project Management Office (PMO) recommends Microsoft Teams as the University's primary collaboration tool for project work. Microsoft Teams supports centralized communication, file management, task tracking, and status visibility throughout the project lifecycle. 

Projects managed or monitored by a University Project Manager through the PMO will have a project channel created at the start of the project. For all other projects, a Microsoft teams channel should be created as part of project setup. 

Getting Started

Each project should have one dedicated Teams channel to serve as the single source of truth for project communication, documentation, and task tracking. 

Microsoft Teams should be used for: 

• Project communication and discussions
• File storage and version control
• Task and milestone tracking
• Meeting notes and reference materials

Here is a guide to help set up a Team within Microsoft Teams. 

All projects managed or monitored by the Project Management Office are housed within a Team title: "FY [Year(s)} University PMO Projects". Each project within that Team has its own channel. 

Creating a Project Channel

To add a channel for a new project:

1. Select the three dots (More options) next to the Team name. 
2. Select Add channel. 

Complete the following fields:

• Channel name: Use a clear and descriptive name aligned with the official project title. 
• Description: Provide a brief description of the project to help team members easily identify its purpose. 
• Privacy: Select "Standard - Everyone on the team has access". This ensures full access to files, Planner, and other collaboration tools recommended by the PMO. 

Adding Team Members

To add members to the Team:

1. Select the three dots next to the Team name.
2. Select Members (people icon).
3. Enter the person's name or email address.
4. Assign the appropriate access role.

All members added to the Team automatically have access to all project channels.

Channel Notifications and Visibility

If team members are part of multiple channels not relevant to their role:

1. Select the three dots next to the channel name.
2. Choose "Channel notifications" and set to None or Custom.
3. Select "Hide" to remove the channel from view. 

All individuals actively working on the project should be added to the Team to ensure effective collaboration and transparency. 

Project Communication

Project discussion should occur in the Posts tab within the project channel.

Use Posts for: 

• Project updates
• Items on hold
• Requests for feedback or decisions

Avoid using the General channel for project specific discussion, as it is visible to all members of the Team and note limited to a single project. 

Managing and Storing Project Files

All project documentation should be stored in the Files tab of the project channel to ensure shared access and version control.

Recommended project documents include:

• Project Charter
• RASCI
• Project Plan
• Kickoff Deck
• Status Reports
• Lessons Learned

Storing all files in the Teams channel helps prevent versioning issues and ensures consistent access for the project team. 

Meeting Notes and Project Reference Materials

Project teams should maintain a single source of meeting notes using one of the following methods:

• Microsoft Word (rolling meeting notes document stored in the Files Tab)
• OneNote using the Notes tab in the project channel

Common OneNote sections may include:

• Meeting agendas and notes
• Helpful project links
• Team contact information

Task and Milestone Tracking with Planner

The PMO recommends using Tasks by Planner for tracking project work.

To add Planner to a project channel:

1. Select "Add a tab (+)".
2. Search for and select "Tasks by Planner".
3. Choose "Create a new plan".
4. Name the tab "Tasks" (recommended).

Adding a post to the channel when the tab is created is optional.

Recommended Task Columns