12 : Starting Up a Project

Question 1

What is the purpose of the Starting Up a Project Process?

Answer 1

The primary purpose is to answer the question: “do we have a worthwhile and viable project?”

This ensures the foundations are in place in order to initiate the project and ensures unviable projects don’t get iniatiated.

Question 2

What 6 activities are underaken during the SU process?

Answer 2

1. Appoint the Executive and project manager
2. Capture previous lessons (in the lessons log)
3. Design and appoint the project management team
4. Prepare the outline buiness case (in the Outline business case and Project product description)
5. Select the project approach and assemble tthe project brief (in the Project approach, and the Project brief doc)
6. Plan the initation stage (captured in the Plan for the initiation stage)

Question 3

What happens during the Starting Up a Project Process?

Answer 3

The Starting up a Project process prepares and checks that a number of things are done so the Project Board will have the information to decide whether to proceed to the next Initiation Stage.

1. Check that there is a business case
2. Create the Project Brief
3. Look at the project approach which examines the best way to go about doing this project
4. Capture Previous Lessons
5. Choose the people for the project
6. Create a detailed stage plan to plan the work to be done in the Initiation Stage

Question 4

What key document is created during the Starting up a project process??

Answer 4

The Project Mandate will be expanded into in the Project Brief.

Question 5

Which document is the trigger to start the SU process?

Answer 5

The trigger to start the project is the Project Mandate document.

Question 6

What is the SU process trying to address

Answer 6

A lack of objectivity and planning right at the start of a project.

Question 7

What is the input into the SU process?

Answer 7

The Project mandate (which will vary in format).

Question 8

What should be included in a project mandate?

Answer 8

It should:

1. provide the terms of reference for the project
2. contain suffcient info to identify a prospective project board

Question 9

What’s the aim of the SU process?

Answer 9

To do the mininum required in order to objectively decide to proceed (or not)

Question 10

What are the 7 key objectives of the SU process?

Answer 10

1. That there is business justification for moving into the IP process (and this is documented in the outline business case)
2. That all the required authroities exist for initiating the project
3. That there is enough information available to define and confirm the scope of the project within the project brief
4. That the ways the project can be delivered have been reviewed and a suitable project approach selected
5. That we have appointed individuals to do the work in the IP process (i.e. appointed key project roles)
6. That we have planned the work to be done in the ip process
7. That we are not wasting time initiating a project based on unsound assumptions

Question 11

What impact does a project being part of a programme have on the SU process?

Answer 11

If a project is part of a programme, then

1. the Project Brief will be provided by the programme and
2. the programme will appoint some or all of the team members

In this case, the PM should validate what has been provided and if needed, make recommendations on any changes.

Question 12

What comes first, the Project Brief or the Outline business case?

Answer 12

They are iterative as they get developed during the SU process.

Question 13

What is the purpose of gathering project requirements in the SU process?

Answer 13

To enable project success by avoiding issues, exceptions, and replanning later on in the project.

Question 14

How long should the SU process take?

Answer 14

Depends on the project!

But it shouldn’t take very long to complete the 6 activities in the process.

Question 15

What are the outputs of the SU process?

Question 16

What should be included in a project brief?

Answer 16

1. The project scope
2. Definition of the project

Question 17

What should be included in the project approach?

Answer 17

Details on how the project will be delivered.

The project approach is created alongside the project brief during the Select the project approach and assemble the project brief activity.

Question 18

What are the (6) outputs of the SU process?

Answer 18

1. The project management team
2. The project brief
3. The project approach
4. The plan for the initiation stage
5. The lessons log
6. The daily log

Question 19

What event moves the project onto the next process?

Answer 19

The approval of the Project brief by the executive.