What is a Project Health Check?
Written by Andrew McDonald, Founder & Principal at Carpadium· Published 24 September 2026
A Project Health Check is an independent, evidence-based assessment of whether a project or program is positioned to deliver its intended outcomes.
It goes beyond reported status to examine the evidence behind schedule, cost, scope, governance, risks, dependencies, technology, vendors, business readiness and benefits.
Executive guide | Project & Program Health
THE SHORT ANSWER
A Project Health Check tests whether the evidence supports confidence in delivery.
Project reporting tells executives what the project believes its current position to be. A Project Health Check independently tests whether the underlying evidence supports that position.
It provides a point-in-time assessment of delivery health, identifies emerging risks and weaknesses, and helps executives understand where intervention may be required before issues become materially harder or more expensive to resolve.
A Health Check is not another status report. It is an independent assessment of whether the reported position is credible.
WHAT IS ASSESSED
A whole-of-project view of delivery health.
The assessment should consider the factors that collectively determine whether the initiative can deliver successfully — rather than examining schedule or governance in isolation.
GOVERNANCE & DECISION-MAKING
Sponsorship, Steering Committee effectiveness, accountabilities, escalation and decision-making.
SCHEDULE & MILESTONES
Plan credibility, critical path, milestone performance, dependencies and schedule contingency.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Budget, forecast, cost-to-complete, contingency and emerging commercial pressure.
SCOPE & DELIVERY
Scope clarity, delivery progress, change control, priorities and delivery discipline.
RISK & DEPENDENCIES
Material risks, assumptions, issues, dependencies, ownership and mitigation.
TECHNOLOGY & DATA
Architecture, environments, integration, migration, data quality and technical readiness where relevant.
VENDORS & COMMERCIAL
Supplier performance, contractual dependencies, delivery accountability and commercial alignment.
PEOPLE & CAPABILITY
Leadership, capacity, critical skills, organisational dependencies and delivery capability.
BUSINESS READINESS & BENEFITS
Operational readiness, change adoption, transition, benefits ownership and intended outcomes.
BEYOND RAG STATUS
A Green project can still carry significant delivery risk.
RAG reporting is an important governance tool, but it typically reflects the project's internal assessment of its delivery position. As a result, emerging risks may not always be visible in headline status until their impact becomes more significant.
A project can remain Green while milestones progressively move, contingency is consumed, dependencies remain unresolved, costs increase or business readiness falls behind.
An independent Health Check examines the evidence behind the reported status and considers whether the overall delivery position remains credible.
What is the current reported position?
Produced from within the delivery environment against agreed thresholds and reporting conventions.
Does the evidence support confidence in that position?
Independent examination of the underlying evidence behind the reported status across the full delivery picture.
WHEN TO USE ONE
Health Checks are most valuable before confidence is lost.
A Health Check does not need to wait until a project is visibly in trouble.
Early independent assessment provides more options for intervention than late-stage recovery.
THE PROCESS
Focused, evidence-based and proportionate.
UNDERSTAND
Establish the project's objectives, context, delivery model and executive concerns.
ASSESS
Review plans, financials, risks, milestones, governance materials and relevant delivery evidence.
CHALLENGE
Interview key stakeholders and independently test assumptions, confidence levels and the credibility of the delivery position.
ACT
Present clear findings, priorities and practical recommendations to executives and governance forums.
The depth of assessment should be proportionate to the project’s scale, complexity, risk and the decisions executives need to make.
THE OUTPUT
Clarity, not another layer of reporting.
OVERALL DELIVERY HEALTH
A clear independent view of the project's current delivery position.
KEY FINDINGS
The issues and strengths that most materially affect confidence in delivery.
PRIORITY RISKS
The risks and dependencies requiring executive attention.
PRACTICAL ACTIONS
Prioritised recommendations, ownership and immediate next steps.
The objective is not to produce a long report. It is to give decision-makers a clearer view of what is happening, why it matters and what should happen next.
HEALTH CHECK OR ASSURANCE?
The difference is primarily the nature and timing of independent oversight.
PROJECT HEALTH CHECK
Point-in-time independent assessment.
Best suited to answering:
“How healthy is the initiative right now?”
Typically used when executives need an independent view at a particular point in the delivery lifecycle.
INDEPENDENT PROJECT ASSURANCE
Periodic, stage-gate or ongoing independent oversight.
Best suited to answering:
“Can executives continue to have confidence in delivery?”
Typically used where continued independent challenge is required across significant stages or throughout delivery.
EXPLORE INDEPENDENT ASSURANCEWhat if the project is already in trouble?
A Health Check establishes the current position. Where delivery confidence has already materially deteriorated, the requirement may move beyond assessment into Project Recovery.
Recovery focuses on diagnosing root causes, stabilising the initiative, establishing realistic priorities and rebuilding a credible delivery plan.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Project Health Check FAQs
To provide executives with an independent assessment of delivery health and whether the evidence supports confidence in the project’s reported position.
Not usually. A Health Check is focused on delivery confidence, emerging risk and practical intervention rather than providing formal audit assurance.
Project sponsors, executives, Steering Committees, Boards, transformation leaders or other governance bodies responsible for significant delivery outcomes.
No. Health Checks can be used proactively on healthy projects, at major decision points or when executives simply want independent confirmation of the delivery position.
Depending on scope, this may include schedules, budgets and forecasts, risk and issue registers, governance materials, scope and change information, vendor arrangements, technical delivery evidence, readiness plans and benefits.
Findings should be translated into prioritised actions. Depending on the outcome, the project may continue as planned, address specific weaknesses, receive ongoing assurance or require more significant recovery intervention.
WRITTEN BY
Andrew McDonald
Founder & Principal, Carpadium
Andrew leads and delivers Carpadium’s independent project and program assurance, health check and recovery engagements, working directly with executives, sponsors and governance forums across the Australian market.
INDEPENDENT PROJECT & PROGRAM HEALTH CHECKS
Need an independent view of your project?
Independent perspective. Senior-level judgement. Evidence before opinion.
Carpadium provides senior-led, independent Project and Program Health Checks for complex Australian organisations. Assessments are evidence-based, proportionate and focused on giving executives a clearer view of delivery confidence and the actions that matter most.