Why Every Turnaround Needs a Control Document (aka Milestones)

Introduction

During turnaround planning, the number of deliverables, due dates, and stakeholders can overwhelm even the most experienced teams. Operations, maintenance, reliability, engineering, projects, and HSE all contribute, but without a single point of alignment, planning becomes fragmented. Departments lose visibility into each other’s deadlines, accountability becomes inconsistent, and Steering Committees struggle to measure readiness.

A Control Document, sometimes referred to as a “plan to plan” or milestone tracker, solves this problem. It is the master turnaround planning tool that defines, assigns, and tracks every deliverable required before execution. Endorsed by the Site Leadership Team, it becomes the official baseline for scope collection and preparation.

The Problem Without Control

Multiple turnarounds and several assessments have shown me that when a turnaround does not use a formal Control Document, several issues appear:

• Lack of visibility: Departments cannot see key deliverables and due dates.

• Inconsistent accountability: Tasks slip because no single group enforces deadlines.

• Reactive planning: Without milestones, planning readiness is impossible to measure.

• Difficulty for leadership: Steering Committees cannot hold people accountable without a documented baseline.

Without a central document, turnaround planning risks sliding into last-minute fire drills.

The Impact

The absence of a Control Document directly affects readiness and execution:

• Safety risk: Poor preparation leaves gaps that resurface during execution.

• Cost risk: Incomplete deliverables drive scope growth, overtime, and rework.

• Schedule risk: Delays in early deliverables ripple into execution.

• Cultural risk: Without accountability, deadlines lose meaning.

What Works: Building a Control Document

Definition: The Site Leadership Team is the governing body of senior leaders and stakeholders responsible for endorsing, enforcing, and monitoring the Control Document. It provides direction, alignment, and accountability across all departments during the entire turnaround event.

A proper Control Document is straightforward but must be structured and enforced. The process includes:

1. Prepare and Endorse: The Turnaround Manager drafts the Control Document listing all required planning deliverables. The Steering Committee (TASC) reviews, adjusts, and formally endorses it before scope collection begins.

2. Scope Collection Kick-Off: TASC declares the official start of scope collection. All departments are instructed on how to submit requests through the defined process (form, database, or PM software).

3. Assign Responsibilities: Each deliverable includes a named responsible owner and a due date. TASC enforces deadlines by holding individuals accountable in Steering Committee meetings.

4. Track and Report: The Turnaround Manager maintains the Control Document, recording actual completion dates. Progress is reported at every TASC meeting, with overdue items escalated for action.

5. Maintain Integrity: The Control Document is version-controlled and updated by the Turnaround Manager with leadership team oversight. Updates are circulated after each meeting.

The Control Document itself can take the form of a structured spreadsheet, but its authority comes from site leadership endorsement and enforcement.

Leadership and Culture

The Control Document only works if leadership treats it as the final word. That means:

• No parallel lists.

• No informal side agreements.

• No execution of planning deliverables without Control Document approval.

Visible sponsorship is essential. The Site Leadership Team must deliver a clear and uncompromising directive to all contributors that adherence to the Control Document and the processes it drives is mandatory. Change is often met with resistance; some will prefer familiar, less structured methods. This cannot be allowed. Without leadership pressure and consistent reinforcement, the standards will be diluted and the opportunity for improvement lost. Conversely, with executive sponsorship, organizations have the chance to build a world-class turnaround model.

From participating in a variety of turnarounds and assessments, it is clear that the workforce wants structure, information, and clarity in their roles from kickoff through post-event closeout. What they need is alignment and accountability anchored by the Control Document and reinforced by leadership.

Recommendation for First-Time Users

For sites that have never used a Control Document, it is best to start small. Focus on 30 to 50 high-level milestones that define the critical path of planning. These should capture the essentials such as scope collection, risk register completion, cost estimate approval, schedule freeze, and readiness reviews.

After each turnaround, add more layers of detail and expand the number of tracked tasks. This incremental approach allows teams to learn what is most valuable, understand where accountability gaps exist, and gradually mature the Control Document into a comprehensive tool that reflects exactly what needs to be done, when it must be done, and who is responsible.

Takeaway

Turnaround preparation is too complex to manage through scattered spreadsheets and verbal commitments. A Control Document provides visibility, accountability, and structure across all stakeholders.

The practical step is clear: build and endorse a Control Document early in planning, assign owners and due dates, and enforce it through the leadership team. With it, scope collection and preparation are disciplined and predictable. Without it, planning will always be reactive.