Project Definition

By designing a project first we have to define what we want to achieve, what is the objective of the project. To avoid  misunderstandings it's worth to define the scope and - to be sure - what is not in the scope.

Digging deeper we will define the products of the project; documents, test plans, source code, test protocols. Often the work is braked down into the detailed tasks. Albeit useful for work assessment I don't like it. A project should be result focused, build on peoples capabilities and innovation. By giving them tasks instead of targets they may fill like cogwheels in the machinery and even lay back and wait for detailed instructions. And you also may forget something. I rather concentrate on what we want to achieve.

If we know what we have to do the next steps is the how. Which resources do I need/have to do the project? Who will work in it? What equipment, tools are needed? What about suppliers?

Project needs an organisational structure; at the minimum there is a project sponsor and a project manager, and project member. Depending on the size and complexity this may increase. We also have to define how will the organisation work. Meeting & reporting at every milestone or every week? There are a lot of options depending on the kind, size, structure, complexity of the project and on organisation culture and processes.

Next we should asses the risks of the project. I do this by setting up a table having five columns (Threat, Costs, Probability, Result, and Action). The Threat is an event (or a group of events) which may occur, causing a certain amount of potential Loss (I always measure it in delay), the Probability that this threat occurs, the Result = Cost x Probability, and the Action is to prevent the risk. Assessing cost and probability is not easy but it's worth doing it.

The risk list is also a project controlling tools as are the milestones. Good milestones have granularity, because achieving or failing milestones are the best signal about the projects progress.

After all this a business case can be defined.

Project Definition Summary:

• Objectives
• Scope
• Products of the projects
• Resources
• Project Team
• Milestones
• Risks

And last but not least. All projects means change so don't forget to add change management.