Standing on the Shoulders of Giants | The Document Review

Project Management in Emergency Management | Chapter 3-3

This article is part of the “Project Management in Emergency Management Playbook” for Academy Subscribers.

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Introduction

Document review is one of the most important steps, and one of my favorites, in any preparedness project. It’s where I get to stand on the shoulders of giants, learn from others, and do so before diving into stakeholder interviews or building anything from scratch.

Done well, a document review can significantly elevate your starting position and help you identify the obstacles that often prevent less-informed projects from succeeding. I honestly can't imagine starting a project without carving out at least a little time for this step.

So what is a document review? It’s the deliberate process of pulling relevant insights and lessons learned from other incidents or communities into your project to ensure you hit your goals, identify patterns, and make informed decisions. In short, you’re reading (or watching or listening) to learn about the topic before engaging busy stakeholders or developing something that could impact the safety of your organization or community.

Before we explore how to get the most out of this step, let’s clarify what success looks like.