Overview

The Project Brief is used to ensure there is agreement from the Project Board that the project, as outlined, is worth doing.

Using the Project Mandate the Executive (with help from the Project Manager and Project Support staff) compiles the Project Brief by preparing the formal terms of reference, establishing the Customer's quality expectations, establishing the Acceptance Criteria and beginning a record of any risks that might arise (see create the Risk Log).

It is important that an outline Business Case is also prepared and included. Even if the Project Brief has been supplied by Programme Management it still needs to be presented and approved by the Project Board as it will form the basis for the Project Initiation Document (PID).

Method links

Tips

• Take time to establish the Customer's quality expectations, this will form the basis for the Project Quality Plan.
• The Project Brief includes high level information about the what, why, how, who and when of a project.
• Put user requirements in order of priority.
• Check over the Project Brief with all Project Board members individually before presenting it for approval. The approval meeting will be used by the Project Board to verify their changes and review each others.
• In small projects perhaps a Project Initiation Document is best produced straight off i.e. combine SU Starting up a Project and IP Initiating a Project processes.

Notes

• Use the Project Mandate to produce:
  • Risk Log
  • Project Brief
  • IP1 Planning Quality.
• Verify Business Case.

Case studies and examples

Related links

• Search our forum for 'SU4 Preparing a Project Brief'
• Take our SU - Starting Up a Project - Quiz
• SU Starting up a Project
• IP1 Planning Quality
• IP2 Plan a Project
• IP3 Refine Business Case and Risks
• IP6 Assembling a PID
• Project Initiation Document (PID).