AtlasFree guide
What is a project steering committee?
A steering committee is the group that makes the decisions the project team has no authority to make: money, scope, dates and whether the project continues at all.
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What it is actually for
A steering committee is not a progress meeting. Progress is handled in the status report. The committee exists to decide: approve a gate, accept a change, release contingency, or stop the project.
If a steering meeting ends with no decisions and no escalations answered, it was a read-out, not a steering committee.
Who sits on it
Keep it small. Every member should be there because they own a decision, not because their department expects a seat.
- The sponsor, who chairs it and owns the budget.
- A senior representative of the people who will use or be changed by the result — on a hospital rollout, the clinical lead.
- A senior representative of the teams delivering or operating it — IT or operations.
- The project manager or coordinator, who attends to present and to record, not to vote.
The agenda that works
A workable steering agenda fits on one page and is organised by decisions, not by department updates.
- Overall status and one-paragraph summary — two minutes, no surprises here if reporting has been honest.
- Decisions required today — each with a recommendation and the cost of deferring.
- Risks and issues above the project's authority — the ones the project cannot fix alone.
- Milestones and gate position — what the next gate needs and whether it is on track.
- Actions from last time — closed, or explained.
How to prepare as the coordinator
Send the pack two working days ahead. Pre-wire the difficult decision: speak to the sponsor and the affected member before the meeting so the discussion starts from the real position, not from a cold slide.
During the meeting, record decisions and actions as they are made and read them back before close. A decision that is not minuted did not happen.
Worked example — decisions brought to a records rollout steering committee
| Decision needed | Recommendation | If deferred |
|---|---|---|
| Approve two extra evening training sessions, £1,400 from contingency | Approve — protects go-live date | Ward staff untrained at go-live; slower triage in week one |
| Accept a one-week slip on data migration re-test | Accept — fixes root cause instead of masking it | Go-live with a 4% record mismatch risk |
| Confirm outpatients stay out of scope after a department request | Confirm — protects budget and timeline | Scope grows without budget; charter is undermined |
Free steering committee agenda template
One page. If the pack needs a contents page, it is too long for the meeting.
Date, attendees, apologies
Quorum matters for decisions
Overall status
RAG plus one paragraph
Decisions required today
Each with a recommendation and the cost of delay
Escalated risks and issues
Only those above the project's authority
Milestones and gate position
What the next gate requires
Actions from previous meeting
Closed or explained
Any other business
Two minutes, strictly
Decisions and actions log
Read back before the meeting closes
Common questions
What does a project steering committee do?
It makes the decisions beyond the project team's authority: approving stage gates, changes to scope, budget or dates, releasing contingency, and continuing or stopping the project.
Who should attend a steering committee?
The sponsor as chair, senior representatives of the people affected and the teams delivering, and the project manager or coordinator to present and record. Membership is tied to decisions owned, not seniority for its own sake.
How often should a steering committee meet?
Monthly is typical, with extra sessions at stage gates. Frequency matters less than the rule that the meeting produces decisions, not just updates.
Face a steering committee that asks hard questions
In the Atlas simulation you prepare for steering committees, choose what to escalate, and answer for your decisions. The committee remembers your earlier reports — consistency matters.
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