RE: What constitutes a good checklist?

Subject: RE: What constitutes a good checklist?
From: "Steve Hudson" <steve -at- wright -dot- com -dot- au>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2001 14:10:07 +1000

One of the big pitfalls I have seen during my time with large DP centers, is
the mixing of true/false questions. We set a standard at one of them, that
stated that all checks on a list shall state the SUCCESSFUL condition for
the test.

For example
Check there are no msgs outstanding D R,L

NOT

Check for outstanding messages D R,L

This way the person performing the checklist has consistency in their
checks, and its also much clearer what is the expected result.
It may seem a little silly on the surface, but upon analysis of most sites
one finds this rule would make life a lot easier for everyone involved, and
its not implemented.

Also, as implied, each check must either have the required commands/steps
listed, or a reference to such:

EG
Check there are no msgs outstanding D R,L
Ensure the main AS/400 has all devices online (see G5049 in Man001)

Then, checklists need the following stand-alone fields:

Person performing the check (sig and name)*
Team name
Date of check
Supervisor sign off

* if multiple people will complete the checklist, this then needs to be an
additional field for each entry - Initials.

They also require a corresponding entry in an activity schedule to invoke
them (eg Daily Ops Procedures), and every check item requires a field to
mark a tick or a cross in - any mark indicates the check was performed, a
tick means tested ok, a cross means not.

Checklists tend to be either sequential or chronological. Sequential
checklists require an additional field for each check - the prerequisite
checks. Eg, Check #5 is only applicable after check 3) is ok and check 4) is
ok. Chron based checklists obviously require this field to contain the time
of the applicable check. Not every entry in a chron needs a time, those
without must be performed in between the ones around it.

Then, to finish up with, you need a standard for your checklists, a design
and a covering procedure for general use of a checklist (x-reffed to the
previous two documents). Checklists that require more instructions can then
have their own covering procedure, x-reffed back to the general one (so you
only have to state deltas). Every checklist then includes a line like this
at the bottom:

For more information on using a checklist, see (*&(**&^*&^*&
For more information on this checklist, see (*&*&*&

So, an IT checklist has the following fields for its entries:

1) Sequence
2) The check, and statement of success condition
3) The commands/steps/reference to such.
4) A status field (ok / not ok)
5) Problem report number (for reporting failed checks)

Can't really think of anything else...

Steve Hudson
Lead Technical Writer
Wright Technologies (Aus)
steve -at- www -dot- wright -dot- com -dot- au
(612) 9518-1822
The best way to predict the future... is to create it!


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References:
What constitutes a good checklist?: From: Christine Gonzales

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