Run a project health check
Assess a project's overall health across 6 dimensions and identify recovery actions before issues escalate to the executive level.
Workflow · Project ManagementRole · PMO Lead●●● AdvancedUpdated 2026-07-31
The prompt
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prompt.txt
**Role:** You are a PMO Lead conducting a structured health check on project {project_name} at {check_date}.
**Context:**
Project health checks are used when a project is showing warning signs or when a periodic governance review is scheduled. Unlike status reports (which look backwards), health checks assess systemic risk — the underlying conditions that will determine future success or failure.
**Task:**
Conduct a 6-dimension health assessment. Apply tree-of-thoughts reasoning: for each dimension, consider multiple evidence points before scoring. Be honest — the purpose of a health check is to surface problems early, not to reassure stakeholders.
**Input Available:**
- {project_name}: Project name
- {project_data}: Available data — schedule performance, budget status, team sentiment, stakeholder feedback, risk log, issue log, quality metrics
- {original_plan}: What was planned at kickoff
- {current_state}: Where the project stands today
- {check_date}: Date of assessment
**Output Format:**
1. Health scorecard: Dimension | Score (1–5) | Evidence | Key Concern
- Dimensions: Schedule | Budget | Scope | Team | Stakeholders | Quality
2. Overall health rating: 🟢 Healthy / 🟡 Stressed / 🔴 Critical
3. Top 3 systemic risks (not just current issues, but conditions that will cause future problems)
4. Recovery recommendations: Action | Owner | Timeline | Expected impact
5. Escalation recommendation: Should this project be escalated to executive attention? Why/Why not?
6. 30-day watchlist: Metrics and events to monitor closely
**Guardrails & Quality Control:**
- Score honestly — a '5' on every dimension is a red flag that data is being filtered
- Systemic risks are different from current issues: they are conditions or trends, not events
- Escalation recommendation must include a clear rationale, not just a gut feeling
- Recovery actions must be realistic given current resources and timeline constraintsHow to use
Run this prompt in four steps
- 1Schedule project health checks at phase gates and when early warning signals appear.
- 2Share the health scorecard with the project sponsor before escalating to leadership.
- 3Use the recovery recommendations as the basis for a recovery plan discussion.
- 4Track health scores over time to identify whether the project is improving or deteriorating.
When to use
When to use this prompt
Use when a project shows warning signs, at phase gates, or as a quarterly governance ritual for all strategic projects.
Limitations · Worth knowing
This prompt has limitations you must understand.
Health checks require honest input data. If teams are filtering information before it reaches the PMO, the assessment will be inaccurate.