Table of Contents

Introduction

Effective document management underpins every aspect of project delivery. Without clear standards for creating, storing, naming, versioning, and retiring documents, teams waste time searching for information, work from outdated versions, and lose critical knowledge when people move on.

This guide sets out the principles and practical standards that project teams should adopt from day one. It complements the more detailed guidance on Version Management and Configuration Management.

Document Management Principles

Principle Description
Single source of truth Every document has one authoritative location. Copies are discouraged.
Right access, right time Documents are accessible to those who need them, with appropriate permissions.
Consistent naming A standard naming convention is applied across the project.
Version clarity It is always clear which version is current and what has changed.
Lifecycle awareness Documents are created, reviewed, approved, used, and eventually archived or destroyed.
Minimal duplication Reduce redundancy by linking rather than copying.

Folder Structure

A well-designed folder structure is essential. It should reflect how people look for documents, not how the project team is organised internally.

Project Name/
├── 01 - Governance
│   ├── Project Charter
│   ├── Terms of Reference
│   └── Decision Log
├── 02 - Planning
│   ├── Project Plan
│   ├── Resource Plan
│   └── Budget
├── 03 - Requirements
│   ├── Business Requirements
│   └── Technical Requirements
├── 04 - Design
├── 05 - Delivery
│   ├── Status Reports
│   └── Meeting Minutes
├── 06 - Testing
├── 07 - Change Control
├── 08 - Risk and Issues
├── 09 - Communications
├── 10 - Closure
└── 99 - Archive

Tips:

  • Use numbered prefixes to control sort order
  • Keep the structure shallow — no more than three or four levels deep
  • Agree the structure before the project starts and resist ad hoc changes
  • Document the structure in the project management plan

Naming Conventions

A consistent naming convention eliminates ambiguity about what a document contains, when it was created, and which version it is.

[ProjectCode]_[DocumentType]_[Description]_v[Version].[ext]

Examples:

  • PRJ001_Plan_Project-Schedule_v1.0.xlsx
  • PRJ001_Report_Monthly-Status_2026-03_v0.2.docx
  • PRJ001_RAID_Risk-Register_v2.1.xlsx

Naming Rules

Rule Detail
No spaces Use hyphens or underscores instead
Date format Use ISO 8601: YYYY-MM-DD
Version format Major.Minor (e.g. v1.0, v1.1, v2.0)
Keep it short Aim for under 80 characters in the filename
No special characters Avoid & % # @ ! and similar
Be descriptive The filename should make sense without opening the file

Version Control

Version control ensures that everyone works from the correct version and that changes are traceable. See the detailed Version Management guide for full coverage.

Key rules:

  • Draft documents use versions below 1.0 (e.g. v0.1, v0.2)
  • Approved documents start at v1.0
  • Minor changes increment the decimal (v1.1, v1.2)
  • Major changes increment the whole number (v2.0, v3.0)
  • Every version change is recorded in a version history table

Document Lifecycle

Every project document passes through a defined lifecycle. Understanding this lifecycle helps teams manage documents proactively rather than reactively.

flowchart LR A[Create] --> B[Review] B --> C[Approve] C --> D[Distribute] D --> E[Use & Update] E --> F{Still Needed?} F -->|Yes| B F -->|No| G[Archive] G --> H[Destroy] classDef blue fill:#108BB9,stroke:none,color:#fff class A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H blue
Stage Description Responsibility
Create Author drafts the document using an approved template Author
Review Relevant stakeholders review for accuracy and completeness Reviewers
Approve Document owner formally approves the document Approver
Distribute Document is made available to the intended audience Author / PMO
Use & Update Document is referenced and updated as needed All users
Archive Document is moved to long-term storage when no longer active PMO
Destroy Document is permanently deleted per retention policy PMO / Records

Access Control

Not all documents should be visible to all stakeholders. Access control protects sensitive information and prevents unauthorised changes.

Access Levels

Level Description Example Users
Owner Full control including delete Document author, PMO
Editor Can modify content Core project team
Reviewer Can comment but not edit Subject matter experts
Viewer Read-only access Wider stakeholders
No Access Cannot see the document External parties, public

Sensitive Documents

The following document types typically require restricted access:

  • Commercial and financial documents (budgets, contracts, invoices)
  • HR-related documents (performance reviews, disciplinary records)
  • Security-related documents (penetration test results, vulnerability assessments)
  • Legally privileged documents
  • Board papers and strategic plans before public release

Document Review and Approval

Review Process

  1. Author completes the draft and self-reviews
  2. Author circulates to designated reviewers with a clear deadline
  3. Reviewers provide comments using tracked changes or a review form
  4. Author consolidates feedback and resolves conflicts
  5. Updated document is submitted for formal approval
  6. Approver signs off (or rejects with reasons)

Review Frequency

Document Type Review Frequency
Project Plan At each stage gate, minimum monthly
Risk Register Fortnightly or at each risk review
Status Report Weekly or as per reporting cycle
Business Case At each stage gate
Lessons Learned At stage gate and project closure
RACI Matrix When roles or scope change significantly

Retention and Archival

Retention Periods

Retention periods should align with organisational policy and regulatory requirements. Typical guidance:

Document Category Minimum Retention
Contracts and legal agreements 7 years after completion
Financial records 7 years
Project management documents 5 years after closure
Correspondence and emails 3 years after closure
Working drafts Destroy after project closure

Archival Process

  • Remove working drafts and superseded versions before archiving
  • Ensure archived documents are in a format that remains readable (e.g. PDF/A)
  • Record the archive location and retention period in a register
  • Set calendar reminders for destruction dates

Tools and Systems

Tool Type Examples Best For
SharePoint / Teams Microsoft 365 Enterprise collaboration and permissions
Confluence Atlassian Wiki-style documentation with version history
Google Drive Google Workspace Lightweight collaboration
Document management system OpenText, M-Files Regulated industries with strict compliance
Project management tool Jira, Azure DevOps Linking documents to work items

Selection criteria:

  • Integration with existing organisational tools
  • Version control capabilities
  • Access control and audit trail
  • Search and retrieval performance
  • Support for document workflows (review, approval)

Document Quality Standards

High-quality documents share common characteristics:

Standard Description
Template compliance Uses the approved organisational or project template
Completeness All required sections are populated
Accuracy Content is factually correct and up to date
Clarity Written in plain language appropriate to the audience
Consistency Terminology, formatting, and style are uniform
Traceability References to source documents and decisions are included
Last updated: 19 March 2026