How to use this guide
Each phase below ends with readiness questions. If a question cannot be answered with a document, a citation, or a named owner and date, treat the phase as open — and write the gap down where the whole team can see it.
The single most expensive habit in site work is the silent assumption: someone believes a record exists, nobody verifies it, and the gap surfaces at the milestone. Every question here exists because that gap has surfaced before.
Phase 1 — Assignment and search ring
Work begins with a customer demand signal: a search ring or site assignment, a template, and a deadline. Readiness here is about capturing the assignment completely before research begins.
- Work order or PO on file with scope and deliverables identified
- Search ring definition recorded — center point, radius, and program requirements
- Customer template or workbook version confirmed as current
- Due dates and milestone structure entered in the tracker
- A named owner for the assignment
Phase 2 — Candidate identification and review
Candidates accumulate documents at different rates. The readiness test is whether each candidate has one coherent file a reviewer could pick up cold.
- Each candidate has its own folder with data sheet, photos, maps, and notes
- Parcel reference and owner-of-record identified per candidate
- Known constraints recorded — access, ground space, utilities, structural
- Stale items flagged: owner changes, expired listings, outdated photos
- Comparison notes drafted with open items listed per candidate
Phase 3 — Owner research and outreach
Outreach fails quietly when contact records and conversation history are scattered. Keep both in one place per owner, and track commitments to closure.
- Owner contact details verified against a current source
- Outreach log maintained — dates, channel, response, next step
- Commitments and consents tracked with dates, not memories
- Sensitive personal information stored restrictively, never in shared notes
Phase 4 — Zoning and permitting research
Submissions fail on completeness more often than substance. Research readiness means the package answers what the jurisdiction actually asks — in its current ordinance language, not last year's.
- Jurisdiction identified with current checklist or application instructions on file
- Zoning district and tower-specific requirements recorded with citations
- By-right versus conditional-use path determined, with hearing requirements noted
- Prior approvals and conditions reviewed against current scope
- Ordinance vintage checked — requirements verified against the current text
Phase 5 — Lease and document work
Lease milestones rarely stall on negotiation alone; they stall on missing exhibits, unsigned consents, and commitments nobody tracked. The file should be verifiable before it reaches counsel.
- Current agreement state summarized per site with section references
- All exhibits, memos, and consents present or listed as missing
- Open commercial questions organized by who must answer them
- Owner follow-ups tracked with owners and dates
Phase 6 — Package compilation and milestone evidence
Whether the deliverable is a SCIP package, a permit application, or a pay point file, the same rule holds: every field answered or explicitly marked unavailable, every answer cited, every exhibit consistent with the others.
- Package fields complete, cited, or marked unavailable — no silent blanks
- Maps, labels, and coordinates consistent across exhibits
- Required photos captured and matched to sites
- Evidence inventory checked against the milestone deliverable list
- Readiness summary drafted for the responsible party's verification
Phase 7 — Handoff and closeout
A good handoff lets the receiving team act without a meeting. A good closeout lets finance invoice without a document hunt.
- Exception list current: ready items separated from open action items, owners named
- As-builts, photos, punch-list resolutions, and acceptances filed where the deliverable checklist expects them
- Closeout summary written in plain language — ready, needs review, escalate
- Next batch or next action decided and assigned