Project Definition

Checklist

Problem Statement

What is the problem (or puzzle) to be solved? How does not solving this problem get in the way of achieving the organization's objectives? What is the chronology of the situation - how did you get here? Are there trends at work - social, industry, financial, economic? Is this a 'solution' that has turned into a problem - if so, what is the original problem that this solution-turned-problem was supposed to solve? What alternatives have been explored?

Stake Holders

Who will be affected by the problem? Which employees? Stakeholders? Customers? Others? Have they been involved sufficiently up to this point? Should they be brought in to the project? When? To what degree do they share the belief that this is a problem that needs to be solved? Who ought to 'champion' this project? To whom should the project team report? Has a project leader been selected yet?

Scope, Size and Perspective

What written definition clearly distinguishes between what is inside this project, and what is outside? What is the level of detail and precision involved in this effort - is this a sweeping global effort (like a vision or strategy) or is this a project to produce specific outcomes (like install a system, or build a house)? What’s the point of view that should be taken during the project - there can be more than one, better to identify 'em rather than discover them at final review. What’s the degree of generalization being sought?

Goals & Objectives

What tangible, deliverable things do we want to see when this project is completed? How do we know when the project is done?

Critical Success Factors

What things do we need to do well in order for this project to succeed? What are the attributes of projects like this that have succeeded in the past? Describe some projects of this type that have failed. What can we do to avoid those problems this time?

Preferred Problem-Solving Approach

Who will do what, with whom, by when? What are the intermediate milestone events or deliverables that we can use as checkpoints to monitor the progress of the project? Are they more than 1 or 2 weeks apart? Do we need more (or fewer) objectives to keep the project under a reasonable level of control?

Readiness

How dissatisfied are people with the current state of affairs? How clear is the vision? Do people think this project needs to happen? Do people have the tools and training they require in order to perform their role in the project team? What do other people in the organization need to do in order to get ready? Is the project team in need of some time to establish how they are going to work together, or have they succeeded as a group before?

Resource Requirements

What people, time, money, access-to-decision-makers, technology, space, etc. do we estimate this project to take? How well do people understand the resources required to solve the problem? Are those resources available, or do we need to redirect from somewhere else? Is there wide support, and willingness to commit the resource, across the whole organization? Do people think the change is worth the investment? What are the organizational impacts (how broad, how deep)?