---
name: pm-playbook
description: "What a Project Manager reaches for in RBA Skills across estimating, kickoff, weekly delivery cadence, and close-out."
disciplines:
  - project-management
  - delivery
tags:
  - playbook
  - role-guide
  - pm
author:
  name: Kassie Gibbons
  url: https://rba.com
---

# Project Manager Playbook

PMs own delivery — scope, budget, schedule, and the client's day-to-day experience of RBA. A PM who updates the RAID log weekly and sends status on time prevents more problems than any other single practice. This is your RBA Skills toolkit.

## Estimating — set up the engagement

| Reach for | Why |
|---|---|
| **estimate-sow-builder** → `build-estimate` | Hours breakdown before the SOW. |
| **estimate-sow-builder** → `generate-wbs` | Decompose scope into a work breakdown structure. |
| **estimate-sow-builder** → `draft-sow` | Write or review the SOW (T&M or fixed-fee). |

## Envision — kick off cleanly

| Reach for | Why |
|---|---|
| **envision-toolkit** → `project-kickoff-deck` | Kickoff presentation with boilerplate governance slides. |
| **project-management** → `project-schedule-builder` | Milestone tracker and Gantt summary built from SOW phases. |
| **project-management** → `rasci-chart-builder` | Roles and responsibilities chart. |

## Create — run the weekly cadence

| Reach for | Why |
|---|---|
| **project-management** → `budget-tracker-builder` | Weekly budget tracking. |
| **project-management** → `raid-log-builder` | Risks, issues, decisions, lessons. |
| **client-status-reporter** (`status-data-pull`, `status-report-draft`, `status-distribute`) | Weekly client update, end to end. |
| **meeting-to-action** (`meeting-transcript-parse`, `action-item-tracker`, `decision-log-builder`) | Turn meetings into tracked actions and logged decisions. |

## Deliver — change control and close-out

| Reach for | Why |
|---|---|
| **estimate-sow-builder** → `change-order-builder` | Formal scope amendments. |
| **release-notes-generator** → `release-notes-pm` / `release-notes-client` | Deployment and client-facing release documentation. |
| **project-management** → `project-closure-report` | Close out the engagement. |

## PM Tips

- **Update RAID + Budget in the same session every week.** 15 minutes prevents most surprises.
- **Yellow is not a failure.** Flag Yellow early, while you can still course-correct.
- **Every decision needs a decision maker and a date.** "The team decided" is not a RAID log entry.
- **The closure report feeds the case study.** Write it well and marketing has something to work with.