Project initiation: Let’s get this party started!
Start the Party!
Let’s get this party started!
As project managers, we’ve all been approached by someone in the company who has a great idea for a new project/implementation/process. After congratulating your colleague for that fine bit of thinking, gently remind them that before anything can be started, they need a sponsor for the project. Send those well-meaning colleagues off to find the person that can really get the party started.
Find the sponsor
Sponsors are critically important to the success of a project. Without the assistance of the sponsor, most projects are over before they begin. A sponsor typically has a need or requirement for the outcome of the project. Ideally, the sponsor has the budget as well. It’s also a good idea if this person has some authority in the organization to help with assigning resources.
The Project Charter
During the initiation phase of the project, as project managers, we need to work very closely with the sponsor to ensure that everyone understands the outcomes and deliverables. The Project Charter is the main deliverable in the initiation phase according to the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK). In some companies, this document is the sole purview of the sponsor, with little input from any project manager.
This document is similar to a business case in that it details –
- Why the project is necessary
- The funding of the project
- The main stakeholders
- The sponsor and sponsoring organization
- The initial project team
- Any potential constraints, roadblocks or risks
- A preliminary milestone schedule or delivery time frame
- In some organizations, there is a separate business case that is included with the Project Charter that details the expected investment, time frames, and ROI.
Define the project
The Project Charter is approved by the sponsor as the definition of the project. It’s important that the Sponsor be clear in what they are asking to be accomplished to ensure the deliverables are correct. If a project manager is assigned after the Project Charter is complete, it’s important to ask clarifying questions of the sponsor to ensure understanding.
Avoid project initiation mistakes
Some organizations pressure their staff to shortchange the Project Charter development process. The sponsor is busy, the project is needed badly, funding will surely be approved, everyone thinks they know exactly what to do and when. This can be a disastrous mistake. Without a clear set of agreed-upon expectations, it’s very likely that the team will do good work on the wrong task or produce the wrong deliverable. As project managers, we use the Project Charter to create a number of other documents, including the Project Plan. In many organizations, budget approvals require some type of initial plan or business case to approve the work. Avoid starting work on any project without a Project Charter approved by the right people.
Project Charters don’t have to be pages of PowerPoint slides or a long form document. I’ve seen perfectly acceptable charters that are one slide or one page. The point is to ensure everyone knows what they’re working on, why it’s important, the budget, and the time frame.
Need a sample project charter?
For some great project initiation questions, see GirlsGuidetoPM.
How are project charters used in your organization? Is the initiation process a formal one, or not? Let us know in the comments below.
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