Assemble the Project Initiation Documentation

The Project Initiation Documentation (PID) is a collection of documents that provide the key information needed to start the project. The PID provides the what, why, who, how, when and cost of the project.

The Project Initiation Documentation will be baselined, meaning it will be dated so that it can be used in the future to check project performance compared to the original forecasts.

The Project Manager assembles the Project Initiation Documentation and includes the following information and documents:

• Project Brief

• Project Management Team Structure and Roles Descriptions • Business Case

• Four Management Strategy documents: Quality, Configuration Management, Risk and Communications

• Project Plan

• Project Approach, Project Controls and how PRINCE2 was tailored to suit the project Project Assurance will check that it contains the necessary information and can be put forward to the Project Board

The last task done by the Project Manager is the request to deliver a project. This request is made to the Project Board and they will decide if the project can continue or stop. This request can be formal or informal and depends on the culture of the company and size of the project.

Refine the Business Case

Inputs Activity Outputs

Activity Input / Output Diagram

(Part of) Project Initiation Documentation

• Create (detailed) Business Case

• (Outline) Business Case

• Project Plan

Create Benefits Review Plan

Based on OGC PRINCE2® material. Reproduced under license from OGC

Project Brief

Risk Register (Part of) Project Initiation Documentation

Initiating a Project 172

Fig 14.9 Activity 8: Assemble the Project Initiation Documentation

14.4 Learn Thru Questions

Try and answer the following, these are taken from the Learn Thru Questions audio course. Check the answers in the Learn Thru Questions document available on our site: You can also listen to these questions and answers (use the LTQ audio course)

Q01: What is the purpose of the Initiation Process? Answer in your own words.

Q02: List a few of the questions that will be asked during the Initiation Process. (Tip: Think of the documents that will be created during this process.)

Q03: What are the first 4 activities in the IP process? (Tip: These all have to do with creating the strategy documents and they all begin with the word “Prepare”.)

Q04: What are the 2 next activities that are done after the 4 strategy documents’ activities and can they be done in parallel? (Tip: One of these activities looks at how the Project will be controlled, and the other activity will probably take longer that all other activities put together.)

Q05: What Activity is done after Create the Project Plan and why does it have to wait for the Project Plan to be completed?

Q06: What is the final activity, who is responsible for it, and what is the main output?

Q07: What kind of information will be in the Risk Management Strategy Document? Name the 2 types of information found.

Assemble the Project Initiation

Documentation

Inputs Activity Outputs

Activity Input / Output Diagram

Assemble Project Initiation Documentation • Project definition • Project approach Stage boundary approaching Request to deliver a project Project Brief detailed-Business Case Project Management Team Structure Role description Quality Mgmt Strategy Configuration Management Strategy Risk Mgmt Strategy Communication Management Strategy Project Plan Project Controls Tailoring of PRINCE2

Initiating a Project 173

Q08: Name one of the three inputs and the two outputs of the Prepare Risk Management Strategy activity.

Q09: Name 2 types of information that you would expect to find in the Configuration Management Strategy Document.

Q10: What are the two main outputs produced during the Prepare Configuration Management Strategy activity? (Tip: One of these is a register.)

Q11: Name 2 types of information that you would expect to find in the Quality Management Strategy Document.

Q12: What are the two main outputs of the Prepare the Quality Management Strategy activity? Q13: Name 2 types of information that you would expect to find in a Communication Management Strategy Document.

Q14: What is the main output of the Prepare the Communication Management Strategy activity & who creates it?

Q15: Name the 2 levels of Project Control.

Q16: List some of the items that are discussed and set up in the Setup Project Controls activity. (Tip: This is about the information in the 4 strategy documents for Quality, Configuration Management, Communication and Risks.)

Q17: What is the purpose of the Setting Up Project Controls activity? (Tip: Think of the 4 strategy documents and the Themes: Change and Progress)

Q18: List some of the tasks carried out in the activity: Create the Project Plan. (Try to list 4) Q19: What are the main inputs and outputs to the Refining the Business Case activity? Q20: Name 4 items that should be included in the Business Case.

Q21: What is the Benefits Review plan and when are Benefits mostly available?

Q22: Name some of the documents and information that are included in the Project Initiation Documentation that is assembled by the project manager.

Directing a Project 174

15 Directing a Project

15.1 Introduction

Let us take a look at what you will learn in the Directing a Project Process. You will learn about the 5 activities which are:

• Authorizing Initiation – which is to allow the Initiation Stage to start

• Authorizing the project – which is to allow the project to start and produce products • Authorizing a Stage or Exception Plan – which is to review the existing stage and

authorize the next stage to begin, or to authorize exception plan to complete the current stage.

• Giving ad hoc direction - The Project Board provides guidance to the Project Manager throughout the project.

• Authorizing project closure – Shut down the project after a number of checks.