Project Initiation

"The beginning is the most important part of the work." --Plato

The importance of knowing your destination

Image derived from: The Annotated Alice. Illustration by John Tenniel. Copyright © 1960 by Martin Gardner.

Alice: “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

Cat: “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.”

Alice: “I don’t much care where.”

Cat: “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.”

The lesson to be learned from this brief encounter is clear: before you can decide what to do, you must have a clear understand of what it is you want to accomplish.

In terms of project management: without a clear understanding of project objectives any planning will be ineffectual.

Project Initiation and Planning

• Project Initiation– Determine destination. Define and get agreement on

project goals and objectives

• Project Planning– Devise a course of action for accomplishing the goals

and objectives decided on during project initiation

The Primary Functions of Project Initiation

Preliminary Planning• Goals and objectives• Scope

Managing Expectations• Agreement on goals• Project success criteria

Authorizing the Project• Project justification• Assigning authority

The Project Initiation Process

The Project Charter

Elements of a project charter

• Purpose – What problem or opportunity does the project address?

• Stakeholders – Who are the people with an interest in the outcome of the project? What are their needs and expectations. (Key stakeholders include: project sponsor, project manager, customer, and users.)

• Goals and Objectives – Goals and objectives define expected project outcomes. Objectives should be specific and measurable. Goals can be more grand and inspirational. Preliminary schedule and budget estimates.

• Features – Features are the main client-valued functions of a product.

Goals Example

Elements of a project charter [cont]

• Major milestones and deliverables – A milestone is a significant accomplishment during the life of a project. A deliverable is a tangible result.

• Financial Information – preliminary budget estimates for personnel and equipment.

• Constraints – limitations placed on the product or project.

Elements of a project charter [cont]

• Scope – what is and is not included in the project?• Assumptions – does project success depend on

certain conditions outside of the control of the immediate project team? (Something you “wish” to be true, can’t be an assumption.)

• Success Criteria – what constitutes project success?

• Risks and obstacles to success – what are the potential problems (technical and non-technical) that may occur?

Obtaining Formal Authority to Proceed

• A project is worth pursuing if it is:– Needed - addresses a legitimate business problem or

opportunity.– Feasible - there a high probability that the performing

organization can complete the project successfully.– Optimum - the project is the best use of available

resources.• Formal authority to pursue a project is granted

from a person or entity external to the project who is high enough in the organization to authorize the expenditure of resources towards the project.

Example

Communication Plan