www.projectresults.co.nz Project Initiation Documentation (PID)

Template Page 7 of 7

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Project Initiation Documentation (PID)
Template

Prepared for: Customers
Prepared by: Paul Sutton
Date: 30 November 2011

In Confidence

www.projectresults.co.nz Project Initiation Documentation (PID)

Template Page 7 of 7

Key Project Details

Project Name

A nice clear name so everyone will know exactly what project we are referring to is

Project Description
An up to one paragraph description which will clearly identify what the project is about
Management
Role / Name and Position / Signature
Project Executive / The person ultimately responsible for the project. Can’t be delegated and can only have one. Focuses on the business outcomes
Senior User(s) / Focus on the user outcomes from a management perspective. Key question “Will it work from the user perspective?”
Senior Supplier(s) / Key people responsible for delivery. Key question “Can I deliver it?”
Project Manager / The person delegated (by the project board) the responsibility to deliver the project as described in this document. Can’t be delegated

Project Background

Why do we feel the need for this project?

Project Definition

Project Objectives and Desired Outcomes

What are the key things we are trying to achieve?

What is the outcome?

Outcome language is future focused and if sustained will lead to benefits. This will be things line defects will be reduced, efficiency will be increased, social improvement etc

Scope and Exclusions

What is specifically included in the project?

What is specifically included (especially things which readers may naturally think is included)?

Constraints

Any specific project constraints such as fitting in with other projects, being subject to resource gazumping, specific standards which must be followed?

Interfaces

Who and what does the project have to interact with?

Assumptions

Any key assumptions which have been made in planning this project?. Examples might be that a suitable vendor can be found or that the hardware will arrive on time etc

Sometimes these headings can duplicate information. If this is happening consider deleting one or two headings.

Business Case

Ultimately projects are to provide a specific business outcome or improvement. So why are we doing this from a business perspective. What is described here will underpin the question of project viability and determine the ultimate requirement for the project. If giving more detail think of benefits and disbenefits. Give overall project cost.

Headings to consider are (from the standard PRINCE2 Business Case):-

·  Business options (include, do nothing, do minimum and do something).

·  Expected benefits and dis-benefits (-ve benefit)

·  Costs

·  Investment appraisal (number crunching like NPV)

·  Major risks (focus on project and benefit risks)

Project Product

This is the main thing we are going to produce in order to achieve the business case listed above. Much of the standard requirements will be covered already but think about the following two items:-

Quality Requirements / Ultimately what quality is required. Is it long term or throw away? Quality will be a key determinant of the approach to delivery.
How Quality will be Verified / How will you test you’ve got it

Project Approach

So we don’t have to plan too many possibilities the choice of a specific approach is best. For instance are we building a package or going for a bespoke development?

Step / Task / Notes
1
2
3
4

Project Plan

Stages

How is the project broken into stages.

Stage / Description / Start Date / End Date / High Level Scope
1
2
3
4
Products / Deliverables

Other key products (also known as deliverables) we will be producing which will make up the project product. This may already be covered in scope and consider any additional detail required

Product / Deliverable Name
Description
Purpose
Quality Requirements
How Quality will be Verified

etc

Schedule

This could be an extract from your scheduling tool and might be a landscape page. A narrative description may help to clarify.

Resources
1 / What are the key resources which are going to be used on the project. This should give the Board a clear understanding of the resources they are required to commit.
2
3
4
Budget

What is the project going to cost. Good practice to capture all the costs including effort by internal staff and existing resources.

Stage / Stage Name / Expenditure for / Effort / Costs
1 / Include the key items of expenditure both $ and resource (if not $ costed). Gives a total picture of what costs are being incurred to deliver the outcomes of the project
You may want to say where the money is coming for in order to maintain focus.
2

Project Tolerances

The project has an overall tolerance which will be allocated to the project manager to manage on a stage by stage basis (if it is a single stage project then this is the amount allocated). If it is not highly time critical then some schedule tolerance should be allowed. With the “Manage by Exception” principle the Project Manager is delegated to manage the budget and schedule within tolerance.

Tolerance Area / Tolerance
i.e Budget / i.e + X$ - Y$
i.e. Schedule / i.e + Xweeks - Yweeks

Risks and Opportunities

How to we reduce the impact of risk and maximise opportunity? Provide a narrative description of approach to risks. For instance is this a high or low risk project and what general approach is taken to responding to them. Just put the key ones in the table below

# / Description / Priority / Action
1 / Try to be specific about what might occur and the impact this will have / High / How will this risk be responded to
2 / Medium
3 / Medium
4 / Low

Project Organisation

Who is doing what?

The project will have the following organisation structure:

Paste an organisation chart here

The roles are summarised as follows:-

Role / Responsibilities
The Project Board and Project Manager is listed at the start of this document. Any other key ones should be listed here.

Project Controls

How is the Project Board going to exercise control over the project. i.e. what stages are we going to have and how frequent will the regular reporting be.

Communication Plan

Who is going to communicate what to who?

Role / Communication
The Project Board and Project Manager is listed at the start of this document. Any other key ones should be listed here.

Quality Plan

How is the project going to produce a quality product?

What checking and testing is going to occur?

How will the vendor know exactly how to hit the mark?

How will quality be built in?

Configuration Management

How are you going to track your project records and specific deliverables?

Could include document management systems and inventory management

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