Runbooks
Step-by-step procedures for common processes. Click any runbook to expand it.
Project Management
Creating a New Project
5 min
Projects are created from approved Intake requests. Do not create a project directly unless you have manager approval — use Intake as the entry point.
Submit or locate the Intake request
Go to Intake. If no request exists, create one first and wait for approval. If already approved, find it in the queue.
Convert to Project
Open the intake detail and click "Convert to Project." This creates the project record and links it to the originating request.
Set project details
Fill in: Project Name, Agency, Project Lead (the PM responsible), Start Date, Target End Date, and initial Status (On Track to start).
Add a project description
Write a 2–3 sentence description of the project goal and scope. This is what leadership sees in reports.
Create initial tasks
On the project detail page, add at least 3–5 concrete tasks with assignees, priorities, and due dates. Vague projects with no tasks don't get done.
Assign the team
Ensure each task has an assignee. Check Team Tasks to confirm no one is over-allocated before assigning.
Project Management
Submitting Weekly Updates
3 min
Weekly updates keep leadership informed and reset the "stale" clock on your projects. Aim to post every Friday before end of day.
Open Project Updates
Go to Project Updates or open the project directly from Projects.
Set the current status
Choose On Track, At Risk, or Blocked. If anything changed since last week, update it now — don't leave stale statuses.
Write a brief update note
2–4 sentences covering: what was accomplished this week, what's coming next, and any risks or concerns. Be specific — "worked on tasks" is not useful.
Review task statuses
Quickly scan all open tasks on this project. Mark any that were completed. Update any that changed status during the week.
Save and confirm
Save the update. The project's "last updated" timestamp resets, clearing any stale flag in Needs Attention.
Project Management
Closing Out a Project
4 min
Closing a project properly keeps the portfolio clean and gives leadership an accurate completion record.
Verify all tasks are resolved
Open the project detail. Every task should be either Completed or formally cancelled. No tasks should remain In Progress or Not Started.
Write a closeout update
Post a final project update summarizing what was delivered, any outcomes or metrics, and any lessons learned worth noting.
Upload final documents
Attach any final deliverables, sign-offs, or reports to the project's document section before closing.
Set status to Completed
Change the project status to Completed. This removes it from active dashboards and Needs Attention monitoring.
Notify stakeholders
Send a brief completion notice to relevant stakeholders outside the system. MissionBoard doesn't send external emails automatically.
Project Management
Managing Project Risks
5 min
Risk management in MissionBoard is built around the status system. Use it early — don't wait for a risk to become a blocker.
Identify the risk
Is something likely to impact timeline, quality, or delivery? If you're not sure it will happen but it could, that's a risk.
Set the project or task to At Risk
Change the status to At Risk and add a note explaining the risk, its likelihood, and the potential impact. Be specific.
Document a mitigation plan
In the project notes or task description, write what you're doing to reduce or eliminate the risk. Even "monitoring" is a plan — document it.
Set a review date
Decide when you'll reassess. Update the project weekly even if the risk hasn't changed — otherwise it goes stale.
Escalate if it becomes a blocker
If the risk materializes and work stops, change status to Blocked immediately and follow the Escalation Process runbook.
Escalations
When to Escalate
3 min
Escalate when a problem is beyond your authority to resolve or when waiting will cause significant damage. When in doubt, escalate early.
Blocked for more than 48 hours
If a task or project has been blocked for two business days with no resolution path, escalate. Don't wait a week hoping it resolves itself.
Decision requires authority you don't have
If resolving the blocker requires budget approval, policy exception, or leadership sign-off, escalate immediately — you can't resolve this yourself.
Deadline is at risk and can't be recovered
If a key milestone or project deadline will be missed and there's no way to catch up, leadership needs to know now — not when it's already late.
Cross-agency dependency is stalled
If you're waiting on another agency and the contact has gone silent for 3+ business days, escalate through your manager.
Escalations
Escalation Process
4 min
Follow this process every time you escalate. A good escalation gives leadership exactly what they need to act — no more, no less.
Document the blocker in MissionBoard first
Set the task status to Blocked and fill in the "What's blocking this?" field. This creates a record and makes the issue visible to everyone.
Prepare a 3-sentence brief
Write: (1) What is blocked and since when. (2) What you've already tried. (3) What you need from leadership to unblock it.
Identify the right person
Who has the authority to resolve this? Go directly to that person — don't chain it through multiple people unless required by org structure.
Share the MissionBoard link
Include a direct link to the blocked task or project. Decision-makers can see the context without you recapping everything in a meeting.
Set a response deadline
State when you need a decision: "I need a response by Thursday COB to avoid missing the March 28 milestone." Specifics create urgency.
Update MissionBoard when resolved
Once the blocker is cleared, change the task status back to In Progress. The blocked_reason clears automatically.
Escalations
Resolving Blockers
4 min
Use Needs Attention as your daily triage tool. Blocked items show the reason directly in the list — no clicking required.
Open Needs Attention
Blocked tasks with a reason appear under the Critical section. The reason text shows directly below the Blocked badge — read it before clicking in.
Assess the blocker type
Is it a dependency, a decision, a resource, or missing information? The resolution path depends on the type.
Act directly if you can
If you have the authority and resources to unblock it, do so now. Assign the missing resource, make the decision, or provide the information.
Escalate if you can't
Follow the Escalation Process runbook. Link the task directly so leadership sees the blocker reason you already documented.
Update the task when cleared
Change status to In Progress (or whatever is accurate). Add a brief note explaining how the blocker was resolved. The reason field clears automatically.
Reporting
Generating Status Reports
4 min
MissionBoard's reporting pages give you live portfolio data. Use them before briefings to get accurate, current numbers.
Start with Overview
Go to Overview. The metric cards show total projects, on-track %, at-risk count, blocked count, and open tasks. Click any card to drill down.
Check Needs Attention for problem areas
Open Needs Attention for the full list of critical items. This is what you report as risks.
Use By Agency for cross-agency breakdowns
Go to By Agency to see project health grouped by agency. Useful for multi-agency reports.
Export or screenshot as needed
Use your browser's print function (Ctrl+P / Cmd+P) or screenshot tool to capture the data. Use Overview as the primary export source.
Verify data freshness
Check that project statuses were updated this week. Stale data produces misleading reports. Needs Attention will flag anything not updated in 7+ days.
Reporting
Executive Briefings
5 min
Executive briefings need three things: current health, key risks, and what decision (if any) is needed. Pull all of this from MissionBoard.
Pull portfolio health from Overview
Note the on-track %, number blocked, number at-risk. This is your headline number — the top-line portfolio health.
Identify top 3 risks from Needs Attention
Pick the highest-severity items from the Critical section. Lead with blocked items that have leadership decisions pending.
List projects requiring executive action
Any blocked task where the escalation path leads to the executive audience. Be explicit about what decision is needed and by when.
Highlight wins
Pull 2–3 recently completed projects or milestones from the Projects page. Executives need to see progress, not just problems.
Prepare the briefing doc
Format: Portfolio Health → Key Risks → Decisions Needed → Recent Wins → Next Steps. Keep to one page if possible.
Reporting
Monthly Metrics Review
6 min
Run a monthly review at the start of each month covering the prior month's project outcomes, team performance, and blockers resolved.
Count projects completed last month
Filter projects by Completed status and note how many were closed in the prior 30 days. Compare to the month before.
Review average time in Blocked status
Look at Needs Attention history and project updates for blocker patterns. Recurring blockers of the same type signal a systemic issue.
Check team workload balance
Open Team Tasks. Were any team members consistently overloaded or underutilized? Note it for the next month's planning.
Review intake conversion rate
How many intake requests were received, approved, denied, and converted to projects? A backlog in intake is a sign the review process needs attention.
Identify at-risk projects to monitor next month
From the Projects page, note any projects that are At Risk or have been stale more than once. These need active management going forward.
Team
Assigning Tasks
3 min
Good task assignment means the right person, the right priority, and a clear due date — every time.
Check workload before assigning
Open Team Tasks to see each person's open task count. Don't assign to someone already at capacity.
Create or open the task
Go to the project detail and create the task, or open an existing unassigned one. Fill in the title and a clear description of the expected outcome.
Set priority and due date
Priority: High for blocking or deadline-driven work, Medium for standard work, Low for backlog. Always set a due date — unscheduled tasks drift.
Assign the task
Select the assignee from the dropdown. The task will appear in their My Tasks view immediately.
Confirm they know
MissionBoard doesn't send automatic assignment notifications. Tell the person directly — via message or in your next standup — that a task was assigned.
Team
Cross-Team Dependencies
5 min
Cross-team dependencies are the most common cause of unexpected blockers. Track them explicitly from the start.
Identify the dependency early
When setting up a project or task, note any work that depends on output from another team or agency. Don't assume it will happen on its own.
Create a task for the dependency
Create a task in your project that represents the dependency (e.g., "Receive API spec from Agency X"). Assign it to yourself as the person responsible for tracking it.
Confirm the other team's timeline
Contact the other team directly and get a committed delivery date. Add it as the task due date. Don't assume their timeline matches yours.
Set the task to At Risk if the date slips
If their delivery looks like it will be late, mark your task At Risk immediately and document what you know. Don't wait to see if it resolves.
Escalate through managers if it stalls
If the other team goes silent or misses their date, escalate through your manager to their manager. Cross-agency coordination often requires manager-to-manager contact.
Team
Handoffs Between Teams
4 min
A clean handoff means the receiving team has everything they need and there's no ambiguity about who owns what after the transfer.
Document current state in task notes
Before the handoff, add a thorough note to each relevant task: what's been done, what's pending, any known issues, and relevant context. Write for someone who knows nothing about the project.
Upload relevant documents
Attach any files the receiving team will need to the project's document section. Don't send them via email — keep them in one place.
Reassign tasks to the new team
Update task assignees to the receiving team's members. Coordinate with their PM to confirm who takes ownership of what.
Update the project lead if needed
If the entire project is transferring, update the Project Lead field to reflect the new PM. This changes who is responsible for weekly updates.
Confirm receipt
Get explicit confirmation from the receiving team that they have what they need and understand the handoff. A missed assumption at handoff becomes a blocker weeks later.
Administration
Adding New Users
2 min
Only managers can create users. New users are created directly — there is no self-registration.
Go to Admin → Create User
Navigate to Admin → Create User. You must have manager role to access this page.
Fill in user details
Enter: Full name, email address, and initial password. The user should change their password on first login via Account Settings.
Set the role
Choose the appropriate role: Manager (full access, cross-agency), PM (write access to their agency), or Tech (read/update only). See Managing Permissions for role details.
Assign to an agency
Select the agency this user belongs to. This controls which projects they can access. A user without an agency can only see projects they're explicitly assigned to.
Share credentials out of band
MissionBoard does not send welcome emails automatically. Send the login URL and credentials to the new user through your normal communication channel.
Administration
Managing Permissions & Roles
3 min
MissionBoard uses three roles. Access is also scoped by agency membership — role alone doesn't grant access to all data.
Understand the three roles
Manager: Full access across all agencies. Can create users, manage intake, delete projects. PM: Write access to their agency's projects and tasks. Can create and manage projects. Tech: Read and update access. Can update task status and add notes, cannot create or delete projects.
Change a user's role
Go to Admin → Users. Find the user and edit their profile. Change the Role field and save. Role changes take effect on next login.
Change a user's agency
Edit the user's profile and update their Agency assignment. This changes which projects are visible to them. A user can only belong to one agency.
Deactivate a user who has left
Edit the user's profile and set their status to Inactive. Inactive users cannot log in. Their historical activity and assignments remain intact in the record.
Administration
Creating Agencies
3 min
Agencies are the primary access boundary in MissionBoard. Create one agency per organizational unit that needs its own project namespace.
Go to Admin → Agencies
Navigate to Admin → Agencies. Manager role required.
Create the agency
Enter the agency name. Use the official organizational name — this appears in reports and the By Agency view. Abbreviations are acceptable if they're widely understood.
Assign existing users
Edit each user who belongs to this agency and update their Agency assignment. Users without an agency won't see the new agency's projects.
Create the agency's first project
An agency with no projects won't appear meaningfully in reports. Set up at least one active project so the agency shows in the portfolio view.
Best Practices
Writing Good Status Updates
4 min
A good status update tells the reader three things in two to four sentences: what happened, what's next, and what (if anything) is at risk.
Lead with accomplishments
State what was completed or progressed this period. Be specific: "Completed vendor selection (3 of 4 contracts signed)" not "Made progress on procurement."
State what's next
What are the immediate next steps? "Final contract signing expected by Thursday, then handoff to implementation team." One or two sentences is enough.
Call out risks explicitly
If anything could go wrong, say it plainly: "Third-party API dependency is a risk — vendor hasn't confirmed the timeline." Don't soften risks to avoid looking bad.
Match the status badge to your words
If your update says "significant delays possible," the status should be At Risk, not On Track. Mismatched status and notes erode trust in the data.
Best Practices
Setting Realistic Deadlines
5 min
Overdue tasks and missed deadlines are the most common source of Needs Attention clutter. Most of them result from unrealistic deadlines set at project start.
Start with the end constraint
Is there a hard external deadline (contract, legislation, event)? If so, work backwards from that date. If not, estimate forward based on scope.
Ask the person doing the work
Don't set task due dates without asking the assignee. They know their calendar, current workload, and realistic pace better than you do.
Add buffer for dependencies
If a task requires input from another person or team, add at least 2–3 business days buffer. Dependencies always take longer than you expect.
Don't use "today" as the default
Tasks assigned with a today due date are almost always unrealistic. If something needs to happen today, it should have been assigned days ago.
Review and adjust proactively
If a deadline is clearly going to be missed, update it before it goes overdue. An accurate future date is more useful than a wrong past date that floods Needs Attention.
Best Practices
Ownership & Accountability
4 min
MissionBoard's core principle is that every piece of work has a named lead. Shared ownership is no ownership.
Every project has one lead
The Project Lead field should be one person — the PM responsible for the outcome. If multiple people share responsibility, pick the one who is accountable for delivery.
Every task has one assignee
Assign tasks to individuals, not teams. If a task requires multiple people, break it into subtasks with individual owners.
Lead is responsible for status accuracy
The task assignee owns the status. If a task is late or blocked, the assignee should be the first to update it — not waiting to be asked.
Update ownership on reassignment
When someone leaves or changes roles, immediately reassign their tasks. An active task assigned to an inactive user will sit unworked and unnoticed.
Use task history as an accountability record
Every status change and update is logged in task activity. This creates a clear record of who did what and when — useful for retrospectives and issue resolution.