Project approach and the Project Brief 

Project Approach and the Project Brief

A big mistake that project managers can sometimes make is to rush headlong into planning, only to find that the plan does not use the best approach to develop and deliver the end product.

This can be very inefficient and frustrating.

It is therefore best to first consider how the work of the project is going to be approached. The first consideration may be whether or not the solution can be provided in-house or contracted out to third parties.

This may not be all or nothing, but the organization needs to consider its knowledge skills, and experience, not to mention confidence, in its ability to create all of the project’s products.

Another consideration is the design approach taken. For example, the solution may consist of a modification to an existing product, or should it be a brand new design?

Understanding how the work is to be carried out will point to the use of customer or supplier standards, practices, and guidelines. The chosen project approach will be used as input to create the strategy documents contained within the project and initiation documentation.

For example, using leading-edge technology will increase project risk, and how all this is to be managed will be laid out in the Risk Management Approach document.

PRINCE2 recommends that a structured approach is taken to answering the above questions leading up to the creation of the Project Brief.

In deciding upon the chosen project approach, the preferred solution should be the one that the project’s product can deliver and one for which the outline business case remains viable, desirable, and achievable. The Lessons Log should be reviewed and previous or similar projects reviewed related to the project approach.

Another question that should be answered is “Are there any relevant corporate or programme strategies, including standards or practices, that need to be applied?”

The customer and supplier roles must have heavy involvement in deciding the best project approach to ensure a feasible and achievable solution is determined.

Other considerations are the operational environment and constraints into which this solution must fit.

The Project Brief now needs to be assembled, and this includes confirming the objectives and desired outcomes, the project scope and exclusions, and any constraints or assumptions.

The project management team structure and role descriptions should be reviewed and updated if necessary.

The Daily Log will be used to record any new issues and risks.

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