1. Starting Your Project: Critical Information
Colby Riggs
ILS Coordinator
University of California, Irvine Libraries
Based on: Fundamentals of Technology Project Management by Colleen Garton and Erika McCulloch, 2005.
Project Name Version Date
Business Case
Time and Costs
Define how and why the project is important to the department, committee, team, client or organization. This may include current trends and environmental changes.
The reason the project is necessary. For example, where the library is currently compared to where it needs to be in the future.
Based on the project goals ask: Why are these goals essential for your library? How will it change the way you provide service? How will it benefit your library?
Provide information on the expected timeframe of the project and the associated costs. Information needed to produce the high-level estimates: Project management time; costs for hardware, software, development and testing equipment and tools for each team member; Development time needed for research, requirements and design, development deployment and delivery.
Version is determined by the:
Client Name
Identify the sponsoring department, committee or team and the principal client contact(s).
Project Organization
An organizational structure for the proposed project team is essential to the project definition. At this stage it does not have to include specific names but it should include titles (or roles) so that the size of the team is clearly understood.
Project Scope: In - Out
Decision Makers
The scope of a project is defined by specified boundaries that separate what is included in the project from what is not included in the project. This section includes the departments, locations, and services/products that will be involved. It also includes what features/functionality will be delivered in each phase of the project, the technical specification, the target audience and each phase of the projects. Out of scope items are sometimes the next phases of the project.
Identify who all the decisions makers are at each phase of the project on the client and development teams with contact information. Document what kinds of decisions each person is responsible for. This prevents the project from grinding to a halt if a roadblock is encountered. This will be the person who will take responsibility for making the final decision and who is responsible for coordinating and communicating the decision to the project team.
Format – Structured or Narrative
Project Description and Goals
Assumptions
Describe the project in terms that are understandable to everyone on the project team. Keep the description simple, accurate and unambiguous.
What the project goals are and what the project must achieve at a high level (broad focus).
Determine project goals by asking the following questions: What would you like to achieve? Why would you like to achieve it?
Define any assumptions being made about the project, the technology, the project team, roles and responsibilities, etc. It will be understood that all information contained in the document including time and cost estimates, are based on these assumptions. As each section is completed, ask yourself what assumptions were made to complete the section of the document.