Project Management: Planning and Timelines

Before embarking on any investigative journalism project, it is essential to have a clear definition of the scope and objectives. It is up to the project manager to help the team focus on the project, set the direction, and define the boundaries of the project. This is typically done at a kick-off meeting, with all team members present, and then the big-picture focus should be monitored by the project manager throughout the project.

In particular, it is up to the team to agree what they will and will not investigate, what hypotheses and techniques they will use. It is up to the project manager to guide the process and ensure that all steps are taken at the right time. Without planning, the investigative project can get completely out of control.

Defining Project Scope and Objectives

It takes more than a good idea and an enthusiastic team to get a project off the ground. While some initial research is often necessary to form the basic story idea, it is essential that the whole team understands exactly what will be researched and investigated once the project formally begins and, more importantly, what won’t be. This can save a lot of time by sticking to the agreed scope. If these frameworks need to be revised later, this is possible.

Whatever technique is used to start an investigation, the whole team needs to understand in detail what the story is and what questions or unknowns the story plans to answer

Goal: the WHY of the project

• Debunk a myth, reveal a secret injustice, explain a murky topic: find that narrative throughline.
• Understand the impact (who is affected) versus harm (how greatly are they affected) matrix for justifying the pursuit of an investigation.
  • Broad impact and great harm = most compelling story candidate.
  • Narrow impact, but great harm = possible candidate.
  • Small harm, but broad impact = possible candidate.
  • Narrow impact and small harm = poor candidate.

Scope: the WHAT of the project

• Stakeholders/viewpoints to consider: victims (people demographics and/or broader society), targets, politicians, regulators, law enforcement.
• Physical world: geography, on-the-ground reporting.
• Data: official statistics (available vs. need FOI access), information not available, private platforms (trade data, satellite imagery, etc.).
• Time: period in history, current/ongoing.

With a clear set of questions to answer the team can think about the timeline: what needs to be done to publish the story? How much time do we need to accomplish that? Do we have the people available at that moment?

Crafting Realistic Timelines

The quest for answers or unknowns is the hallmark of investigative journalism, but it must be balanced with the need for timely reporting. Project managers play a critical role in balancing thorough reporting with meeting deadlines.

Once the team has agreed on the goal of the story, timelines can be built. It is up to the project manager to examine the milestones, allocate time to the various stages of the project, and allow for unexpected challenges.

7 Steps to Planning an Investigation

1. Dependencies. Determine with the team what dependencies there are between the different parts of the project. Which tasks cannot be performed until another task is completed? Dependencies also include vacation periods. Perhaps a team member is pregnant? Elections or the processing time of a FOIA request, seasons when on-site research becomes difficult, or other defining events that need to be taken into account when building the schedule.

2. Milestones. Each project consists of a number of phases. The end of each phase is also the beginning of a new phase and this moment is called a milestone. Below is an example of how a schedule can be constructed, but it is of course up to the project manager in consultation with the team to determine how the schedule is designed.

The kick-off meeting is the first major milestone. Immediately after this, the team will start researching, collecting documents and data, as well as conducting interviews and other on-the-ground reporting. With a regular meeting during this phase, the team will share and evaluate their findings. During the planning, all participants will evaluate the results of the initial research and check the hypothesis: with what we have so far, do we as a team think we are still on the right track? Do we have enough material, access to the right people, etc.?

The next stage is to go deeper into the investigation. Data is interpreted and shared with experts, interviews are filmed, facts are checked and so on. During this phase, regular meetings are essential: coordination is crucial, and one person’s findings may spark new sources to contact and additional questions to answer

The next milestone is a final review of the investigation: is the story complete? Is there anything missing and what needs to be done to fill the gap? Do we have enough material to broadcast, or do the photos fit the story? Agreements and plans are reviewed again with the newsrooms that will be publishing, and everyone is informed of the upcoming publication. This milestone may be done in collaboration with senior editors for example, depending on what has been agreed within the team. The project manager is mainly there to support the process.

And of course the release day is a milestone, a big one! Perhaps the team will all publish at the same time, or within the same week, as previously agreed. This is the moment when a project manager starts the final phase of the project: Celebration and evaluation. Two important parts that are often left out. Besides discussing things that went well or didn’t, learning from each other and taking that knowledge to the next project is incredibly important. Be open and honest about irritations, but also give each other compliments. It is easier to talk about the bad things, so it is important that a project manager guides this process well and lets everyone part with a good feeling. That way, a good foundation for the next collaboration is created.

A milestone is not only a moment of transition from one phase to another but also when the team evaluates the progress of the investigation. For example, the team may need to add another expert. Or the publication date may need to be postponed. These are important points in the project at which the project manager, together with the whole team, decides how to proceed.

At the end, the planning may look like this:

Total planning worksheet

Zoom in of the total planning worksheet above with tasks, owners, planning and important deadline (star). Use  different colors to fill the cells in the spreadsheet that the team members are working on that task. You may choose giving people a specific color or a set of tasks a specific color.

Tip: There are many project management planning tools. Free and paid, very basic or very comprehensive. Choose the tool that best suits the needs of the team, perhaps a simpler version for them and a more detailed one for the project manager. Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets may be challenging enough to get the planning done.

3. Timeline. Although it is very difficult to estimate in advance how much time everyone will  need for the different tasks or phases, it is still good to put an estimate together with the team. Often, actual reporting time remains difficult to estimate. But by setting deadlines, even if they must shift at times, it is easier to keep the investigation on track.

The reason why the deadlines may change can be for various reasons: a team member becomes ill, editorial priorities within the newsroom change, processing of copy and fact-checking can take longer than expected, new, key questions arise that must be answered first. Whatever the challenges, it is also up to the project manager to be alert to risks of not meeting deadlines and the need to consider possibly altering them.

Tip: Deadlines are sometimes missed by team members. This can happen, of course. But if someone repeatedly fails to follow through on time, it is important for the team to understand why and, if necessary, the team leaders to hold that person accountable. Part of this assessment should include introspection by the project manager, to understand what he or she (and the team) can do better as well. If a team member still struggles to live up to their commitments, it might be best to decide as a team how to handle the situation.

But also remember that not everyone works at the same pace, using the same methods, to the same level of quality. So it’s a good idea to be upfront with the whole team about the project’s timing and production needs, so everyone is bought in or can voice their concerns about expectations.

4. Availability. Once the team has staked out what research and reporting needs to be done, in what order, and how much time it will probably take, it’s important to see how this fits into the schedules of the individual team members, including holidays and other life events.

When someone is brought onto an investigation, they should already have an idea about their own availability, or at least understand how the work  would fit into their already established workload. But as the planning gets more detailed, sometimes it requires adjustments as different parts of the research and reporting changes based on the direction the story takes.

Tip: Building a schedule can be planned forward — from the start date, with the lead times of the successive activities building upon each other — or backward — from publication, with the times for each of the activities fit into the time available. and the start date becomes clear.

When planning an activity, explicitly record the assumptions made, for example, about the number of team members working on an activity. In other words, make the schedule as transparent as possible and visualize all the consequences.

5. Project lead time. Now that all the lead times have been identified for the research and reporting tasks and assigned out to the team members, the project manager can assess the total time necessary to report the story. (The lead time of a task refers to the total time taken to complete the whole task. It does not mean, per se, that people are working on it every day.) What special features are there? Are there any activities or phases that need to be shortened? Is this possible? Are there other ways to reduce time needed, for example, by adding more people to the team to work on it? Be creative and, as the project manager, ask the team for input.

6. Stakeholders and boundaries. Once all the input has been gathered and the plan has been approved by the whole team, it’s time to create a master project plan (for a more detailed look at this, see below). . Do not spend more time and effort on this than is proportionate to keeping the team informed. There are numerous project management platforms one can use, but an Excel spreadsheet is often sufficient.

Then, it’s critical to circulate the master schedule to each member of the team. Doing so ensures everyone understands not only their own role and their personal responsibilities, but also how their contributions impact the big picture — and buys into the story project as a whole.

7. Monitoring. Once a master story plan has been drawn up and approved by the team and the editors responsible for the publication, the project can begin. From this point on, the project manager is responsible for monitoring the progress of the project. If necessary, the planning can be adjusted, of course in consultation with the team.

Tip: Make sure that the master plan or document is in an easily accessible place so that everyone can easily find it in the shared (online) space. If everybody is working in one (physical) place, print it out and hang it up so that everyone can see it clearly.

Especially during the milestone meetings, but also during other times, the project manager should share the schedule and discuss whether it is still in line with what needs to be done. It should be a regular item on the project planning agenda. Support the team in monitoring progress, identifying areas for improvement, and making informed adjustments to the project plan to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Drawing Up a Project Plan

A comprehensive project plan serves as a roadmap for the investigative journey. It helps project managers create a detailed plan that can be used as the basis for funding applications, stakeholder discussions, or onboarding new team members. It can even replace a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

8 Parts of a Project Plan

1. Structure and focus

• • • Purpose and scope: A project plan forces the journalists to clearly define the purpose of the story, what issues will be investigated, what questions they will seek to answer, and, also, what aspects are outside the scope of the research. The project plan also prevents the reporting from going off in all directions and helps to focus on the most important questions.
    • Step-by-step process: Drawing up a detailed step-by-step order helps to ensure that the research is carried out systematically. It gives direction to the process, which is particularly important for complex and long-term projects.

2. Time management and planning

1. 1. • Timelines: A project plan typically includes a timeline with key deadlines (milestones). This keeps the project on track and helps to prioritize tasks.
      • Efficiency: By thinking ahead about the time needed for different parts of the investigation, journalists can work more efficiently and avoid delays.

3. Resource management

1. 1. • Budgeting: A project plan often includes a budget, which is essential for determining how much money is needed for the research. This can be useful when applying for funding or when allocating available resources effectively.
      • Resource allocation: The plan also helps to determine what resources (such as technology, travel, legal support, etc.) are needed and how best to use them.

4. Risk management

1. 1. • Identify risks: A good project plan identifies potential risks that could hinder the investigation, such as legal challenges, security of sources, or limited access to information.
      • Preparation strategies: By identifying these risks in advance, strategies can be developed to mitigate them, such as preparing legal support or planning backup strategies.

5. Collaboration and communication

1. 1. • Clear roles and responsibilities: A project plan should clearly define the roles and responsibilities of all team members, to avoid misunderstanding and duplication of effort.
      • Internal and external communication: The plan can also help define communication strategies, both internally (within the team) and externally (with sources, editorial staff outside the project,  and the public).

6. Evaluation and adaptation

1. 1. • Monitoring progress: A project plan allows better understanding of where the story stands at any given time. This makes it easier to adjust, if necessary.
      • Evaluation moments: Including evaluation points in the plan ensures that progress is regularly reviewed and that the plan can be adapted to changing circumstances.

7. Accountability and transparency

1. 1. • Documentation: A project plan provides a documented overview of the research, which is useful for accountability to funders, publishers and the public. It can also come in handy to demonstrate the team’s due diligence should your newsroom face a legal challenge about the story.
      • Transparency: The project plan allows all stakeholders (such as colleagues and editors) to gain insight into the methods and aims of the reporting It can also serve as supporting documentation for funders if the reporting project was supported by a specific monetary award or grant — although reporters should still avoid sharing too many details (especially the identity or sources in high-risk situations) with donors.

8. Quality assurance

1. • Consistent methodology: Following pre-agreed and documented procedures ensures consistency in the research and reporting process, which ultimately contributes to the quality of the final story.
   • Fact-checking and validation: A plan can also provide scope for extensive fact-checking and validation of findings, which is crucial to the credibility of investigative journalism. This approach can be used later in any post-publication accountability process.

A well-written project plan is therefore not only a tool to ensure that an investigative journalism project runs smoothly and efficiently, it also increases the likelihood of success through better planning, risk management, and quality assurance. Investing in writing a project plan can yield significant benefits by reducing uncertainty, optimizing resources, and increasing the overall impact and quality of the journalistic work.

Here is a simple story project plan template.

Tip: Keep any project plan proportionate to the size of the investigation and the size of the team. And remember that the project plan is not static; it evolves as the investigation progresses. Continuous evaluation and adjustments are essential. A project manager must have strategies in place to identify potential challenges, develop contingency plans, and adapt to unexpected developments without compromising the quality or integrity of the investigation.

More to read about project planning

• Don’t Get Sidetracked: Tips for Planning and Staying Focused on an Investigation – Global Investigative Journalism Network (gijn.org)
• 3. Managing Your Time – Investigative Journalism Manual (investigative-manual.org)
• Story-based inquiry: a manual for investigative journalists – UNESCO Digital Library
• This guide’s Technology and Tools chapter

Coco Gubbels became aware of the need for and added value of project management in investigative journalism a few years ago. As a former freelance investigative journalist and practicing project manager in the corporate world, she noticed how collaborative journalism was maturing, but journalists were still lacking the necessary skills. 

She now combines her passion for investigative journalism and her profession as a project manager in her one-woman organization PM-IJ: Project Management in Investigative Journalism. As a freelance project manager, she coordinates large international investigations, coaches and trains coordinators and mentors cross-border teams. She is the founder of a peer support group on LinkedIn to create a network of collaborative managers to learn and share experiences.